The Tennessee Titans released offensive tackle Taylor Lewan recently, making him a free agent right away. Considering the Chicago Bears have so much money and so many needs, it is easy to tie almost any free agent to the team. So, is Taylor Lewan a fit with the Chicago Bears?
Chicago Bears should avoid Taylor Lewan in free agency
The obvious reason to avoid him is that he is coming off of a torn ACL. Taylor Lewan tore his ACL in September, so while there is a chance he will be ready to go for week one, you can also assume that it is going to take him most of the season just to get back to feeling like himself, or getting back up to speed.
That is great if you are a contender and want him to peak in the playoffs. It also would be okay if Taylor Lewan had a long-term upside. Lewan is 31 years old. If this year is just getting back up to speed, then you are looking at a 32-year-old who probably is not coming off of his best season. At that point, do you just want to upgrade over him?
Taylor Lewan also tore his ACL in 2020, so it is fair to wonder if the years in the NFL are starting to catch up to him. There is not much long-term upside here.
Over the past three seasons, Taylor Lewan has played 1,202 snaps. To put that into perspective Braxton Jones played 1,033 in one season as a rookie.
It is tough to rely on Lewan to be healthy. It is easy to assume that he is now going to have his best days behind him. We have not even dug into what it would cost to sign him, either.
Taylor Lewan may still have a year or two of good football in him, and he may be worth it for the team that invests in him. However, the Chicago Bears are young, and rebuilding and adding an aging player coming off of an injury does not quite make sense on their timeline.