The Chicago Bears free agency plan is in motion. GM Ryan Pace seems to know what he's trying to do. It is much the same tactic he's employed to considerable success in the past. Bring in quality veterans of high character and talent to plug holes on the roster. Mostly at affordable prices. Then this allows the team to focus on drafting the best players available next month.
While it's likely the Bears aren't done, perhaps this is a good time to evaluate their moves thus far. One thing is certain from their approach to this point. This is not a team thinking about the future. They are angling to win now. In 2020. They feel they have enough in place to do it. All they need is a few more additions in the right spots to make a run.
Have they made any progress? Here is their report card after the first week of action.
Grading all the latest Chicago Bears free agency moves
Demetrius Harris (TE)
The madness of the market opening this past week completely glossed over how the Bears got an early start on free agency when they signed Harris. He was a castoff from Cleveland this past year, a victim of that team's neverending turnover. Before that though he was a contributor for the Kansas City Chiefs, playing #2 to Travis Kelce. Nagy has a familiarity with him and what he can do.
Grade: C+
Harris isn't going to be much more than a red zone threat when it comes to catching the football. That's fine because he wasn't signed for that anyway. The Bears sorely need reliable blocking from that position. Something Harris has done consistently well for most of his career.
Jimmy Graham (TE)
Lots of Bears fans and media were appalled by this signing. Giving $8 million per year to a 33-year old tight end? That's madness. Look, did the Bears overpay? Yes. Here's the thing though. They didn't have a lot of options. Austin Hooper was going to reset the market. Hunter Henry was franchise tagged. Eric Ebron? He's had one good season in his career, battled health problems, and a tendency to be outspoken in the locker room. Combine that with a subpar draft class according to many and the Bears weren't in a position to be choosy.
Grade: C
Is Graham the ideal solution? Not even close. Is he better than pretty much every other option on the roster? Yes he is. This offense is made for the tight ends. Maybe it can squeeze one more good year out of him.
Robert Quinn (EDGE)
In 2016, Pace felt he'd heralded a new era of the Bears pass rush when he traded up to grab Leonard Floyd 9th overall. Four years later the outside linebacker is gone, having failed to crack 20 sacks for his career in that span. A major disappointment in every way. The Bears had to make sure they found somebody who could take full advantage of Khalil Mack on the opposite side. Their choice ended up being Quinn who had 11.5 sacks in 2019 alone.
Grade: A
This was the exact move Pace had to make and he did it. Quinn has the track record and pedigree made for hunting quarterbacks. He has 80 sacks in his career and still only 29-years old. He'll see a wealth of single blocks with Mack and Akiem Hicks also up front. If health prevails, this should be a home run move.
Nick Foles (QB)
When the news dropped that Chicago had traded for Foles, the reactions were decidedly mixed. More than a few people threw up their hands. Here the Bears were again, taking a useless quarterback who offered them nothing. Of course, much of that fervor was born out of Foles' unfortunate one-year jaunt in Jacksonville where he went 0-4, missed most of the season with a shoulder injury and was overtaken by a 6th round rookie. The Bears gave up a 4th round pick for that? Well, not exactly.
Grade: B-
Context is always key. Foles ran into a tough situation with the Jaguars, a team that is clearly rebuilding now. When given pieces to work with, he's had success. He knows the Bears offense well, winning a Super Bowl in it three years ago. His arm is strong and he can read defenses. At worst he's a highly competent backup. At best he is a solid starter, which is what they need.
Artie Burns (CB)
What a story this kid is. His father went to prison for cocaine trafficking when he was 11-years old. Then during his 2015 season at Miami, his mother died. This forced him into a tough decision, declaring for the 2016 NFL draft. A decision fueled less by readiness and more by a need to feed his family. Burns became a 1st round pick for Pittsburgh, played pretty well as a rookie but soon regressed until he was all but benched in 2019.
Grade: B
This is a low-risk/high-reward move by the Bears. Burns is only 24-years old. He's talented enough to start in this league. They have a defensive coordinator in Chuck Pagano who is a defensive back specialist and also coached for a long time at Miami. If there is a coach out there who might be able to reach this kid, it's him. If he succeeds, then the team profits in a huge way. Otherwise no big loss.
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