Expert Gives Compelling Argument for Bears Sitting Out Free Agency

Most fans are itching for the Chicago Bears to get back in action for free agency this year. The big reason for it is obvious. This team went 12-4 last season. They're finally within striking distance of a Super Bowl run after almost a decade. One more bold stroke for a difference-making talent could be what they need. It's unlikely they'll be able to get one in the draft after their trades for Khalil Mack and Anthony Miller lost them their 1st and 2nd round picks. So their best option is free agency. They should be able to put together just enough money to make a run at a player they covet. The question is whether this is what they should do? The Bears were one of the best teams in the NFC last year. It isn't like their roster overachieved. If anything it's only scratching the surface of its true potential. They were undone not by a talent gap but by a guy who couldn't kick a ball through the goal posts. Would they be better off taking a seat on the sideline this year? One expert thinks so. [video width="1280" height="720" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Bryce-Callahan-secures-bobbled-INT.mp4"][/video]

Chicago Bears could stockpile draft help in the near future by staying patient

Initially, the Bears were constantly active in free agency because they were trying to rebuild one of the worst and oldest rosters in the NFL. Now that they've succeeded in forging a new talent core, why should they be so anxious to keep throwing money at the market when they don't have to. Bill Barnwell of ESPN believes they should be more focused on ways to recoup some of the draft capital they've lost in recent trades

"Nobody in Chicago is complaining about the Mack trade after last season, but the Bears are missing a lot of draft capital. They should do what they can to try to generate compensatory picks over the next couple of years, and while it's tempting to try to go all-in for that one last missing piece, that move rarely pays off. If they lose Callahan, they should be able to recoup a fourth-round compensatory pick for their departed cornerback. When you consider that the Bears drafted Jackson and Tarik Cohen in the fourth round in 2017, a compensatory fourth-rounder might turn out to be a valuable asset."

It's a fair point. Ryan Pace has proven he can score hits in the later rounds almost consistently. Jackson and Cohen aren't the only examples. Jordan Howard, Bilal Nichols, and Adrian Amos fall into that category as well. The GM has said he wanted to get his team to a point where they could exclusively build through the draft. All the evidence says they've reached it. So maybe it's time to put the checkbook down, take a breath and focus on building the bottom half of the depth chart.