Experts Agree Chicago Bears Dodged Two Bullets In Free Agency

The Chicago Bears' approach to free agency was going to get criticized one way or another. Fans would've only celebrated it if GM Ryan Poles signed literally every single player on the market. The team came out aggressive, adding several front-line starters in the first few days. That includes linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards, guard Nate Davis, and defensive linemen DeMarcus Walker and Andrew Billings. Those were followed by budget additions like running back D'Onta Foreman and tight end Robert Tonyan.

Several around the league believe Poles has done excellent work. He upgraded his roster with young, ascending talent and didn't break the bank doing so. The Bears still have the most cap space in the league by a comfortable margin, with ten picks in the upcoming draft.

However, sometimes success in an off-season isn't from the moves you make but the moves you don't make. Several big names were connected to the Bears over the past month. Most of them ended up signing with other teams. Two in particular, right tackle Mike McGlinchey and defensive tackle Dre'Mont Jones, have fans upset the most. Sports Illustrated insiders Albert Breer and Gilberto Manzano think Chicago actually dodged a bullet.

They feel Seattle and Denver overpaid for each player.

"Manzano: Dre’mont Jones to the Seahawks. The Seahawks ranked 30th in the league last season in rushing yards allowed per game (150.2), and that’s not an area of strength for Jones, who received a run defense grade of 41.8 from Pro Football Focus. It’s easy to overlook Jones’s run defense issues because he’s a stout pass rusher, and the team brought back Jarran Reed to help in that area. But Zach Allen, a more versatile defensive lineman, was available for a cheaper rate.

Breer: Mike McGlinchey to the Broncos. I like the idea of this, because Sean Payton’s teams have always invested in the offensive line over the skill positions (and that was consistent really over his 16 years in New Orleans). My concern here is whether McGlinchey (five years, $87.5 million, $52.5 million guaranteed) will justify Lane Johnson–type money. If he was that good … why didn’t the Niners lock him up, rather than taking that capital and spending it on Hargrave?"

The Chicago Bears did what they felt was right.

Rumors are that Poles was willing to pay McGlinchey upwards of $17 million per year. Denver upped their offer to $17.5 million and the deal was closed. The Bears had reached their ceiling and weren't going over it. The same was true of Jones. While they liked him as an interior pass rusher, his weakness as a run defender caused him to have a considerably lower grade than other teams. When Seattle came forward with their aggressive offer, Poles made no effort to stop it.

One must admire a GM for sticking to his guns. That is tough to do in a large market with such a passionate (and often hostile) fanbase. The Chicago Bears won't be handing out free money to guys that don't deserve it. McGlinchey and Jones are solid players. They're not two of the best at their positions. It was a different story with Tremaine Edmunds. He's 24 years old, a two-time Pro Bowler, and one of the best middle linebackers in the league. Paying him made perfect sense. That will likely stay the approach moving forward.