The Chicago Bears won't be big spenders in free agency this year. Not unless they're prepared to do some serious shuffling of their payroll with cuts, trade, and restructures. It's not impossible. GM Ryan Pace is known for being unpredictable and does like to use free agency to reshuffle the roster. That said, it's more likely he will seek to find cheaper options to help. Similar to what he's gotten from names like Prince Amukamara and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix in recent years.
It's all about timing and finding the right talent to pursue. One method that can be quite effective in this regard is taking castoffs from other teams who might've been underappreciated for one reason or another. Like Amukamara and Clinton-Dix. One type of player that makes a lot of sense in these scenarios is a cap casualty. A veteran name who is dismissed from their current roster because their production no longer matches their contract.
One name that might soon fit this profile perfectly? Pass rusher Olivier Vernon. According to Albert Breer of the MMQB, expectations are that the 29-year old will likely be cut by the Cleveland Browns following a lackluster 2019 season.
"Browns DE Olivier Vernon (cap savings: $11.5 million): Sacks aren’t everything, but it’s tough to carry a pass-rusher about to turn 30 at over $15 million coming off a season in which he had just 3.5 of them."
Chicago Bears should take a gamble on Vernon
So what does this have to do with the Bears? Vernon isn't quite over the hill yet. Pass rushers can often produce into their mid-30s. One reason he will likely be cheap if and when he becomes available is his recent string of bad luck with health. Over the past three seasons, Vernon has missed a combined 15 games with various injuries. A knee ailment limited him to just 10 games this past year. A key reason his production suffered.
However, context is always key. Vernon had 3.5 sacks and 17 total pressures in 10 games for Cleveland. By comparison, Leonard Floyd had three sacks and 26 total pressures in 16 games. So despite having six extra games, Floyd came away with less sack production and was only separated by nine total pressures. The last time Vernon played a full season, he had 8.5 sacks. If the Bears wanted to get some insurance across from Khalil Mack for a manageable price? This is a guy to go after.
