Wild Card Free Agent Could Be Available (And Worth Risk) For The Bears

There is no doubt that the 2017 NFL offseason is one of the most important in recent history for the Chicago Bears. If GM Ryan Pace can have another strong run between March and April, this team might be ready to start winning. If he stumbles then it could be more painful seasons of losing. At some point the careful and calculated executive will have to realize he needs to start taking a risk or two if he wants to get better, faster. One of the most bothersome situations he's dealing with is the Alshon Jeffery issue. For the second-straight offseason the Bears have had a chance to sign the wide receiver to a long-term extension. Again they've failed in that endeavor. Word is they won't franchise tag him again and he's expected to hit the open market. Pace explained his reasoning in no uncertain terms.

Logical if nothing else. Nonetheless it makes the Bears' job of building the team up even harder. Is there a way the team can cover up the loss of their most productive wide receiver in the history of the Super Bowl era? There is, but it may come down to just how willing Pace is at taking a leap of faith.

RAISING THE DEAD

Most NFL fans have forgotten the name Josh Gordon. Not surprising since he hasn't played a meaningful football game since 2014. The former Pro Bowl receiver has battled substance-abuse issues that time, getting caught and suspended multiple times by the league for marijuana use. As a result he chose to put himself in a rehabilitation center until he felt certain he could get himself free of the habit. With free agency just over a week away and his contract about to expire, the 27-year old applied to the league for reinstatement according to Adam Schefter.

If granted permission to return, Gordon would become one of the most fascinating free agents on the market. He carries a rough stigma with him from Cleveland. Odds are the Browns won't try to bring him back, especially if they manage to lock up Terrelle Pryor long-term. At the same time Gordon is still young and had a chance to flash that playmaking ability to the last preseason that made him so dominant four years ago.

ROLL THE DICE

[video width="854" height="480" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Josh-Gordon-Preseason-Full-Highlights-Cleveland-Browns-HD.mp4"][/video] The Bears have said on multiple occasions they plan to be aggressive in free agency. That means they're willing to spend. Pace is often quite fond of signing questionable players to short-term "prove it" deals. The idea of course being that they'd earn a longer contract if they showed they could be productive and either stay healthy or out of trouble. Tracey Porter and Mitch Unrein are two such examples. Gordon is every bit as talented as Alshon Jeffery, if not more so. If the Bears could bring him in at a fraction of the price it would take to keep Jeffery and he excels? That would make for an all-time great business decision. The risk isn't much either because if it doesn't work the Bears could simply part ways and seek out their solution elsewhere. It's a low-risk, high-reward proposition.