Free Agency

[Axxo]

Yay Mark Sanchez is visting! Possibly competing for a QB role.... It all makes sense now!

Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk

[patryk7754]

According to spotrac.com we have about 14mil left in cap. I think that leaves us with one or two more signings depending on what money we give out. Most of the good players are at positions that we won't sign like RB, LB, and CB but there are still some good tackles out there.

King Dunlap, LT
Ryan Clady, LT
Breno Giacomini, RT
Sebastian Vollmer, RT
Byron Bell, RT
Gosder Cherilus, RT

The problem with those guys is that they are either old, injury prone, or both.

If we do sign anyone else, I think it won't be until after the draft to fill any holes left over.

[Bomba Navarro]

This is a rebuild. Whoever we sign at this point is going to be short term. None of the the remaining FAs we may sign from now on should be in Chicago in two years. Let's just hope Pace strikes gold in the upcoming draft, the youngins develop and injuries finally give us a break. After an historically injury-plagued season, I think things will look up and we'll be looking at a 6-8 wins season if Glennon is decent.

[heir_jordan22]

By all accounts, the Bears have had a terrible offseason so far. Yet this is the first time we've gone into a draft with any glaring needs

Sent from my SM-G920P using RealGM mobile app

[heir_jordan22]

Went from Cutler to Glennon. Cutler didn't work out. We can all agree on that. And the Bears believe Glennon has more potential.
Not a big change, but some potential. And if it doesn't work out then he can be cut in the offseason with how his contract is structured.

Sanchez as a backup might not be as good as Hoyer, might be better. Hopefully it doesn't matter because we'd all prefer our starter to stay healthy.

Needed a safety. Got one. Needed a corner. Got two starters. Lost Jeffery, but added tons of speed and playmaker at receiver. Added the best blocking TE available, who also is a good receiver. Added depth along the defensive line. Retained our best backup offensive lineman. Retained four key special teams players (Bellamy, Thompson, Jones, Prosinski).

There are no holes.

Now the front office can draft best player available and truly build through the draft.

Not to mention the fact that there is so much depth at every position now. We're protecting ourselves against injuries. You can do that more and more as your drafts continue to build your roster.

Sent from my SM-G920P using RealGM mobile app

[heir_jordan22]

Out of the guys still available I like King Dunlap and Anquan Boldin. If we can't draft an OT and WR in the first few rounds, then hopefully we can add these two guys.

I liked Christine Michael too, but I presume they went with Cunningham because he's a returner.

Sent from my SM-G920P using RealGM mobile app

[Axxo]

By all accounts, the Bears have had a terrible offseason so far. Yet this is the first time we've gone into a draft with any glaring needs

Sent from my SM-G920P using RealGM mobile app

Pace should have gotten Gilmore. He still could have signed most of these scrubs for depth.

Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk

[patryk7754]

By all accounts, the Bears have had a terrible offseason so far. Yet this is the first time we've gone into a draft with any glaring needs

Sent from my SM-G920P using RealGM mobile app

Pace should have gotten Gilmore. He still could have signed most of these scrubs for depth.

Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk

You say Pace should've gotten Gilmore like we are the better option. Even if we offered him $15m he still would've chosen the Pats. Pace sign two starters and combined their salaries are cheaper than gilmores. Would I prefer him? Obviously, but there was probably never a realistic chance to get him once the Patriots came in play. And I wouldn't really call the guys we signed scrubs.

[City of Trees]

I'm not paying all that guaranteed money for Gilmore. Even Bills fans agree.

Sent from my SM-J700T using RealGM mobile app

[heir_jordan22]

By all accounts, the Bears have had a terrible offseason so far. Yet this is the first time we've gone into a draft with any glaring needs

Sent from my SM-G920P using RealGM mobile app

Pace should have gotten Gilmore. He still could have signed most of these scrubs for depth.

Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk

Marcus Cooper was a pro bowl alternate. Prince Amukamara is an above average starter, not player, but starter. They were signed for a total of $12M this year. Less than Gilmore's average. Less than Bouye's average.

Now you have your #1 (Cooper) and two guys who are extremely athletic and talented but have had injury issues, each for a year (Amukamara and Fuller). You can Re-sign whichever of those two you like more at the end of the year or let them both walk, or sign both.

Instead you all want to overpay everyone and hamstring the team.

Plus you were all pissed off about not signing Wagner, Whitworth and Jeffery. It would've been nice if we could get them for a good deal. But Wagner got 9.5/year, Whitworth got 11.5/yr and Jeffery wanted 14/yr and misses at least 4 games a year.

You are all complaining about the QB, yet nobody has a good solution for a better qb option. Every analyst is saying this is the worst qb class in years, so you want to draft one at #3 overall?? That's flat out stupid. You want to trade multiple first round picks for Garoppolo? Stupid. You want to trade for a dying Romo? Stupid. You want to sign underachievers in RGIII and Manziel? Stupid.

The only hole we have on our roster now is a starting DE. All of the top 3 players in this draft can play DE in our scheme, and one of them is a natural fit. And they all have position flexibility. We have set ourselves up well.

You're also overlooking the fact that spending $35 million on three free agents would not only keep us from signing quality depth, but would hamstring us when it comes to resigning talented players we already have in house and evaluate on a daily basis (Hicks, Goldman, Miller, Amos).

Overpaying is what kills teams. That was Angelo's problem and it was Emery's problem. They signed big names regardless of need and backed themselves up against the salary cap. And then used the draft to fill needs. So if the rookie didn't pan out it left a hole in the roster.

Sign guys that fill needs and add depth and competition and have potential. Draft the best playmakers on the board and develop them. That's how all the successful teams operate across all the major sports.

Sent from my SM-G920P using RealGM mobile app

[chitownsports4ever]

By all accounts, the Bears have had a terrible offseason so far. Yet this is the first time we've gone into a draft with any glaring needs

Sent from my SM-G920P using RealGM mobile app

Pace should have gotten Gilmore. He still could have signed most of these scrubs for depth.

Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk

You say Pace should've gotten Gilmore like we are the better option. Even if we offered him $15m he still would've chosen the Pats. Pace sign two starters and combined their salaries are cheaper than gilmores. Would I prefer him? Obviously, but there was probably never a realistic chance to get him once the Patriots came in play. And I wouldn't really call the guys we signed scrubs.

No he wouldnt have if we had offered him that he wouldve signed on the spot and the Pace never wouldve gotten a chance to make an offer.

The patriots came in with their offer after the Bears had at least day and a half of negotiating with Gilmore and did not enter the picture until the morning he signed .

Gilmore didnt even consider pace's offer serious

Gilmore deal actually only has about 30 million guaranteed which for someone who is 26 in a DB market whose price range is about to pass 15 million per year next year is not bad at all.

[chitownsports4ever]

Instead you all want to overpay everyone and hamstring the team.

Plus you were all pissed off about not signing Wagner, Whitworth and Jeffery. It would've been nice if we could get them for a good deal. But Wagner got 9.5/year, Whitworth got 11.5/yr and Jeffery wanted 14/yr and misses at least 4 games a year.

Please tell me how signing Whitworth,Jeffrey,and Gilmore wouldve hamstrung us ?

You still can still sign Demps and Sims and still get Glennon


Whitworth deal is 3 years 36 million

15 million guaranteed

with 13 million coming in the first year

[heir_jordan22]

If we signed Whitworth, Jeffery, Gilmore and Glennon that would leave us with $5-10M in cap. We'd still need a starting safety, starting DE, a corner, a couple receivers, a tight end, DL depth, a backup quarterback, a pass rusher and more competition at running back. So we'd be able to sign one or two guys.

Then you're drafting purely to fill needs. When you do that, you reach. Some prospects don't work out. Then you also don't have money to Re-sign your guys, licker Hicks. And then what if the free agents don't work out.

We didn't get the top two corners, but we got two quality corner who are young and still have plenty of upside. We filled every hole except for starting DE. We're poised to draft best player available and actually build our roster without being reliant on big name free agents every year.

So we'd be drafting

Sent from my SM-G920P using RealGM mobile app

[Axxo]

By all accounts, the Bears have had a terrible offseason so far. Yet this is the first time we've gone into a draft with any glaring needs

Sent from my SM-G920P using RealGM mobile app

Pace should have gotten Gilmore. He still could have signed most of these scrubs for depth.

Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk

Marcus Cooper was a pro bowl alternate. Prince Amukamara is an above average starter, not player, but starter. They were signed for a total of $12M this year. Less than Gilmore's average. Less than Bouye's average.

Now you have your #1 (Cooper) and two guys who are extremely athletic and talented but have had injury issues, each for a year (Amukamara and Fuller). You can Re-sign whichever of those two you like more at the end of the year or let them both walk, or sign both.

Instead you all want to overpay everyone and hamstring the team.

Plus you were all pissed off about not signing Wagner, Whitworth and Jeffery. It would've been nice if we could get them for a good deal. But Wagner got 9.5/year, Whitworth got 11.5/yr and Jeffery wanted 14/yr and misses at least 4 games a year.

You are all complaining about the QB, yet nobody has a good solution for a better qb option. Every analyst is saying this is the worst qb class in years, so you want to draft one at #3 overall?? That's flat out stupid. You want to trade multiple first round picks for Garoppolo? Stupid. You want to trade for a dying Romo? Stupid. You want to sign underachievers in RGIII and Manziel? Stupid.

The only hole we have on our roster now is a starting DE. All of the top 3 players in this draft can play DE in our scheme, and one of them is a natural fit. And they all have position flexibility. We have set ourselves up well.

You're also overlooking the fact that spending $35 million on three free agents would not only keep us from signing quality depth, but would hamstring us when it comes to resigning talented players we already have in house and evaluate on a daily basis (Hicks, Goldman, Miller, Amos).

Overpaying is what kills teams. That was Angelo's problem and it was Emery's problem. They signed big names regardless of need and backed themselves up against the salary cap. And then used the draft to fill needs. So if the rookie didn't pan out it left a hole in the roster.

Sign guys that fill needs and add depth and competition and have potential. Draft the best playmakers on the board and develop them. That's how all the successful teams operate across all the major sports.

Sent from my SM-G920P using RealGM mobile app

I think most of this is response addressing the board in general?

Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk

[Axxo]

Pace should have gotten Gilmore. He still could have signed most of these scrubs for depth.

Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk

You say Pace should've gotten Gilmore like we are the better option. Even if we offered him $15m he still would've chosen the Pats. Pace sign two starters and combined their salaries are cheaper than gilmores. Would I prefer him? Obviously, but there was probably never a realistic chance to get him once the Patriots came in play. And I wouldn't really call the guys we signed scrubs.

No he wouldnt have if we had offered him that he wouldve signed on the spot and the Pace never wouldve gotten a chance to make an offer.

The patriots came in with their offer after the Bears had at least day and a half of negotiating with Gilmore and did not enter the picture until the morning he signed .

Gilmore didnt even consider pace's offer serious

Gilmore deal actually only has about 30 million guaranteed which for someone who is 26 in a DB market whose price range is about to pass 15 million per year next year is not bad at all.

Yeah, I agree here. They should never have let hm leave.

Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk

[chitownsports4ever]

If we signed Whitworth, Jeffery, Gilmore and Glennon that would leave us with $5-10M in cap. We'd still need a starting safety, starting DE, a corner, a couple receivers, a tight end, DL depth, a backup quarterback, a pass rusher and more competition at running back. So we'd be able to sign one or two guys.

Then you're drafting purely to fill needs. When you do that, you reach. Some prospects don't work out. Then you also don't have money to Re-sign your guys, licker Hicks. And then what if the free agents don't work out.

We didn't get the top two corners, but we got two quality corner who are young and still have plenty of upside. We filled every hole except for starting DE. We're poised to draft best player available and actually build our roster without being reliant on big name free agents every year.

So we'd be drafting

Sent from my SM-G920P using RealGM mobile app

We still need to fill all those positions passing the buck along to next year does not mean they are filled .



We signed a bunch of guys that would look great playing across from quality starters ...of which we do not have . All these guys we did signed we couldve gotten for less .

Its not about signing big name free agents next year its about filling holes with long term solutions . How many free agents on prove it deals work out ? Id be surprised if its over 25% of them so signing 7-8 guys on these types of deals is not team building when you have so many holes at starters

This belief Pace is somehow about draft 4-5 stars per draft to save the bears is ridiculous he had money to actually fill holes with young vets in the top half of the their position . To bypass on that because of some ill conceived notion that whoever gets draft will pan out is mismanagement at its finest.

There are simply too many "Ifs" in year 3 of this rebuild and this team is trending down with these latest signings and without a playoff appearance or at least challenging for a spot this season both pace and Fox are going to be ran out of town .

I normally am not all doom and gloom but this situation as it stands is not good for a franchise as prestigious as the Bears .

[patryk7754]

You say Pace should've gotten Gilmore like we are the better option. Even if we offered him $15m he still would've chosen the Pats. Pace sign two starters and combined their salaries are cheaper than gilmores. Would I prefer him? Obviously, but there was probably never a realistic chance to get him once the Patriots came in play. And I wouldn't really call the guys we signed scrubs.

No he wouldnt have if we had offered him that he wouldve signed on the spot and the Pace never wouldve gotten a chance to make an offer.

The patriots came in with their offer after the Bears had at least day and a half of negotiating with Gilmore and did not enter the picture until the morning he signed .

Gilmore didnt even consider pace's offer serious

Gilmore deal actually only has about 30 million guaranteed which for someone who is 26 in a DB market whose price range is about to pass 15 million per year next year is not bad at all.

Yeah, I agree here. They should never have let hm leave.

Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk

If I remember right the bears talked to him when they weren't allowed to sign him yet. As soon as teams were able to sign players I believe the patriots were the first team to talk to him.

Like you, I too am disappointed that we didn't sign him. I've been talking about signing him since the start of the regular season. I am also disappointed that we didn't sign any elite guys. But just because we didn't sign guys like that doesn't mean we are having a horrible offseason. We signed two guys in cooper and demps that would start on any team in the league. Prince is very good in man coverage and would start on at least half of the teams. And then we filled out the roster with quality depth. Plus we got Wright who has shown he can be a legit number one receiver. Just because we didn't have the amazing offseason we expected doesn't mean it's not good.

[chitownsports4ever]

If I remember right the bears talked to him when they weren't allowed to sign him yet. As soon as teams were able to sign players I believe the patriots were the first team to talk to him.

Like you, I too am disappointed that we didn't sign him. I've been talking about signing him since the start of the regular season. I am also disappointed that we didn't sign any elite guys. But just because we didn't sign guys like that doesn't mean we are having a horrible offseason. We signed two guys in cooper and demps that would start on any team in the league. Prince is very good in man coverage and would start on at least half of the teams. And then we filled out the roster with quality depth. Plus we got Wright who has shown he can be a legit number one receiver. Just because we didn't have the amazing offseason we expected doesn't mean it's not good.

There were plenty of deals agreed upon the day before players could sign them . Pace left the table with a weak offer and the enxt morning the pats signed Gilmore after not having showed interest at all prior to that morning .

Cooper and Demps couldnt start on any team in the league that is homerism rewriting their value to something that was surely not the case when we signed them .

How do you fill depth when you dont have starters ?

When did Wright show he can be a #1 receiver ?

Pace brought in all these guys on prove it deals and they hardly ever work out .

From a football perspective this has not been a good offseason for the bears who are less talented than they were a year ago but for the Mcaskeys Im sure its great to get so many bargains .

Do you really believe that pace with this draft will have assembled a team that will either make the playoffs or be competing for one in December ?

[heir_jordan22]

Free agent signings in general don't pan out as well as people would hope. Lamarr Houston was a big name free agent and a good signing. He's had trouble with his knee and now we don't know how effective he'll be. We haven't even gotten a single full season out of him. Same exact thing for McPhee and Trevathan. Three of the best players on our roster. Three excellent signings. Three big name free agents. And they haven't been healthy. They make up a huge chunk of our salary.

Now take into consideration that some big name guys end up just not playing well in their new cities. Higher expectations, different coaches, different schemes, different cities - whatever the reason, they often don't pan out.

Gilmore would have been a great addition. But the Patriots made him one of the highest paid Corners, so why would he choose anyone else? He probably took a discount to go there.

Sent from my SM-G920P using RealGM mobile app

[chitownsports4ever]

Bears apparently offered 12-13 million to Gilmore who didnt consider the offer serious and the Bears refused to budge off that offer . The next morning the Patriots who he had no contact with prior to called up and offered him what he wanted was 14 and he signed immediately .

Now considering how pace since the season ended was making the rounds claiming how the bears had money and would be aggressive it doesnt seem as though they were serious .

Now the free agency is a risk as evidenced by the injuries of our own free agents from last year but its already a little off putting for DB to be a need when we have used 4 picks on Dbs the last 2 drafts and still the need became even greater and instead of filling it for the next 3-4 years we bargained shop offering prove it deals to fringe guys and now the draft comes up and its DB heavy

I dont think its a overreaction to be extremely disappointed in the direction so far