5 Available Free Agents Still Within Chicago Bears' Reach
Building a winning NFL team is never easy, but new Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace has been trying his best this offseason to turn the organization around following a disappointing 5-11 season in 2014.
Pace attacked early in free agency, signing outside linebacker Pernell McPhee, safety Antrel Rolle and wide receiver Eddie Royal within the first couple of days of the new league year, and he has spent the last several weeks filling up his roster with players signed to one-year deals.
"There are a lot of good options right now with one-year deals on guys and weโre healthy enough with our cap where we can do that,โ Pace said earlier this offseason, according toย Larry Mayer of ChicagoBears.com. โI like guys coming in motivated on kind of prove-it contracts. I think thatโs good."
He has already added a total of 11 new players to his roster in free agency, but he knows he can still add more pieces in the coming weeks and months, saying, according to Mayer:
"We have a lot of needs. The competitive part of you wants to fix it all right now and that can be dangerous because you can overspend at this point in free agency. Iโve got to remind ourselves that we still have the second wave and third wave of free agency. We have the draft, college free agency and preseason scouting. We can claim guys. We can trade for guys. There are a lot of other avenues that are still out in front of us to acquire players. Itโs not just right now.
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According to NFLPA.com, the Bears currently have $11,678,538 in cap space, but, according to Dan Durkin of CBSChicago.com, the Bears will owe their rookie class roughly $6 million, leaving them with around $5 million in cap space.ย
They will not be able to be big spenders in the coming months, but they should still be able to sign a few players to team-friendly, one-year deals.ย
The first wave of free agency may have come and gone, but here are five available free agents still within the Chicago Bears' reach.
ILB Colin McCarthy
1 of 5
A fourth-round pick of the Tennessee Titans back in 2011, Colin McCarthy burst onto the scene his rookie year, registering 68 tackles and one interception in 13 games.
He struggled with injuries in 2012 and 2013 and only played in a total of 23 games, registering 93 tackles and two interceptions. After injuring himself in training camp last summer, he spent all of 2014 on injured reserve.
The Bears signed inside linebacker Mason Foster to a one-year deal this offseason and plan on moving Shea McClellin to inside linebacker, but the team could use more depth at the position.
Because of his injury history, there has not been much of a market for McCarthy this offseason, but he turns just 27 next month and still has the ability to be a solid contributor for the Bears as either an inside linebacker or on special teams.
"Really interested to see where Colin McCarthy signs," tweeted Bleacher Report's Matt Miller last month. "Will be one of those low key pick ups that becomes a big contributor."
When healthy, McCarthy is an instinctive linebacker who can have an impact against the run and has the ability to drop back in coverage. Since he was unable to play last year due to a shoulder injury, he likely will be willing to sign a one-year "prove-it" deal with the Bears if the team is interested.ย
RT Joe Barksdale
2 of 5
Jordan Mills struggled at right tackle for the second year in a row last season, and it might be time for the Bears to start looking for a better option in 2015.
The free-agent market at the right tackle position was relatively thin to begin with this offseason, but it got even thinner when Doug Free, Derek Newton and Bryan Bulaga all re-signed with their respective teams before free agency began.ย
The top name still available on the market is former Oakland Raider and St. Louis Ram Joe Barksdale.
He was drafted by the Raiders in the third round of the 2011 draft, but he made no starts and was released in September 2012. The Rams quickly signed him and he appeared in six games with two starts that season.
In 2013 and 2014, he started a total of 29 games. According to Pro Football Focus, Barksdale finished the 2013 season with a plus-9.2 overall grade, including a plus-8.2 grade in pass blocking. He allowed four sacks, five quarterback hits and 18 quarterback hurries in 838 snaps at right tackle.
Last season, he started all 16 games but finished with a minus-5.9 overall grade, according to Pro Football Focus. In 1,031 snaps, he allowed seven sacks, four quarterback hits and 40 quarterback hurries.
Interest in Barksdale has been limited this offseason, but he did meet with the Tennessee Titans late last week, according to Jim Wyatt ofย Theย Tennessean.ย
His drop in play last season is likely why the market has been relatively quiet for Barksdale, but he is another player Pace could add on a "prove-it" deal this offseason.
Throughout his career, Barksdale has been solid in the running game, but he has struggled against the pass, particularly against quick edge-rushers. He won't fix all of Chicago's issues along the offensive line, but he would be an upgrade over Mills.ย
NT Barry Cofield
3 of 5
The Bears added veteran defensive linemen Ray McDonald and Jarvis Jenkins to the roster this offseason, and while both have the ability to be moved inside to nose tackle, the Bears still have a need for a prototypical 0-technique nose tackle in their new 3-4 defense.
The team already has Jeremiah Ratliff and Ego Ferguson on the roster, but they could still be in the running for former New York Giants and Washington Redskins nose tackle Barry Cofield.
A fourth-round pick of the Giants in 2006, Cofield played five seasons in New York before signing with the Redskins in 2011. In 135 career games, Cofield has recorded 310 tackles, 19.5 sacks and 26 pass deflections.
Before missing eight games last season due to a high ankle sprain, Cofield had only missed one game in the previous eight seasons.
While he can take on double-teams to free up space for his linebackers against the run, Cofield is at his best when given the opportunity to get after the quarterback. According to Pro Football Focus, he registered 46 total quarterback hurries between 2012 and 2013. His 29 quarterback hurries were the eighth-most among all defensive tackles in 2013.ย
He initially signed a six-year, $36 million deal with Washington in 2011, but the Bears may be able to convince him to sign in Chicago for a relatively cheap price. According to Spotrac, the veteran minimum salary for Cofieldโwho has accrued nine years of service in the leagueโis $870,000.
Cofield may end up wanting more than the veteran minimum, but if the Bears can convince him to sign for less than $1 million, they could end up getting a steal.ย
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TE Jermaine Gresham
4 of 5
Bears tight end Martellus Bennett had a career year in Chicago last seasonโ90 catches for 916 yards and six touchdownsโbut the team could be in the market for another tight end this offseason.
The Bears already re-signed Zach Miller and Dante Rosario earlier this year, but they could add another dynamic tight end to the mix in former Cincinnati Bengal Jermaine Gresham.
He was drafted 21st overall by the Bengals in 2010 but failed to live up to lofty expectations in his first five seasons. In 74 career games, Gresham hauled in 280 passes for 2,722 yards and 24 touchdowns. His best season came in 2012 when he registered 64 catches for 737 yards and five touchdowns, but the Bengals drafted tight end Tyler Eifert in the first round in 2013, and Gresham saw his snaps decrease that season.
He started 15 games last season because Eifert was lost for the season in Week 1 with a dislocated elbow. He finished the year with 62 catches for 460 yards and five touchdowns.
He appeared poised to cash in this offseason in free agency, but he was forced to have surgery last month because of a herniated disc, according to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport.ย
He has struggled at times as a blocker, but he could give Chicago another receiving threat in the middle of the field, and his presence would allow the team to move Bennett around on offense.
Like many others on this list, Gresham could potentially sign a one-year deal to prove to other teams he is healthy and can still contribute. If nothing else, he would help add depth to a position that has a lot of question marks behind Bennett.ย
WR Michael Crabtree
5 of 5
A two-time recipient of the Biletnikoff Award at Texas Tech for being the country's best collegiate wide receiver, Michael Crabtree entered the league with a lot of hype in 2009.ย
He was selected ninth overall by the San Francisco 49ers, but he held out during training camp because he and the 49ers were unable to come to terms on a contract. He finally signed with the team on October 7 and appeared in his first game on October 25.
He finished his rookie season with 48 catches for 625 yards and two touchdowns. He saw his role increase on offense in 2010 and 2011, and he had a career year in 2012, registering 85 catches for 1,105 yards and nine touchdowns.ย
He tore his Achilles in May 2013 and only played five games that season. He finished last year with 68 catches for 698 yards and four touchdowns, but the 49ers decided to let him explore his options in free agency this offseason.
Other than his stellar 2012 campaign, Crabtree has been unable to live up to being a top-10 pick. Despite Crabtree's lack of consistency over the course of the last six seasons, Bleacher Report's Alessandro Miglio thinks a team could end up getting a lot of value out of Crabtree if he is willing to settle for a low-cost deal.
"Crabtree is just 27, after all, and there is no motivation quite like getting snubbed the way he has been since free agency began," Miglio wrote. "Whoever lands him will get an inspired receiver who could be great as a third option."
The Bears already have Alshon Jeffery and Eddie Royal on the roster, but the team lacks overall depth at the position. Crabtree likely believes he is worth somewhere around $6-$8 million a year, but if he continues to sit on the market, he may be willing to sign a one-year deal worth $2-$3 million.
Statistical information courtesy ofย NFL.com.
Mattย Eurichย is a Chicago Bears Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.
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