Early Free-Agent Contracts the Bears Must Consider

Despite an up-and-down campaign that ended with an 8-8 record, the Chicago Bears managed to make the playoffs in 2020. This led to the retention of head coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace—both of whom will likely get one more shot in 2021.

If the Bears are going to improve next season, they're going to have to make some roster upgrades in the offseason. Naturally, navigating free agency will be the first stage of that quest. Chicago will need to free up a bit of cap space to be a major player on the open market—the team is projected to be more than $10 million over the salary cap—but the Bears should already be considering a few choice free agents.

Here, we'll examine three players that Chicago should already be considering in free agency—set to kick off on March 17. Both internal and external options will be considered here, along with factors like cap space, team needs, player production and team fit.

WR Allen Robinson II

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

While the Bears will have to make a decision on quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, there should be no decision to make with wideout Allen Robinson II—aside, of course, from figuring out how to fit him under the salary cap.

Despite getting inconsistent play from Trubisky and Nick Foles, Robinson was remarkable in 2020. He finished with 1,250 yards and six touchdowns on 102 receptions, proving himself to be one of the league's truly elite wideouts in the process.

The problem is that Robinson is now in store for a hefty payday and doesn't seem inclined to provide a hometown discount.

"II do have a great fondness for this city and for this organization," Robinson said, per Chris Emma of 670 The Score. "Unfortunately, in a (contract) situation like this, that's not the only thing that matters. ... There are more things that weigh out than just the fondness of something."

According to Spotrac, Robinson is projected to have a market value of $20 million per year. That could be tough for the Bears to swallow, though it would be wise for them to give their best efforts in terms of freeing up cap space.

QB Cam Newton

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While retaining Robinson should be a priority, nothing weighs more heavily on Chicago than its situation at quarterback. Unfortunately, the team's cap situation doesn't leave a lot of veteran options on the proverbial table.

One potential budget option is Cam Newton, who last played for the New England Patriots. Newton was far from prolific as a passer in 2020, finishing with just eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions. However, he did help the Patriots get to seven wins and racked up 592 yards and 12 scores on the ground.

One could argue that even without Robinson, the Bears have better receiving weapons than what Newton worked with this season.

If Nagy is willing to adapt his offense to fit Newton, this could be a viable option. The Bears offense was at its best when Trubisky was able to provide a dual-threat under center. Newton would take that concept and run with it (no pun intended). This is a move that only makes sense if the Bears believe Newton can be a reliable starter right away, as their playoff window shouldn't be wasted on another project at quarterback.

With a projected market value of just $5.5 million, however, Newton is one of the few starting options that would make sense financially.

WR/RB Curtis Samuel

Brian Blanco/Associated Press

If the Bears cannot retain Robinson, they need to consider more price-friendly options at the wideout position. One player to consider is Carolina Panthers hybrid player Curtis Samuel. The 24-year-old produced 200 rushing yards, 851 receiving yards and five total touchdowns in 2020.

As a runner and a receiver, Samuel could provide a similar role to that Cordarrelle Patterson provided this season—though with a bit more emphasis on the receiving part. Patterson, by the way, is scheduled to reach free agency.

While Samuel isn't going to be a bargain-basement type player—he is projected to have a market value of $12.4 million annually—he won't be as expensive as Robinson or other wideout options like Kenny Golladay and JuJu Smith-Schuster.

Samuel is the sort of in-space producer who could help the Bears move the chains and to milk a bit more out of their current roster. Of course, that production will mean little if the Bears cannot find some consistency under center.

Contract and cap information via Spotrac.