The Bears are taking major, odd risks in free agency
After signing Jimmy Graham and Robert Quinn to big contracts, it’s clear the Chicago Bears are spending with no clear aim in free agency right now.
What are the Chicago Bears doing?
On Tuesday morning, they signed defensive end Robert Quinn on a reported five-year, $70 million contract with $30 million fully guaranteed.
Quinn, who will be 30 years old by the time the 2020 season begins, is a major overpay. While Quinn was good for the Dallas Cowboys last year, it was his first truly productive year since 2014 with the St. Louis Rams.
As a member of the Cowboys last season, Quinn played in 14 games and got 11.5 sacks. Pro Football Focus gave him a 68.5 overall grade, but as an aging pass rusher who may be better suited to be part of a tandem at this point, the Bears giving him a five-year contract with so much guaranteed money is hard to make sense of.
While Quinn will benefit from having Khalil Mack drawing all the opponent’s attention, that’s true of anybody in said spot. There was no reason to pay an older sidekick $70 million.
Then there’s the Jimmy Graham signing. Graham inked a two-year deal with $9 million guaranteed on Monday night. At 33, Graham is, like Quinn, past his prime. However, at least Quinn is coming off a quality year. Graham has been declining rapidly since his final days with the New Orleans Saints.
Even considering his athleticism and size, Graham hasn’t had double-digit touchdowns since 2017 with the Seahawks. Though Bears coach Matt Nagy is creative with how he draws up sets with multiple tight ends and backs, this move also feels desperate.
With only the disappointing, injured Adam Shaheen and Trey Burton in place, the Bears got nothing out of the position in 2019. Chicago already signed Demetrius Harris, and some believe the Bears could move on from both Shaheen and Burton now to clear up the depth chart and save money.
Regardless of what comes next, ponying up for big contracts for older players gives the impression the Bears don’t have a definitive plan for 2020. They are also reportedly looking into acquiring Andy Dalton or Nick Foles to shore up their quarterback position and make former top pick Mitchell Trubisky compete for the starting job this fall.
The best-case scenario seems to be that the quarterback competition and Graham signing produce an improvement on offense, and that adding Quinn frees up Mack to get to opposing passers more consistently.
Still, the Bears have jeopardized their future financial flexibility without adding even one genuine difference-maker on either side thus far.