Bears to Avoid in Free Agency: A $80 Million Chiefs Star Warning

admin | December 7, 2023 | Other Clubs | No Comments

The Chicago Bears have a ton of money to spend in free agency, but some of the biggest fish may be difficult to land due to the team’s image as chronic cellar dwellers.

Consider Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones, who is expected to enter the market in March and could significantly improve the Bears pass rush, which is currently having difficulty. Jones persevered through the 2023 season and recently acknowledged that he might not be playing for the reigning champs next year.

However, Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report cautioned Jones on Wednesday, December 6, to avoid Chicago; this is by no means an isolated opinion in NFL media circles.

As one of the best interior pass-rushers in the league, Chris Jones leads the free-agent Big Board. Not only does he rank among the elite players who feel ready to actually leave his squad, but he also makes this list.

The Bears from Chicago would be competitive.Like the Chiefs, Matt Eberflus has a 4-3 base for his defense. They would have a stronger pass-rushing base with Jones added if they had traded for Montgomery Sweat.

It is reasonable to wonder, therefore, if Jones and Chicago’s timelines coincide. There is still uncertainty at quarterback for the Bears. and Eberflus is still up for debate. Soon after turning 30, Jones will start negotiating for a multi-year contract. He seems like a great fit for a club that will be competitive in 2024, but it’s unclear if the Bears will be that kind of squad.

Chris Jones Perfect Fit for Chicago Bears

Jones is just the kind of unrestricted free agent Chicago needs.

With just 17 sacks as a team through 13 weeks, the Bears rank last in terms of total sacks. They produced just 20 sacks in 2022 and again came in bottom in the category.

Over his 7.5-year NFL career, Jones, a four-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro pick, has recorded 72.5 sacks from the defensive lineman position. According to Pro Football Reference, he tied a career high with 15.5 sacks in the previous season and has 7.5 in 11 games this season.

His total player grade of 80.9, strong enough to rank him 11th at the position out of 126 players who have played enough snaps to qualify this season, comes from his ability to both pressure opposing quarterbacks and defend against the run. This is according to Pro Football Focus.

Bears Can Afford to Add Talent like Chris Jones

The Bears are willing to pay a premium for a player with Jones’ unique skill set, as seen by their trade of their 2024 second-round pick to the Washington Commanders for Sweat and their subsequent decision to give him a four-year agreement worth $98 million.

Jones signed a four-year, $80 million contract with the Chiefs in 2020, and according to Spotrac, his future market value will be $29 million yearly. Chicago has estimated salary cap space of $63.5 million in 2024, thus they can afford to sign a player to a contract in that area.

The key unanswered question is whether a franchise such as the Bears can persuade a player of Jones’ talent that he can win a championship in Chicago in addition to making money by moving there. The response won’t be delayed too much.