Playing the Raiding Game

The Bears could raid some teams who had connections to their new coaching staff in free agency, and here are a few of those who could be in the unrestricted market.

One of the byproducts of bringing in new blood to run the organization for the Bears is a different view on talent.

Players who no one would have thought about signing during free agency under the old regime might be regarded as valuable commodities to new Bears general manager Ryan Poles, assistant GM Ian Cunningham or head coach Matt Eberflus.

Players with connections to their former teams or to new coaches on staff from their former team might be valuable acquisitions based on ability to play in a new Bears scheme or what they had proven to new decision makers while playing in their former cities.

It's pilfering time, in other words. 

In five weeks it will be time for the Bears to raid some rosters to find players who might fit their systems better than some of their own holdover players, either starters or reserves. Already the Bears raided the Colts for their defensive coaching staff, and now it's possible to look at the rosters for free agents who might fit the new cover-2 system on defense.

Or it might be time to look at those who could fit what Matt LaFleur disciple Luke Getsy wants to do on offense with a Shanahan style of attack. 

Or it's a hunt for players Poles or Cunningham were part of bringing to their old teams in the past who have value and could improve the Bears.

The Bears are projected by Overthecap.com at $28.5 million of cap space so they can't exactly go on any type of real shopping spree. They could use it wisely and build for when they really have much greater cap space in the future.

If demands are to be believed amid all the rumors at this time of the year, they couldn't even think about signing Packers wide receiver Davante Adams. For what he is said to want, they could use virtually all of their available cap space on one player.

There are ways to get around big contracts with the cap. Then again, a contract demand of $30 million like Adams' when you only have $28.5 million available, and your team needs other talent to fit new offensive and defensive systems truly is impossible to negotiate.

It's not likely a brand new general manager rushes out to get his team right into salary cap hell for a 30-year-old wide receiver.

However, there are connected free agents who could be of help in free agency and here are some.

The Eberflus Connection

COLTS LT ERIC FISHER

He would be on the high end of what they might want to spend, but Poles is an offensive line savant and was part of helping build the Chiefs offensive line. Fisher played for Eberflus' team last year. If the Bears decided they wanted to make Teven Jenkins into their right tackle and put Larry Borom at guard or vice versa, then looking at Fisher might be a possibility. He played in Indianapolis on a one-year, $8.4 million deal and had a respectable year with a 68.2 Pro Football Focus grade, eight penalties and seven sacks allowed for 874 plays. This was coming off the torn ACL he suffered in the AFC title game, so he's bound to be physically better for 2022. It must be pointed out the left tackle the Bears had last year is a free agent and at 40 years of age now Jason Peters is coming off a year when PFF ranked him 18th of 84 tackles from either side of the line who were graded. Fisher was 20th. Play Jenkins there? Sign Peters back for a year? Sign Fisher for a longer-term deal? Just as a GM might have a view of players he worked with in the past, he might have a different view of Jenkins' ability to start at left tackle. No one knows what Poles is thinking on this yet.

COLTS G MARK GLOWINSKI

Last year he graded out only a little worse than James Daniels. So if Daniels left in free agency, perhaps Glowinski is an option. He is PFF's 11th-ranked interior offensive line free agent but would be cheaper than bringing back Daniels, who Brad Biggs of the Tribune reported could receive $12 million a year in free agency according to an unnamed agent. Daniels was graded the 19th best guard last year by PFF and Glowinski 21st. 

COLTS CB XAVIER RHODES

If anyone knows how to play the cover-2 style defense for Eberflus it should be Rhodes, the former Vikings cornerback. At 6-foot-1, he still has that long reach capable of handling receivers in jump ball situations or on cover-2 beaters. He knows the Colts defense but at age 31 he would be a stop-gap until they brought in a viable long-term cornerback in the draft. At 30 last year, Rhodes was graded by PFF better than any Bears cornerback except Jaylon Johnson.

COLTS DT TAYLOR STALLWORTH

Not all free agents are going to be starters and the Bears can use a few depth players who know the defense. This would be one. This is a 6-2, 305-pound defensive tackle who knows how to attack gaps and could replace Angelo Blackson, who is bigger a two-gapper. Stallworth made three sacks last year getting significant playing time for the first time since his rookie year. He had 30.8% of the snaps.

COLTS  LB ZAIRE FRANKLIN

Like Stallworth, he was a part-timer but last year became a starter for 11 games and made 40 tackles with an interception. He would be one of the outside linebackers. He's probably more ideally suited to being a strong-side linebacker, the Sam spot, rather than weak side. The Bears would likely have Roquan Smith at weak side anyway.

COLTS DE KEMOKO TURAY

He started last year for the first time and had six sacks. The Bears don't really need defensive ends for starters but could use one instead of Jeremiah Attaochu, who has always been a 3-4 outside linebacker but not a defensive end in a 4-3. All of the first three Bears edge rushers—Khalil Mack, Robert Quinn and Trevis Gipson—are familiar with playing with a hand down in a 4-3.

COLTS WR TY HILTON 

Put him on a receiver corps with Darnell Mooney and say, a highly productive slot receiver like free agent Christian Kirk, and it could work. Now 32, Hilton would seem more likely to want to stay in Indy after 10 years and four Pro Bowl seasons there, but he still has great speed along with the crafty moves of a veteran. He'd be a good role model for Mooney, if he needs this now in his third year, although he wouldn't be the kind of fit a healthy Allen Robinson would be playing in an actual functioning offense with Mooney. But Spotrac.com estimates he'd be much cheaper at $8 million.

COLTS TE MO ALIE-COX 

His 13.4 yards per reception indicates he might be capable of far more than the 24 catches he had last year or the career-high 31 he made in 2020. Also a fit because he has been one of the better blocking tight ends for both the run and the pass over the last two seasons.

The Poles Connection

CHIEFS CB CHARVARIUS WARD

It's always going to cost more going after a starting cornerback. Spotrac.com estimates the Chiefs starter will cost $9.9 million a year. He has four career interceptions and is coming off a strong season.

CHIEFS CB MIKE HUGHES

A possible good system fit as a slot cornerback, he played only last year for the Chiefs but was adept as a 4-3 cornerback for the Vikings in the slot before this. Last year he was very active with an interception, 47 tackles, and did something Eberflus would like by going after the football—he had four forced fumbles.

CHIEFS WR BYRON PRINGLE

He wasn't just a slot receiver, although he can play there. At 6-1, 201, he could be versatile enough to play X or Z as well. Pringle got more playing time last year as time went along and wound up with a career-high 42 catches and five touchdowns. He seems to be hitting stride and has very good speed, having run 4.46 in the combine 40. Although it's his fourth season, he's unrestricted because he was an undrafted free agent. Spotrac.com estimates his market value at $3.2 million a year.

CHIEFS WR DEMARCUS ROBINSON 

More of an X-receiver type at 6-1, 200, he's been a dependable target for the Chiefs when they weren't throwing to Tyreek Hill over the last few seasons. He had 45 catches in 2020 and 32 in 2019 and has been good in the red zone with 14 TDs over the last four years. Spotrac.com gives him a market value of $2.9 million a year.

CHIEFS MLB BEN NIEMANN

A middle linebacker backup in a 4-3, and the Bears don't really have one of those unless they somehow thought they could covert 30-something 3-4 inside backers Alec Ogletree or Danny Trevathan into one. He's probably not good enough to start in a 4-3 at Mike because his pass coverage has been less than exemplary. He allowed a 100.8 or higher pass rating every season, with an unusually high average completion percentage allowed when targeted (79.7%).

The Cunningham Connection

EAGLES CB STEVE NELSON  

He probably would have been a better fit for the Bears last year in their 3-4. However, he has played in both types of defenses. The Bears could have signed him late last offseason but balked. Then they ended up with the worst passer-rating against in the league. The 12 TD passes he allowed the last two years are alarming, including five last season, but he has kept the completion percentages in check with a worst of 66.7 when targeted and the rest all below 58.3%. So he's a veteran option if they need one besides pursuing one in the draft.

The Getsy Connection

PACKERS WR MARQUEZ VALDES-SCANTLING 

Speed to burn and at 6-4, 206 it is possible some other team would use him as an X-receiver, but in Getsy's system the receivers are going to learn all the roles anyway. The Packers had Davante Adams and so Valdes-Scantling was in a subordinate role. Could Getsy use him as more of an impact player? He made an excellent 13 touchdown catches and 17.5 yards a catch, but never had more than the 38 receptions he made as a rookie. The Packers want him back but if they found a way to keep Adams there seems little possibility they could also keep Valdes-Scantling.

PACKERS WR EQUANIMEOUS ST. BROWN 

Nowhere near the threat Valdes-Scantling was he had just 37 total catches for his Packers career and 10 starts. Perhaps the Bears would see him as a fit in their new offense and someone who could develop. His brother hasn't done poorly in Detroit. Maybe a change of scenery would help.

PACKERS LB DE'VONDRE CAMPBELL 

Spotrac.com attaches only a market value of $6.2 million to him even though he had Pro Football Focus' second-best linebacker grade last year in the entire league and made first-team All-Pro over Roquan Smith. He has extensive experience in both the 3-4 and 4-3. He played 4-3 outside linebacker in Atlanta, and even a little middle linebacker there. This is an impact type player who could help the Bears and taking him would no doubt hurt the cash-strapped Packers.

PACKERS CB RASUL DOUGLAS  

The Bears were victimized like many other teams by his interception binge last year. At 6-2, 209 he should be an ideal outside corner in the cover-2 and fights for the ball well. The Bears could have had him last year when he was dirt cheap at less than $1 million after being cut by Houston. But former GM Ryan Pace was asleep at the wheel even though the Bears defense had problems with their cornerback all year. Now Spotrac.com is calling this 2021 street free agent a $9.2 million cornerback for 2022. If there were guarantees he could play like last year and cap space available, it might be worth paying it. 

Im not even thinking about Davante Adams in Vegas until he’s 100% a free agent with no franchise tag on him… which I highly doubt will happen

— MAYOCK SZN (@MikeMayockJr) February 3, 2022

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