Chicago Bears: Observations as the new league year approaches
Which of their own free agents do the Bears re-sign?
As I mentioned, the Bears have just 45 players on the roster. In addition to the free agents and draft picks they sign, some of their own free agents need to return. Here are some of them:
Christian Jones, Linebacker
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The Bears got great value out of Christian Jones. They signed him as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2014. Before that year’s Combine, he projected as a third-round pick. A diluted drug test ended all that and no one wanted to touch him.
Jones went into camp and kept on the straight and narrow and became a dependable part of the Bears’ defense. He was the second-leading tackler after he took over for Jerrell Freeman in 2017.
The Bears want to re-sign Jones but after he missed out on some good money in the draft, he surely decides to test the market and see what offers are out there. He won’t break the bank, but it may cost a little more than they originally thought.
Mitch Unrein, Defensive End
Mitch Unrein had a pretty good 2017 playing opposite of Akiem Hicks. I should say he had a good season for him. He had two sacks going into the season and recorded 2.5 in the season. Ultimately, however, he couldn’t do enough to keep the double teams away from Hicks.
The Bears have Jonathan Bullard in a rotation role. Hicks needs someone on the other side to release some pressure from him. You could see that as he wore down as the season continued. The Bears find a replacement for Unrein either through the draft or free agency (or both).
Sam Acho, Outside Linebacker
Sam Acho had his best season of the three he’s spent in Chicago. He’s also arguably had his best season since his rookie season with the Arizona Cardinals. He had 40 tackles and three sacks. Acho isn’t a starter-type linebacker. He can, however, be effective in a rotation. The fewer snaps he plays the fresher he stays. He can have another solid season in that situation in 2018.
Cameron Meredith, Wide Receiver
Cameron Meredith is coming off a torn ACL injury that wiped out his 2017 season. He had a very good 2016 and was set to become an integral part of the offense. The Bears probably tender Meredith, which makes him a restricted free agent. The question is at what level they tender him. If they tender him at a first-round level, Meredith gets paid $3.91 million. At a second-round tender, he receives $2.746 million. Finally, at an original-round tender, he receives $1.797 million.
Additionally, if the Bears tender Meredith as a first or second round tender, they receive a compensatory pick if Meredith signs with another team. If they do the original round tender they don’t.
The question the Bears need to address is how much Meredith’s injury keeps other teams away. If they feel teams will stay away from him just to see how he recovers, they can use the original-round tender. If he signs an offer sheet with another team, the Bears may lose him for no compensation. Decisions, decisions…