While no one player is a lock to get a new contract before the 2018 season, Ryan Pace and the Chicago Bears have a few options if they want to hand out new deals.
Ryan Pace and the Chicago Bears are no strangers to giving deserving players contract extensions before the regular season begins. Just last year, Akiem Hicks signed a four-year, $48 million deal ($30 million guaranteed) just days before the season kicked off.
Hicks greatly deserved his new deal, and he was entering the last year of his two-year deal he had signed as a free agent in 2016.
There are no slam dunks this season for extensions, but here are three of the Bears best options:
Adrian Amos
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Amos had a career-year in 2017 and is being counted on to be part of an improving safety duo between Eddie Jackson and himself. Amos is currently still playing under his rookie contract, one that is paying him just over $2.5 million over four years (averages $620,000 annually). Amos outperformed his contract in 2017 and will surely be looking to cash in with his next deal.
The biggest question is if Amos can build off his strong campaign last season. His first two seasons in the league were underwhelming, so one has to wonder if 2017 was an anomaly. Amos might not get his extension before the season starts, but if he starts off strong, he might warrant Pace to approach him with a new deal.
Bobby Massie
Massie has been a disappointment since he signed a three-year, $18 million deal in 2016. He has struggled in both run and pass blocking, and if anything, has shown signs of regression. There is no way Massie gets a new deal before the season begins, but like Amos, if he starts off playing well, Pace might think about extending him.
Quality offensive tackles are hard to find in free agency, so Pace might look to extend Massie on a one-or-two-year deal. It’s very likely, however, that Massie will become a free agent after this season concludes and is on a new team in 2019.
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Eddie Goldman
Of all three players on this list, Goldman might be the likeliest to sign a new deal in 2018. Injuries have always been an issue for him, but when on the field, Goldman has flashed tremendous upside. He was part of Ryan Pace’s first draft class with the Bears, which should help his case. Actually agreeing to the terms of the contract might be difficult (do the Bears pay for past performance or for potential?), but Goldman is a big part of Vic Fangio’s 3-4 scheme and one of the biggest keys to defensive success.