Initial grades for 10 of the biggest deals from NFL free agency

Bears sign Larry Ogunjobi in NFL free agency

Deal: 3-years, 40.5 million

Grade: C+

This move is the hardest one to grade so far on this list. On one hand, Larry Ogunjobi is one of the better interior pass rushers in the league and is still relatively young. On the other hand, he is pretty limited beyond getting after the quarterback which makes his average yearly value a bit harder to swallow. At the end of the day, it earns in a slightly above-average range, as the Bears are still getting a decent player.

Ogunjobi enjoyed a successful one-year stint with the Bengals last season, recording eight sacks and proving regular pressure from the interior of the line. Unfortunately, his lack of run-stopping ability hampered him down the stretch and the team ended up turning to B.J. Hill later in the season. He was more effective and a more balanced player overall for the team.

My issue is that Hill is getting paid over 3 million less per season despite being the more balanced and dependable player. This isn’t a severe overpay for Ogunjobi, but it is far from a great value. He fills a hole on the Bears roster, but beyond that, there are some issues with this deal. It is fine, and Ogunjobi should make a difference on the Bears’ defense, but it was a slight overpay considering the state of the defensive tackle market.