Now in his third offseason as Bears general manager, it’s clear Ryan Poles has little interest in trying to “win” free agency. And that’s prudent, given that building through the draft has proven to be a far more reliable path to success.
But he might second-guess whether he has been overly conservative. Poles went into free agency flush with salary-cap space for the second year in a row but hasn’t come close to making a splash in the first two days.
His lone moves Tuesday were agreeing with journeyman tight end Gerald Everett on a two-year, $12 million contract with $6.1 million guaranteed and making an unspecified deal with ex-Packers safety Jonathan Owens. Those additions follow the budget-friendly deals he made with running back D’Andre Swift and veteran safety Kevin Byard.
Also on Tuesday, former Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney agreed to a three-year, $39 million contract with the Falcons. That’s a nice haul coming off the worst season of his career, managing just 31 catches for 414 yards and one touchdown.
Poles had hoped to sign Mooney to an extension last year, but the two sides were too far apart leading up to the season, then he struggled and it was clear by the end he and the team were ready to move on.
There was a prevailing thought that Mooney, 26, would be best served taking a one-year deal with a good offense to re-
establish his value with an eye on free agency in 2025, but he got the best of both worlds. Not only did he get a massive payday, he also landed in what probably will be the best offense of his career with quarterback Kirk Cousins, running back Bijan Robinson and other potential stars in Atlanta.
Everett, meanwhile, is joining his fourth team in eight seasons at 29. However, he’s coming off a decent two-year run with the Chargers in which he totaled 109 catches for 966 yards and seven touchdowns. Since the Bears already have Cole Kmet as their top tight end, they’re probably hoping for Everett to continue producing along those lines.
Owens, 28, played every game (with 11 starts) for the Packers last season. He hit Bears quarterback Justin Fields late and high in the season finale, prompting a concussion check on the sideline, and the Bears objected to it as a dirty play.
He is married to four-time gold medalist Simone Biles.
Unlike other sports, spending sprees in free agency generally are ill-advised. However, checking specific boxes to shore up deficiencies is sensible.
When Poles sees his roster arrive at training camp in July, he might wish he had been more aggressive. There are immediate needs at quarterback, wide receiver (at least two) and defensive end.
They also need to look at offensive tackle and defensive tackle.
Poles has just two high draft picks at Nos. 1 and 9. Assuming he takes USC quarterback Caleb Williams first overall, that leaves one spot left where he can expect to land an instant contributor. The Bears don’t pick again until the third round at No. 75 overall.
They need another pass rusher opposite Montez Sweat but watched as the Vikings landed Jonathan Greenard and the Eagles picked up Bryce Huff — both in their mid-20s coming off double-digit-sack seasons — on Monday. Former Vikings star Danielle Hunter is off the board, too, after agreeing to a two-year, $49 million deal with the Texans.
There still are moves for Poles to make, and hopefully for the Bears’ sake the prices are leveling or dropping on some free agents, especially defensive ends and wide receivers, who could help. He could pivot to a younger and probably cheaper defensive end by targeting ex-Viking D.J. Wonnum.
It’s best to avoid overspending in free agency, but it’s time to finish the rebuild and start competing, and the Bears can’t fill out their starting lineup solely through the draft.
Contributing: Patrick Finley.
