Bears Free Agents

[wab]

Here's a list of the pending unrestricted free agents (and who I think should be brought back). I say this assuming the Bears are sticking with the 3-4.

Prince Amukamara - yes...two year deal
Zach Miller - no...he's my guy but he'll never play again
Dontrelle Inman - yes...he's done enough to warrant a modest deal
Kyle Fuller - yes...overpay if you have to
Mark Sanchez - maybe...he's a good coach/mentor, but I don't know if I want him on the field
Kendall Wright - yes...he was the Bears best receiver down the stretch
Tom Compton - maybe...depends on the scheme moving forward
Christian Jones - yes...he's versatile and has really started to play well
Sherrick McManis - no...it's time someone else take the mantle of special teams ace
Mitch Unrein - maybe...he's into his 30's so it depends on how much money he wants
Mike Nugent - maybe...depends on if they think Santos is the future
Lamarr Houston - no...thanks for filling in, but there are younger and cheaper options out there
Sam Acho - yes...Acho is one of those younger/cheaper options
Benny Cunningham - maybe...he's excellent in the passing game, but not so much as a runner
John Jenkins - yes...he's excellent depth behind Goldman
Josh Bellamy - maybe...a lot of us hate him, but as a 5th WR/ST guy, the Bears could do worse
Bradley Sowell - no...he's ok depth but is limited physically
Andrew DePaola - eh whatever...he's a longsnapper so I guess the Bears need one
Cairo Santos - maybe...see: Nugent, Mike
Pat O'Donnell - yes...he can be inconsistent, but he's pretty good

[malk]

Prince Amukamara - Hope his contract doesn't increase too much but he's a solid enough player and there's only Butler and Cockrell coming up in free agency.
Zach Miller - May he enjoy his retirement.
Dontrelle Inman - Absolutely. He might be a #2 and at the very least would be an excellent #4. Hopefully a good buy-low opportunity.
Kyle Fuller - 5 or 6 years with lots guaranteed in the first two.
Mark Sanchez - If Biscuits goes down we're screwed so we might as well keep the mentor as a backup.
Kendall Wright - Meredith is my slot guy for next year which creates a bit of a logjam (incredibly!). I think he might command more than he's worth to us but we'll pay as the cupboard is bare.
Tom Compton - I'd like to have some long-term backups for our line but who they are I don't know.
Christian Jones - Depends on the cost. I like Jones but don't like frittering away cap space on marginal players, he's not worth much above the vet min.
Sherrick McManis - Only at vet min.
Mitch Unrein - Good glue guy, hopefully we can get something sorted out that's reasonable for both sides.
Mike Nugent - Not a clue!
Lamarr Houston - Absolutely. A better than average players if his injuries are behind him. 3 years $10m or so.
Sam Acho - Good depth and knows his role, yes please.
Benny Cunningham - Only for cheap, #3 backs are ten a penny.
John Jenkins - yes...he's excellent depth behind Goldman [exactly as wab said]
Josh Bellamy - Having looked at wide receiver stats they do drop a lot so perhaps he's not as bad as we think. With more of a focus on special teams next year (hopefully!) I could see him back.
Bradley Sowell - See Tom Compton.
Andrew DePaola - eh whatever...he's a longsnapper so I guess the Bears need one [exactly as wab said]
Cairo Santos - maybe...see: Nugent, Mike [exactly as wab said]
Pat O'Donnell - The top 17 punters by salary all make $2m or more per year. To save $1.5m+ per year I'd be happy to spend a 6th round draft pick every 4 years. So if O'Donnell wants a long term deal it better come cheap. Maybe he's shielded me from poor punting sufficiently for me to vastly underrate the postion...

[Mikefive]

All of these answers could be yes or no based on cost.

Prince Amukamara - Yes, in the $6-8M range
Zach Miller - No. Career over.
Dontrelle Inman - Yes, for backup $$$
Kyle Fuller - Yes
Mark Sanchez - Inclined to say Yes for backup $$$.
Kendall Wright - Yes if < $4M
Tom Compton - Sure. Backup $$$.
Christian Jones - Yes, only if it's backup $$$. But he may get starter $$$ from somewhere.
Sherrick McManis - Yes. Haven't seen a drop off yet.
Mitch Unrein - Sure if < $4M/year.
Mike Nugent - No.
Lamarr Houston - Yes if < $4M/year
Sam Acho - I'm inclined to say no here, assuming we'll bring in another pass rusher.
Benny Cunningham - For <$3M, absolutely. Good STs player and productive when called upon.
John Jenkins - I'd be exploring other options, but maybe for backup $$$.
Josh Bellamy - Yes. Terrific value for $2M
Bradley Sowell - No. Not impressed.
Andrew DePaola - I guess.
Cairo Santos - Yes.
Pat O'Donnell - Wish he was better aiming for the sideline. But Yes, sure.

[Richie]

Prince Amukamara - yes...two year deal
Zach Miller - no...he's my guy but he'll never play again
Dontrelle Inman - yes...he's done enough to warrant a modest deal
Kyle Fuller - yes...overpay if you have to
Mark Sanchez - maybe...he's a good coach/mentor, but I don't know if I want him on the field
Kendall Wright - yes...he was the Bears best receiver down the stretch
Tom Compton - maybe...depends on the scheme moving forward
Christian Jones - yes...he's versatile and has really started to play well
Sherrick McManis - no...it's time someone else take the mantle of special teams ace
Mitch Unrein - maybe...he's into his 30's so it depends on how much money he wants
Mike Nugent - maybe...depends on if they think Santos is the future
Lamarr Houston - no...thanks for filling in, but there are younger and cheaper options out there
Sam Acho - yes...Acho is one of those younger/cheaper options
Benny Cunningham - maybe...he's excellent in the passing game, but not so much as a runner
John Jenkins - yes...he's excellent depth behind Goldman
Josh Bellamy - maybe...a lot of us hate him, but as a 5th WR/ST guy, the Bears could do worse
Bradley Sowell - no...he's ok depth but is limited physically
Andrew DePaola - eh whatever...he's a longsnapper so I guess the Bears need one
Cairo Santos - maybe...see: Nugent, Mike
Pat O'Donnell - yes...he can be inconsistent, but he's pretty good

I would prefer our RB group did not change. Cunningham is our best pass-pro back, and very good pass catcher. He could start for a good handful of teams. IMO

I like Houston for the vet minimum.

Sowell was pretty damn bad, from what I saw.

IMO, a healthy Cairo Santos is one of the better kickers in the league.

Mark Sanchez is a solid backup, and good mentor.

McMannis you definitely bring back, I think. Why do we need a "new SPT's ace"??? We have one.

Those are the only ones I disagree with.

[wab]

Specifically regarding McManus...he's a player that takes up a roster spot that doesn't offer anything on defense. Great teams can get away with having one or two of those guys. Teams that need all the help/talent they can get just don't have that luxury.

[Richie]

Specifically regarding McManus...he's a player that takes up a roster spot that doesn't offer anything on defense. Great teams can get away with having one or two of those guys. Teams that need all the help/talent they can get just don't have that luxury.

He's played some corner here and there. He's started 5 games in his career, and does provide some depth at the position.

I am pretty positive that most every team has one or two SPT's kind of guys.

A back-end depth guy who never plays at his position, while contributing less than McMannis on SPT's? OR... McMannis who never plays at his position, and is one of the best SPT's guys in the league? Please, give me the latter.

McMannis is an NFL caliber "depth" corner. He's a valuable dude.

[MoFugger]

Specifically regarding McManus...he's a player that takes up a roster spot that doesn't offer anything on defense. Great teams can get away with having one or two of those guys. Teams that need all the help/talent they can get just don't have that luxury.

He's played some corner here and there. He's started 5 games in his career, and does provide some depth at the position.

I am pretty positive that most every team has one or two SPT's kind of guys.

A back-end depth guy who never plays at his position, while contributing less than McMannis on SPT's? OR... McMannis who never plays at his position, and is one of the best SPT's guys in the league? Please, give me the latter.

McMannis is an NFL caliber "depth" corner. He's a valuable dude.

Let him go be valuable somewhere else. I am with wab on this one. It's time to move on.

Sent from my LG-V495 using Tapatalk

[UOK]

Christian Jones is a must-keep. Guy is an invaluable special teams player and is solid when put into the lineup as a backup.

[mshu7]

Christian Jones is a must-keep. Guy is an invaluable special teams player and is solid when put into the lineup as a backup.

Agreed! Very versatile player.

[crueltyabc]

As much as I want to bag on Pace for his failure to find impact players in FA, he's done a good job of finding serviceable stopgaps. I don't really see any of these guys as bad players, we just need improvement. I'm therefore looking primarily at age of players and need in the position group... which leads me to these I'd pass on:

Unrein was previously our veteran dependable guy and I don't think he's needed anymore. Goldman and Bullard grew up, Jenkins is a vet, and Hicks is the established leader.

Bellamy is an OK player in a position where we need to be searching for impactful players. Inman and Wright are our vets, and the other 4 need to have higher upside than Bellamy can offer.

McManus is taking a spot we need to develop a young player. There have been a bunch of misses at CB and we need Sherrick's roster spot for another swing. Fuller and Amukamara are going to be expensive but should be retained, so if we're paying another free agent CB he should be our nickel starter... not a special teamer.

[The Marshall Plan]

Prince Amukamara - Yes, but I'd still be happy if we drafted a CB (McFadden) at #8. I always say BPA on day one, but I like McFadden more and more each time I think about it. Although Derwin James at #8 paired with Eddie Jackson makes me very happy.
Zach Miller - Sadly no.
Dontrelle Inman - Yes, this one is obvious.
Kyle Fuller - I am concerned as heck that he played well this year because its a contract year. Ultimately yes, sign him but I want that draft pick as a hedge.
Mark Sanchez - Depends on the other options for backup or 3rd string QB. On a side note and somewhat unrelated to this, I would not be upset with a developmental day 2 draft choice on a QB
Kendall Wright - Yes
Tom Compton - Yes
Christian Jones - Yes this guy gets better every year.
Sherrick McManis - Don't see enough of him to form an opinion
Mitch Unrein - I like him as I tend to see him all over the field, but that's anecdotal.
Mike Nugent - I would prefer we sign a kicker in FA
Lamarr Houston - I would bring him back. He played his heart out for us this year.
Sam Acho - Yes
Benny Cunningham - Yes absolutely I felt he played very well. Good 3rd string back.
John Jenkins - Not familiar enough
Josh Bellamy - Yes we need cheap WRs if we sign a legit #1 in FA
Bradley Sowell = Not familiar enough
Andrew DePaola - Not familiar enough
Cairo Santos - I would prefer we sign a kicker in FA
Pat O'Donnell -Yes, he's good enough to keep

[southdakbearfan]

Prince Amukamara - Possibly, depending on $ and draft strategy.
Zach Miller - I predict he will retire and answer this one himself.
Dontrelle Inman - Yes
Kyle Fuller - Yes, key guy, good corner. Got healthy and returned to early form he had.
Mark Sanchez - Yes
Kendall Wright - Maybe, depending on if they spend big in FA on WR or not.
Tom Compton - Yes
Christian Jones - Yes, he is starting to peak, could push to start and freeman is a goner.
Sherrick McManis - No, too many holes for to many special teams only guys on this roster.
Mitch Unrein - Yes for depth.
Mike Nugent - No, keep santos.
Lamarr Houston - Probably not.
Sam Acho - This one could go either way, purely a good depth guy.
Benny Cunningham - No, with Cohen being smallish it limits his potential as an every down back. Better to bring in a guy that could blossum as Cunningham doesn't really produce much in the running game.
John Jenkins - Yes
Josh Bellamy - If they keep a couple other guys, like wright and inman, I would be inclined to say no due to his penchant for dropping very catchable balls.
Bradley Sowell = Probably
Andrew DePaola - No Idea
Cairo Santos - was very good prior to injury and young, I say yes.
Pat O'Donnell -Yes

[ramentaschen]

I don't understand all the love for Amukamara here. Among other things he hasn't had an INT since 2015 when he was with the Giants. His play with the Bears never stood out to me and he is making a lot of money.

On March 10, 2017, the Chicago Bears signed Amukamara to a fully guaranteed one-year, $7 million contract with a signing bonus of $3.5 million.

The guy has also been injured pretty regularly.

On August 27, 2017, Amukamara suffered an ankle injury on the first play of a 19–7 preseason victory over the Tennessee Titans. He missed the last preseason game and the first two regular season games due to the ankle injury.

He started the Jacksonville Jaguars' season-opener against the Green Bay Packers [in 2016] and recorded two combined with tackles and a pass deflection. He missed Weeks 2 and 3 due to a hamstring injury.

On October 11, 2015, he suffered an injury to his pectoral during a 30-27 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. Amukamara missed Week 6-10 due to the injury.

He tore his bicep on November 3, 2014, ending his season.

I'm curious at how PFF grades him as compared to other CB's in the league.

IF we are able to resign Fuller I think we should get somebody better either through the draft or through free agency. Amukamara's best days are probably behind him.

[dplank]

Disagree on Prince, he played solid. He and Fuller both played exceptionally well considering we had no pass rush the second half of the season. Our top 3 OLB's went on IR, plus our starting ILB and one starting DE, and we still put up a Top 10 defense. That wasn't all because of Hicks.

Agree with whoever said keep Santos, he was a good kicker before he got hurt. And we should sign O'Donnell, he had a good year and continuity matters.

I'd let most of these other guys go though. I'd keep Compton I suppose and Inman so long as the price is right. Jenkins was putrid. Bellamy/McManis/Unrein/Houston/Acho/Jones....meh...can find guys like that anywhere. But if they are just bottom roster filler, I'd be happy keeping a couple of these guys for continuity sake.

I'm torn on Wright. He was our best receiver in the tallest midget contest, but is that guy good enough? Hard to say what he might do if we had viable weapons outside...

[staleystarch]

Although Cam Meredith will be a restricted free agent I would add him to the list. He should come cheap and we are desperate at WR so I would keep him. Though, I really think he is a number 3 WR at this point in his career based on his performance pre-injury. Other than that I pretty much agree with Wab's assessment.

[dplank]

The more I think about it, the more I want to keep our defensive backfield in place. Neither Prince nor Fuller should require the absolute top end money, but both will be pretty expensive. I'd like to lock both these guys up on 4-5 year deals and let this unit with Amos/Jackson grow together. You gotta spend the money at some point, and these guys have played well and won't require "franchise tag" type money to lock up.

[wab]

Amukamara will be 29 heading into next season, so I'm not keen on him getting a 4-5 year deal. 2-3 feels better to me. Fuller, yeah absolutely.

[Mikefive]

I don't understand all the love for Amukamara here. Among other things he hasn't had an INT since 2015 when he was with the Giants. His play with the Bears never stood out to me and he is making a lot of money.

Think about how much offenses threw at Kyle Fuller and he had a pretty good year. If Amukamara was so unremarkable, why didn't teams throw it that way much more? OCs aren't stupid and QBs throw to guys they see are open. I'm not saying that Prince was Neon Deion or anything. But when teams are deciding to attack certain guys noticeably less than others, there's usually a reason for that.

[wab]

I don't understand all the love for Amukamara here. Among other things he hasn't had an INT since 2015 when he was with the Giants. His play with the Bears never stood out to me and he is making a lot of money.

Think about how much offenses threw at Kyle Fuller and he had a pretty good year. If Amukamara was so unremarkable, why didn't teams throw it that way much more? OCs aren't stupid and QBs throw to guys they see are open. I'm not saying that Prince was Neon Deion or anything. But when teams are deciding to attack certain guys noticeably less than others, there's usually a reason for that.

Amukamara is an excellent cover corner. He's not necessarily a ballhawk though. There's more to being a CB than intercepting every ball that's thrown your way.

[staleystarch]

I think there is a reason QBs did not throw Amukamara's way near as much as they threw Fuller's way. It means his guys were covered a bit tighter. I reduced his interception opportunities. Fuller did not seem to cover as tightly but his recovery range is top notch giving him a lot of batted balls Our backfield certainly needs help, but I think it is underrated.

[BR0D1E86]

I don't understand all the love for Amukamara here. Among other things he hasn't had an INT since 2015 when he was with the Giants. His play with the Bears never stood out to me and he is making a lot of money.

Think about how much offenses threw at Kyle Fuller and he had a pretty good year. If Amukamara was so unremarkable, why didn't teams throw it that way much more? OCs aren't stupid and QBs throw to guys they see are open. I'm not saying that Prince was Neon Deion or anything. But when teams are deciding to attack certain guys noticeably less than others, there's usually a reason for that.

This has been my thought all year. Fuller was really good all year. Really good. But there’s a reason teams threw away from the other side.

[thunderspirit]

I don't understand all the love for Amukamara here. Among other things he hasn't had an INT since 2015 when he was with the Giants. His play with the Bears never stood out to me and he is making a lot of money.

Think about how much offenses threw at Kyle Fuller and he had a pretty good year. If Amukamara was so unremarkable, why didn't teams throw it that way much more? OCs aren't stupid and QBs throw to guys they see are open. I'm not saying that Prince was Neon Deion or anything. But when teams are deciding to attack certain guys noticeably less than others, there's usually a reason for that.

This has been my thought all year. Fuller was really good all year. Really good. But there’s a reason teams threw away from the other side.

This.

[The Marshall Plan]

I don't understand all the love for Amukamara here. Among other things he hasn't had an INT since 2015 when he was with the Giants. His play with the Bears never stood out to me and he is making a lot of money.

Think about how much offenses threw at Kyle Fuller and he had a pretty good year. If Amukamara was so unremarkable, why didn't teams throw it that way much more? OCs aren't stupid and QBs throw to guys they see are open. I'm not saying that Prince was Neon Deion or anything. But when teams are deciding to attack certain guys noticeably less than others, there's usually a reason for that.

Amukamara is an excellent cover corner. He's not necessarily a ballhawk though. There's more to being a CB than intercepting every ball that's thrown your way.

How about an INT more often than just once every two years?

[HisRoyalSweetness]

Interesting seeing peoples takes on who to cut and who to keep, especially where opinions differ.

I had a bit of time on my hands, so I thought I'd take a more detailed look at the players wab listed and provide a bit more context (with my own opinions at the end for good measure. ) It's a rather long post in order to lay out the details cleanly. I wonder if anyone will change their minds when you see factors such as Cap Hit (which can provide a starting point for determining the probable value of a new contract for most players), age and PFF grades!

Anyway, here's those for the UFAs on Offense:

QB Mark Sanchez
Age: 31
Experience: 9 Years
2017 Cap Hit: $1,906,250
2017 PFF Grade: N/A
2017 PFF Ranking: N/A

2017 Headline Statistics
Games Played: 0

HRS Verdict
Sanchez’s career passer rating of 73.9 is nothing to write home about even for a backup-level QB. However, he’s played in 77 regular season games in 9 years with the majority coming as a starter in his first four years with the Jets, a team he led to two AFC Championship games. Since then Sanchez has garnered a reputation for supporting and helping to nurture young QBs in his role as a backup.

It would make a lot of sense for Pace to re-sign Sanchez. Pairing a young QB with an experienced veteran is a sensible route to go down and there are not many veterans available with Sanchez’s level of experience. He has spent a year working alongside and building a relationship with Trubisky. As a backup you hope never sees the field, Pace could do worse. However, the new head coach or offensive co-ordinator may prefer, and be in a position, to bring in a backup QB that they have worked with previously.

RB Benny Cunningham
Age: 27.5
Experience: 5 Years
2017 Cap Hit: $695,000
2017 PFF Grade: 56.7 (Poor)
2017 PFF Ranking: Unranked

2017 Headline Statistics
Games Played: 14 (0 Starts)
Rushing: 9 carries for 32 yards (3.2 average)
Receiving: 20 catches for 240 yards (12.0 average, 9 first downs), 2 TDs, 1 Fumble
Special Teams: 13 Tackles (led the team, joint 8th in the league, 8 solo), 7 kick returns at 21 yard average

HRS Verdict
What’s not to like about Cunningham as a number three running back? He has a healthy 4.3ypc career average as a ball carrier, is good in pass protection and is effective as a receiver. In addition, he is a very good multi-phase special teams player who makes tackles and averages 26.7 yards per kick return with 9 longer than 40 yards, which makes him a decent backup to Cohen.

Bringing Cunningham back on another modest contract would make a lot of sense. The new coaching staff will no doubt have their own players in mind, but that doesn’t preclude re-signing Cunningham and have him battle for his position.

WR Josh Bellamy
Age: 28.7
Experience: 6 Years
2017 Cap Hit: $615,000
2017 PFF Grade: 54.7 (Poor)
2017 PFF Ranking: 81st

2017 Headline Statistics
Games Played: 15 (7 Starts)
Receiving: 24 catches for 376 yards (15.7 average, 17 first downs), 1 TD

HRS Verdict
Bellamy is often touted as a Special Teams ace, but frankly it’s hard to see why. He’s recorded a total of 15 tackles in51 games during his four years with the Bears. As a receiver Bellamy performed better this year with fewer drops, helped by eliminating a tendency to leave his feet unnecessarily, but he simply isn’t good enough entering the seventh year of his career to be worthy of a spot in a position group that needs to be overhauled. The Bears know what they have in Bellamy and it isn’t enough.

WR Dontrelle Inman
Age: 28.9
Experience: 4 Years
2017 Cap Hit: $1,615,290
2017 PFF Grade: 62.9 (Below Average)
2017 PFF Ranking: 71st

2017 Headline Statistics
Games Played: 8 (7 Starts) + 4 (0 Starts) with the Rams
Receiving: 23 catches for 334 yards (14.5 average, 18 first downs), 1 TD (plus 2 catches for 9 yards with the Rams)

HRS Verdict
After Pace acquired Inman in a mid-season trade for a conditional seventh round pick that the Bears ultimately retained, Inman’s production was somewhat sporadic. He put up good numbers in his first three games (13 catches for 195 yards) but produced little in the next four before logging 5 catches for 94 yards in the season finale. However, he demonstrated decent route running and hands and with a full off-season working with Trubisky and upgraded receiving talent around him he could be a very solid addition at a modest cost.

WR Kendall Wright
Age: 28.2
Experience: 6 Years
2017 Cap Hit: $1,843,750
2017 PFF Grade: 76.3 (Average)
2017 PFF Ranking: 40th

2017 Headline Statistics
Games Played: 16 (4 Starts)
Receiving: 59 catches for 614 yards (10.4 average, 33 first downs), 1 TD

HRS Verdict
Wright proved to the Bears most reliable and productive receiver. He caught passes throughout the year but really came on strong down the stretch logging 26 catches for 244 yards in the final four games. Pace should definitely look to re-sign him.

TE Zach Miller
Age: 33.3
Experience: 9 Years (although only 6 seasons)
2017 Cap Hit: $2,625,000
2017 PFF Grade: 75.8 (Average)
2017 PFF Ranking: 14th

2017 Headline Statistics
Games Played: 8 (6 Starts)
Receiving: 20 catches for 236 yards (11.8 average, 10 first downs), 2 TDs

HRS Verdict
What is there to say that hasn’t already been said? Miller has been quality on and off the field. He’s a productive player when healthy, but his career has been blighted by injuries and his latest one was horrific. Another comeback is barely conceivable. It’s a great shame for a guy who deserved much better luck.

OL Tom Compton
Age: 28.7
Experience: 6 Years
2017 Cap Hit: $1,850,000
2017 PFF Grade: 45.7 (Poor)
2017 PFF Ranking: 50th

2017 Headline Statistics
Games Played: 11 (5 Starts)

HRS Verdict
Compton’s a guard and didn’t perform nearly as well as Kush and Larsen did last season as backups. Kush and Morgan returning after being on IR all season will hopefully provide better interior depth and other options can be brought in for competition. Compton has only started 15 games in his six-year career and simply wasn’t good enough to warrant a new contract.

OL Bradley Sowell
Age: 28.6
Experience: 6 Years
2017 Cap Hit: $615,000
PFF Grade: 40.5 (Poor)
PFF Ranking: 64th

2017 Headline Statistics
Games Played: 16 (2 Starts)

HRS Verdict
See Compton verdict above, the only difference being that he has a few more starts (23).

[Rusty Trombagent]

i do hope we bring sanchez back just by virtue of this offseason for trubs is going to be a bit crazy. learning a new offensive system while for the first time really focusing on his mechanics and all the nfl nuances... having some sort of stability will help alot.

[HisRoyalSweetness]

And here's those for UFAs on defense:

DL John Jenkins
Age: 28.5
Experience: 5 Years
2017 Cap Hit: $800,000
2017 PFF Grade: 75.4 (Average)
2017 PFF Ranking: Unranked

2017 Headline Statistics
Games Played: 8 (1 Start)
Tackles: 8 (5 Solo)

HRS Verdict
A solid PFF grade for a backup, low-price nose tackle, a position that often doesn’t produce statistics of note, suggests that Jenkins is worth resigning and giving another shot to make the final 53.

DL Mitch Unrein
Age: 30.8
Experience: 7 Years
2017 Cap Hit: $1,150,000
2017 PFF Grade: 83.9 (Above Average)
2017 PFF Ranking: 25th

2017 Headline Statistics
Games Played: 12 (8 Start)
Sacks: 2.5
Tackles: 32 (25 Solo)

HRS Verdict
Unrein has been with the Bears since Pace became GM and has thrived in Vic Fangio’s defense. He doesn’t put up flashy numbers, but he’s been a very solid contributor particularly against the run and has easily outplayed his two-year, $2,260,000 contract. Even if the likes of Bullard and Robertson-Harris continue to improve and earn more playing time, Unrein would still provide quality depth. He is a modestly priced veteran who is unlikely to command a significant pay rise at this stage of his career and should definitely be re-signed.

ILB Christian Jones
Age: 26.9
Experience: 4 Years
2017 Cap Hit: $1,500,000
2017 PFF Grade: 45.3 (Poor)
2017 PFF Ranking: 65th

2017 Headline Statistics
Games Played: 16 (11 Starts)
Sacks: 2.0
Forced Fumbles: 1
Passes Defensed: 2
Tackles: 90 (led the team, 60 Solo)

HRS Verdict
Jones was re-signed last year due to potential upside coupled with Special Teams production. This season the latter has been less obvious because of his increased role on defense. His PFF grade is surprisingly low considering his statistics, but he did struggle at times without the experience of Trevathan alongside him. This makes his value difficult to ascertain.

Jones is durable, having only missed one game in four seasons, but he’s definitely not, for example, worth the $4,250,000 cap hit it would cost to retain Freeman who is a much better player but almost certain to be cut due to his PED issues. If Pace can re-sign Jones for a similar amount to this year then he should bring him back to provide experienced depth, but there appears to be little reason to pay him significantly more.

OLB Sam Acho
Age: 29.4
Experience:
2017 Cap Hit: $695,000
2017 PFF Grade: 67.3 (Below Average)
2017 PFF Ranking: 86th

2017 Headline Statistics
Games Played: 16 (12 Starts)
Sacks: 3.0
Forced Fumbles: 1
Passes Defensed: 1
Tackles: 45 (29 Solo)

HRS Verdict
If nothing else, Acho has proved durable with the Bears. He has missed only one game in three years. He generally looks solid against the run, which played a part in the number of starts he earned, but usually offers little as a pass rusher. For the sort of money he earns, his experience with the Bears defense and the need for OLBs Pace should re-sign him and let him compete for his place on the roster.

OLB Lamarr Houston
Age: 30.5
Experience: 8 Years
2017 Cap Hit: $804,705 in total ($180,882 from the Bears, $370,588 + $253,235 Dead Money from the Texans)
(Also Dead Cap Hit: $1,740,000 from his original Bears contract)
2017 PFF Grade: 49.7 (Poor)
2017 PFF Ranking: Unranked

2017 Headline Statistics
Games Played: 5 (1 Start) + 5 (0 Starts) with the Texans
Sacks: 4.0 (+ 1.0 with the Texans)
Forced Fumbles: 1 (with the Texans)
Passes Defensed: 1
Tackles: 10 (8 Solo) (+ 7 (6 Solo) with the Texans)

HRS Verdict
Pace moved on from Houston before the season started, determining that he wasn’t worth the remainder of the four-year contract he signed in 2014. He was brought back after the team lost Young and then Floyd to IR and he performed admirably during most of his 5-game stint. As a result, his low PFF grade is a little surprising although part of the reason for that may be down to his time with the Texans. Ultimately he filled in well for the Bears, but it seems unlikely he will remain in Pace’s plans going forward.

CB Prince Amukamara
Age: 28.7
Experience: 7 Years
2017 Cap Hit: $7,000,000
2017 PFF Grade: 81.2 (Above Average)
2017 PFF Ranking: 42nd

2017 Headline Statistics
Games Played: 14 (12 Starts)
Interceptions: 0
Passes Defensed: 7
Tackles: 48 (45 Solo)

HRS Verdict
After missing the first two games and then working his way back into the starting line up in Week 5 Amukamara played solidly throughout. The one big knock on him is that he doesn’t generate turnovers and that was true again this season. He is worth bringing back on a longer-term deal with an annual Cap Hit similar to this year’s $7m whilst looking for his longer term replacement in the draft.

CB Kyle Fuller
Age: 25.9
Experience: 4 Years
2017 Cap Hit: $3,082,228 (Rookie Contract)
2017 PFF Grade: 84.3 (Above Average)
2017 PFF Ranking: 23rd

2017 Headline Statistics
Games Played: 16 (16 Starts)
Interceptions: 2
Passes Defensed: 22 (Joint 6th in the league)
Tackles: 69 (61 Solo)

HRS Verdict
Fuller played very well in most games this season. The only surprise if you follow PFF’s grades was that it wasn’t until the last few weeks of the season that they moved him up from 'Average' to 'Above Average' and he finished only a notch below their ‘High Quality’ designation. Pace has always talked about building through the draft and the optimal situation being to retain the players selected by the team due to the quality of their play. Although Fuller wasn’t a Pace pick, his performance this year certainly qualifies in this regard. The only question is how much he is worth on the free agent market and whether there is still any lingering resentment from the Bears reaction to him missing the 2016 season.

Cooper will surely be cut and he was budgeted for Cap Hits of $4.5m and $5m over the next two seasons (after Dead Money is deducted). That sort of money would help cover a significant portion of the pay rise Fuller can command and Pace should make every effort to retain his services.

CB Sherrick McManis
Age: 30.1
Experience: 8 Years
2017 Cap Hit: $1,450,000
2017 PFF Grade: 71.2 (Average)
2017 PFF Ranking: Unranked

2017 Headline Statistics
Games Played: 13 (0 Starts)
Fumble Recovery: 1
Blocked Punt: 1
Tackles: Special Teams 11 (Joint 17th in the league, 8 Solo), Defense 2

HRS Verdict
McManis remains a useful special teams player but he is not as outstanding as some others that have played for the Bears in recent years and some of those provided much better depth at their respective positions. Pace should re-sign him, with minimal guarantees, but look for younger players with greater upside to push him off the final 53-man roster.

[thunderspirit]

JMSO:
Kyle Fuller - 26 in February. Franchise tag is ~$15.4M. That's probably what I'd do.
Prince Amukamara - 29 in June. Made $7.0M last year. I'd sign him for 3/$30.0M but like $10M guaranteed, and all in 2018.
Christian Jones - 27 in February. Made $1.0M+ last year (signing bonus unknown). I'd offer 3/$6.0M or so, half guaranteed.
Mark Sanchez - 31 last November. Made $2.0M last year. If he's willing to make that next year, sure.
Sherrick McManis - 30 last December. Made $1.4M+ last year. I'd offer that again.
John Jenkins - 29 in July. Made $800k last year. For that price, I'd bring him back.
Josh Bellamy - 29 in May. Made $775k last year (ERFA). Hard to justify much more than that. Maybe $1.0M per?
Cairo Santos - 26 last November. Probably the Bears' best shot at a decent kicker right now, but don't break the bank.
Dontrelle Inman - 29 this month. Made $2.7M last year. If he doesn't come back for about the same money, no thanks.
Pat O'Donnell - 27 in February. Someone's gonna overpay him; hope it's not the Bears.
Mike Nugent - 36 in March. Replaceable.
Mitch Unrein - 31 in March. Replaceable.
Sam Acho - 30 last September. Replaceable.
Lamarr Houston - 31 in June. Replaceable.
Tom Compton - 29 in May. Replaceable.
Bradley Sowell - 29 in June. Replaceable.
Kendall Wright - 28 last November. Replaceable.
Benny Cunningham - 28 in July. Replaceable.
Zach Miller - Done. Maybe one of those one-day-so-you-retire-here contracts.

Cameron Meredith - 25 last September. RFA, so likely back.
Daniel Brown - 26 in May. ERFA, so he'll be back.
John Timu - 26 in August. RFA, so likely back.
Bryce Callahan - 26 last October. RFA, so likely back.
Patrick Scales - 30 in February. ERFA, so he'll be back.

[wab]

I don't think we should sweep Kendall Wright out the door too quickly.

[Hiphopopotamos]

I don't think we should sweep Kendall Wright out the door too quickly.

Absolutely we should hang on to Wright if we can sign him to a good deal.

[G08]

I'd keep Wright, absolutely. He looked a little out of shape to me this season, but still at age 28 and he's been fairly healthy this season... I'd give him a 2-3 year deal.