Bears sign LB/ST Amen Ogbongbemiga

[UOK]

[Ditka’s dictaphone]

This is a great move, well done Poles

[wab]

This is certainly a free agent signing.

[HisRoyalSweetness]

He's been in the league for 3 years and started his only 2 games as a rookie. Since playing 110 defensive snaps that season he's played just 14 in 2022 and 5 last year.

He's basically just a special teamer but he had only 6 tackles (2 solo) in 2022 and 4 tackles (2 solo) in 2023. He did have 2 fumble recoveries last year.

With that production I struggle to understand why he's getting more than the vet minimum let alone over a million guaranteed.

[dplank]

Another odd one that looks like an overpay. I get it’s small and all but why pay this guy a dollar over minimum? Those things add up.

I’m ride or die with Poles but this has been a tough FA period. The results better be there, he has no excuses.

[wab]

Maybe he's the new Brendon Ayanbadejo.

[dplank]

Maybe he's the new Brendon Ayanbadejo.

Tag team: Banjo and the Bong

[Ditka’s dictaphone]

I’ve got a good feeling about this guy, he could be the next Jack Sanborn.

[Bears Whiskey Nut]

I feel like I should start panicking. I'm not getting a warm fuzzy vibe from this FA window, and we've got 5 draft picks this year. Which means...to WAB's point, Poles may be inclined to lean on the waiver wire in September. But of course that means that none of those players will have gone through training camp, and will be drinking through a fire hose as the season starts. Not a good plan in my opinion.

[UOK]

He’s replacing Dylan Cole.

[wab]

I feel like I should start panicking. I'm not getting a warm fuzzy vibe from this FA window, and we've got 5 draft picks this year. Which means...to WAB's point, Poles may be inclined to lean on the waiver wire in September. But of course that means that none of those players will have gone through training camp, and will be drinking through a fire hose as the season starts. Not a good plan in my opinion.

It's not ideal. I assume this means that they are willing to roll the dice on Sweat/Walker/Kareem/Robinson and hope the draft falls their way at DE.

WR is more far more troublesome. Moore/VJJ/Scott as the 1-2-3 is rough. Collin Johnson is basically a TE. Webster is a returner only.

I'm going to assume, barring any other signings, that the Bears still take Williams at 1 and trade back into the high 20's from 9. Hopefully that nets them a second-round pick and they can take whatever the board leaves them at WR and Edge.

In R3 they can pick up a DT, R4 gives them two shots at offensive linemen.

Still a hole at TE, but Kmet/Everett/Carlson might be ok.

This FA period is giving me the ick so far.

[Moriarty]

He’s replacing Dylan Cole.

Yeah.

Feels very lateral, though.
I was looking for someone that could be trusted to play, if need be, since you've only got 5 LBs on the roster and sometimes need 3 on the field.
OG Bong doesn't give me confidence he's an improvement over Cole in that regard.

[UOK]

If you look at it this way, just pretend that Jaylon Johnson and Montez Sweat were UFAs the Bears signed, and you’ll feel a lot better.

[thunderspirit]

He’s replacing Dylan Cole.

Basically.

Possibly more money than necessary, but aside from that, nothing wrong with this.

[HisRoyalSweetness]

If you look at it this way, just pretend that Jaylon Johnson and Montez Sweat were UFAs the Bears signed, and you’ll feel a lot better.

Sweat maybe, if you pretend really hard, but Johnson's been on the team for 4 years.

[Bearfacts]

Hope he stick just so I can hear the guys in the booth pronounce his name. Someone likes him as a ST guy.

[Bearfacts]

If you look at it this way, just pretend that Jaylon Johnson and Montez Sweat were UFAs the Bears signed, and you’ll feel a lot better.

Sweat maybe, if you pretend really hard, but Johnson's been on the team for 4 years.

True but we still had to sign him to keep him. That counts in the real world of NFL GM.

[HisRoyalSweetness]

Sweat maybe, if you pretend really hard, but Johnson's been on the team for 4 years.

True but we still had to sign him to keep him. That counts in the real world of NFL GM.

It's not a move that improves the team though, it just maintains the status quo.

[Hoog]

Yet another blow with flapping lips and a shaking of the head. If they make me say his name come regular season, someone's getting popcorn thrown at them and a beer spilt on them. WTF is going on?

[Arkansasbear]

Maybe he's the new Brendon Ayanbadejo.

I always liked Brendon I’vegotabango

[Bearfacts]

True but we still had to sign him to keep him. That counts in the real world of NFL GM.

It's not a move that improves the team though, it just maintains the status quo.

But some moves are made to preserve the status quo are they not? I count those as well.

For instance TB brought Mayfield back to retain the status quo and possibly improve. JJ could get even better as well especially with more picks. He would actually have had a couple more if he hadn't dropped them or just missed.

Houston went with FA Danielle Hunter to preserve their pass rush after Greenard signed with Minny. It's not like they lacked a good young DE but lost him in FA so they replaced him. It was more like a player swap than an upgrade.

Keeping JJ was an important step in at least preserving the stability of the secondary. If we lost him we would've needed to replace him just like Houston did when Greenard signed elsewhere. So I'm gonna count him.

[spudbear]

Yeah, looks like a replacement for Cole, and I'm happy with that as I was not a Cole fan.
With Ngakoue unsigned, they needed Ogbongbemiga to replace his roster spot for announcers-tripping-over-tongue player.