Latest move expected by an NFC North rival can actually help the Bears sort out a position of need going into the start of free agency
Another big-name defensive tackle is set to hit the market ahead of free agency.
The NFL Combine has come to a close and next up on the NFL offseason calendar is the start of free agency, which officially opens next week. But, teams still have a lot of work to do over the next seven days before even thinking about free agency.
Throughout this week, you’ll see plenty of releases and trades with teams looking to get under the cap. The Chicago Bears are expected to be an active team in that regards with more cuts expected and four potential trades under consideration.
One NFC North rival got ahead of the cap cuts on Sunday when it was reported that the Minnesota Vikings plan to release both running back Aaron Jones and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, barring any last minute trade. The latter release can help out the Bears in a big way.
Javon Hargrave release adds another big-name to the defensive tackle market
Let me start by saying that I’m not advocating for the Bears to go after Hargrave on the open market, but he’s still certainly an option for Chicago to at least look at. The two-time Pro Bowl selection is coming off a 3.5 sack season and could sign at a discount with Minnesota still on the hook for some of his guaranteed money saying he’s released.
While he’s an option for the Bears to consider signing, the main point of this is that having another big-name free agent hit the market is great for the Bears chances of finding any interior player to add to the front. Previously, the only big-name hitting the market was John Franklin-Myers, who is expected to earn over $20 million a year this offseason.
Having Hargrave hit the market gives other teams another big-name to pursue, which then can help lower the overall price tag for other players. That would make it easier for the Bears to consider bringing in a player such as Sebastian Joseph-Day at a better discount.
It’s also worth noting that the entire interior defensive line crop in free agency isn’t great, at all. And general manager Ryan Poles noted that the draft is deeper at EDGE than defensive tackle. So, it’s either overpay in free agency or use a first-round pick to fill the positional need. If the Bears want to go the FA route, the more options that hit the market, the better.
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