ESPN takes weird issue with two of the Bears' biggest free agency moves and it honestly doesn't make sense
A lot of people seem to have mixed opinions about the Chicago Bears' additions during the first wave of free agency. Some are already proclaiming the Bears offseason champs and some experts seem to be pumping the brakes on the three moves.Let's start with that. The Bears have only really signed three outside free agents, […]
A lot of people seem to have mixed opinions about the Chicago Bears' additions during the first wave of free agency. Some are already proclaiming the Bears offseason champs and some experts seem to be pumping the brakes on the three moves.
Let's start with that. The Bears have only really signed three outside free agents, and yes they threw some serious dough at those three players.
First the Bears brought in center Drew Dalman to finish overhauling the starting interior of the offensive line. Then, the front office double dipped on the defensive line signing defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett.
All three players were solid additions to the roster at three areas of serious need, so it should seem like an initial win in that regard.
But it seems like multiple ESPN analysts are upset with how much the Bears spent to acquire those three players. For reference here are the deals expected to hit the books when the new league year begins later today.
Drew Dalman: 3-year, $42 million
Dayo Odeyingbo: 3-year, $48 million
Grady Jarrett: 3-year, $43.5 million
Looking at those numbers, the only one I'm not sold on is Grady Jarrett. On Tuesday, ESPN's Seth Walder claimed the Bears were paying for the player Jarrett was in 2020, not the player he will be in 2025-26, and I agree.
I felt like there were plenty of veteran defensive tackles who fit Dennis Allen's scheme on the open market that got a whole lot less than Jarrett, and you have to wonder if there's a reason why the Falcons released this guy after a decade in Atlanta anyways.
But, as for the other two deals, I'm fine with the price. ESPN's Ben Solak seems to disagree.
"This is an admirable approach, but tunnel vision is often a detriment in March, and that's what happened here. Odeyingbo, who got a three-year, $48 million contract, is an ascending player in the sense that he put the pieces together over the past two seasons with the Colts — he had 17 QB hits in both 2023 and 2024 — and could have a larger net impact in a role that doesn't force him to split time. But he is an average DE2 playing opposite an average DE1 in Montez Sweat. The likelihood that he suddenly rises to a pass-rushing level that warrants $16 million per year is pretty low." ESPN's Ben Solak
In regards to Dalman, Solak added that he "probably isn't worth all that money."
Neither one of those takes make any sense. When you acquire younger free agents, especially guys like Odeyingbo and Dalman, you're paying for the player they can become. And quite honestly, the Bears got good value with both players.
Many projections had Odeyingbo getting close to the $20 million a year mark and the Bears got him for $16 million annually. Multiple teams were high on this guy believing he's due for a massive breakout in 2025 when given a clear starting role. The Bears made sure they become the team the reaps the rewards from that.
As for Dalman, it's been mentioned by credible reporters that the top center on the market actually was offered more money from other teams but chose to take less to come to Chicago. So clearly, other teams felt he was actually worth all that money.
The Bears had the money to spend and went out to get the most highly sought after center and one of the top edge rushers on the market for less than what other teams were willing to pay. Both players will also be impact starters over the next two years, at the very least. I have zero problems with those two decisions.
Now, the Jarrett situation is different. We'll see if the soon-to-be 32-year-old can live up to that number at this point in his career.
Caleb Williams and Ryan Poles primed to benefit the most from first wave of free agent signings while the future of two recent draft picks becomes even more uncertain
Winners and Losers from the signings so far.
