Bears Free Agency Recap: Grades for every signing and trade so far
The Bears have been one of the most active teams during the early stages of the offseason.
General manager Ryan Poles has been a very busy man lately.
The Bears entered the offseason in an enviable position, with a ton of draft capital and cap space. It has been a hectic week, so let's take a minute to recap all of the moves made so far.
Re-signings
- FB Khari Blasingame: 2 years, $3.6M
Blasingame will return to the Windy City after inking a multi-year extension. While fullback is not the sexiest position, clearly Matt Eberflus and Ryan Poles value the position.
Blasingame is versatile as well, with a little pass-catching ability and strong special teams skills.
Blasingame got $1.95 million guaranteed, so his deal won't break the bank. If you're going to have a fullback on the roster, Blasingame is one of the better ones to have.
GRADE: B
- LS Patrick Scales: 1 year, $1.3M
Scales is another re-signing at an overlooked, but important position. The veteran is the longest-tenured Bear on the roster and will be back to snap the ball in 2023.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
GRADE: B
Signings
- QB PJ Walker: 1 year, terms unknown
Walker will seemingly be the backup to Justin Fields in 2023 after the team released veteran QB Trevor Siemian.
Walker has a more similar play style to Fields than Siemian did, so the fit works. Walker also has a decent amount of starting experience from his time in Carolina.
You could do worse than Walker as your backup QB.
GRADE: B
- RB Travis Homer: 2 years, terms unknown
Homer will provide depth for the Bears after David Montgomery bolted for Detroit.
Homer spent four seasons playing for the Seattle Seahawks and mainly served in a special teams role. Homer does have intriguing speed, but he has never been used as more than a utility player.
It's doubtful that Homer received a fortune, so I'm fine with this addition.
GRADE: C
- OG Nate Davis: 3 years, $30M
Davis was the lone bright spot on a Titans' offensive line that struggled mightily in 2022.
Davis will immediately slot in one of the guard positions in Chicago and provide a major upgrade. The price was high, but worth it if Davis can replicate his 2022 performance.
Davis is reportedly getting $19.25M guaranteed over three years, which is an acceptable price for the guard.
GRADE: A
- EDGE DeMarcus Walker: 3 years, $11.1M
Walker is another former Titan who had an impressive season in 2022. After signing a one-year deal with Tennessee, Walker had his best season as a pro, collecting 32 tackles and seven sacks.
Walker received a three-year deal from the Bears, with $5.7M guaranteed. This is a good bargain for the level of production.
GRADE: A
- DT Andrew Billings: 1 year, $3.5M
Billings is another solid veteran addition to the Bears' defense. The massive run-stuffer should immediately improve the defensive front in Chicago.
Billings won't stuff the stat sheet, but he's a solid rotational lineman.
GRADE: B
- LB Tremaine Edmunds: 4 years, $72M
Edmunds will immediately be the starting middle linebacker for the Bears, slotting into the role formerly occupied by Roquan Smith.
The case can be made that Edmunds is actually an upgrade over Smith. The best part? Edmunds received less guaranteed money ($50M) than Smith did ($60M).
Edmunds is not only a tackling machine, but also elite in coverage. The price is high, but Edmunds is worth it.
GRADE: A+
- LB TJ Edwards: 3 years, $19.5M
Edwards will slot in next to Edmunds as the starting weakside linebacker. Edwards collected a whopping 159 tackles in 2022 as a member of an elite Philadelphia Eagles' defense.
Of that $19.5M, $12M is fully guaranteed. That could turn out to be an absolute steal as Edwards was ranked in the top 10 among linebackers in pass coverage, pass rushing, and run defense in 2022.
GRADE: A
- TE Robert Tonyan: 1 year, terms unknown
The Bears added the veteran Robert Tonyan to give Justin Fields another big target.
Perhaps just as important, the Bears stole him away from the division-rival Packers.
Tonyan is not a star, but he is quality depth and takes some pressure off of Cole Kmet. Any offensive weapons are welcome in Chicago.
GRADE: B-
- RB D'Onta Foreman: 1 year, $3M
Foreman solidifies the running back room in Chicago. After losing Montgomery, the Bears' RB room looked a little thin.
Foreman is a downgrade from Montgomery and is not much of a receiver. However, he is a bruiser and provides quality depth. The former Texas standout also provides insurance for Khalil Herbert.
GRADE: B-
Trades
- CHI receives: 2023 first-round pick (9th overall), 2023 second-round pick, 2024 first-round pick, 2025 second-round pick, and WR DJ Moore
- CAR receives: 2023 first-round pick (1st overall)
This is the definition of a blockbuster.
After much discussion about what the Bears could do with the top pick, GM Ryan Poles arguably exceeded expectations.
Not only did Poles secure four picks, he also secured a star WR. The Bears fielded possibly the least-talented WR group in the league in 2022, but that won't be the case in 2023.
Poles pulled the trigger on the deal before free agency began, thus allowing the Bears to address other issues before the draft. It's hard to nitpick anything about this deal. Perhaps the team could've gotten one more first-rounder, but I would assume most Bears fans would rather have Moore.
GRADE: A+