3) 2018 free agent class
Key hits – WR Allen Robinson, WR Taylor Gabriel
Key misses – K Cody Parkey, TE Trey Burton
Halfway through the 2018 season, this class looked to be quite the goldmine for Pace. But two season later, injuries and ineffectiveness for some players have knocked this class down to the middle of the pack. Let’s first address the elephant in the room: Cody Parkey.
The Bears inked Parkey to a four-year deal that guaranteed him $9 million in an effort to solve their kicker woes they’ve experienced since releasing Robbie Gould in 2016. Instead of shoring up the position, Parkey became a pariah after the infamous “double doink” in the 2018 NFC Wildcard playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Parkey was released and a position of need became a national storyline.
Meanwhile, tight end Trey Burton, who also signed a four-year deal, looked like a steal in 2018 but suffered a slew of injuries and was invisible when he was on the field in 2019. But the 2018 class also brought in a few key contributors.
Receiver Allen Robinson was easily the team’s best signing of the year and one of the best acquisitions in all of free agency. The former Jacksonville Jaguar, coming off a torn ACL, signed a three-year deal and gave the Bears a true WR1 for the first time since Brandon Marshall was in town. The team also inked receiver Taylor Gabriel, who had stellar moments for the Bears as a complimentary option. Finally, quarterback Chase Daniel was brought in to be the backup behind Mitchell Trubisky and gave the Bears a reliable option when needed.
Pace essentially went .500 with this class and found a franchise cornerstone in Robinson. It’s not the best, but it’s far from the worst.
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