4 players that Bears could lose to free agency

The Bears would certainly like to re-sign their in-house free agents, but there’s a chance that they lose some key pieces this offseason.

We’re just a couple weeks away from what’s poised to be a frenzied free agency. Despite their salary cap situation, the Bears are expected to be somewhat active as they look to address some concerns on their roster.

Chicago is in the market for an experienced veteran quarterback, as well as a tight end. But they also have some business to take care of in-house with their own pending free agents.

While the Bears would certainly like to re-sign everyone, there’s a good chance that they lose some key pieces to free agency.

Here are four players that the Bears risk losing in free agency:

1. ILB Nick Kwiatkoski

Perhaps the pending Bears free agent that will be in highest demand is inside linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski, who took full advantage of his opportunity last season. Kwiatkoski shined in relief of an injured Danny Trevathan, which gave the Bears something to think about at inside linebacker opposite Roquan Smith.

The Bears are reportedly making Kwiatkoski a top free agent priority this offseason, but they’ll have to wager with other teams in need of his services. While Kwiatkoski appears to be the younger, less injury-prone option at inside linebacker for Chicago, there’s no guarantee they’ll be able to lock him up in this competitive market.

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Bears prioritizing Nick Kwiatkoski as top free-agent target

The Bears have a decision to make at ILB this offseason. But if they’re to have their way, they’ll re-sign one of their veterans.

The Bears have a decision to make at inside linebacker this offseason. But if they’re to have their way, they’ll re-sign one of their veterans to line-up opposite Roquan Smith.

Chicago is expected to prioritize re-signing inside linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski in free agency, according to Chris Emma of 670 the Score.

Kwiatkoski shined in relief of the injured Danny Trevathan last season. Now, the Bears will have to pick Kwiatkoski or Trevathan — and it sounds like Kwiatkoski would be their top choice.

While Trevathan has been an effective contributor and leader in Chicago’s locker room in his four years with the Bears, the fact of the matter is that he’s 30 years old and has a history of injuries. Trevathan has missed 16 games since signing with the Bears prior to the 2015 season.

Then you have Kwiatkoski, who took full advantage of his opportunity in place of Trevathan. Kwiatkoski had career highs with 76 combined tackles, three sacks, four pass breakups and a safety, as well as one forced fumble.

“He took full advantage for his opportunities when he got them,” general manager Ryan Pace said. “You tip your hat to him. We talk about drafting and developing players. With him being a fourth-round pick, we’re proud of where he got to.”

The only problem is, Kwiatkoski will be a viable target of many teams in search of an inside linebacker, including the rival Packers. There’s no question Kwiatkoski is going to get paid — roughly $7-8 million — it’s a question of it the Bears can afford him, given the other areas of need this free agency, including quarterback and tight end.

The Bears are expected to make a run at an experienced veteran quarterback to challenge Mitchell Trubisky, and that could ultimately be the difference between re-signing Kwiatkoski and settling elsewhere.

Three of Chicago’s inside linebackers are set to hit free agency — in Kwiatkoski, Trevathan and Kevin Pierre-Louis — and the Bears need to lock up Kwiatkoski or Trevathan heading into 2020.

If the Bears can’t land Kwiatkoski, Trevathan would be the primary target and serves to be a cheaper option.

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4 Bears make NFL.com’s list of top 101 free agents of 2020

The Bears have several pending free agents, but they won’t be able to re-sign them all. See which ones will be hot commodities.

The Bears have several pending free agents set to hit the open market at the start of the new league year. While Chicago would like to re-sign those free agents, they can’t afford to re-sign all of them.

Four Bears players made NFL.com’s list of the top 101 free agents, all of whom play on defense.

Safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix topped the list for the Bears at No. 52. Chicago signed him to a one-year prove-it deal, and he definitely proved that he’s worthy of a long-term deal following a solid 2019 season.

But that’s not likely to come in Chicago, as he’s due to make a lot more in free agency than the Bears can afford. They’ll need to turn elsewhere for help at safety opposite Eddie Jackson.

Clinton-Dix has proven to be a plug-and-play starter who can patrol the back end.

Nick Kwiatkoski, who is believed to be a hot commodity this offseason, clocked in at No. 67 on the list.

Kwiatkoski filled in valiantly for the injured Danny Trevathan, where he had career highs with 76 combined tackles, three sacks, four pass breakups and a safety, as well as one forced fumble in 2019.

One of the most promising backup linebackers early in his Bears career, Kwiatkoski proved to be a playmaking upgrade opposite Roquan Smith when steady starter Danny Trevathan went down with an elbow injury in early November. He’s an intriguing under-the-radar target in a buyer’s linebacker market.

The guy that Kwiatkoski replaced, Trevathan landed at No. 82 on NFL.com’s list. While Trevathan is the older, more injury-prone option at inside linebacker compared to Kwiatkoski, there’s no denying that Trevathan was having a fine season for Chicago before suffering a gruesome elbow injury.

Trevathan had 70 tackles and one sack in 2019 before missing the rest of the season with injury. While he’s a solid option for teams looking for a physical linebacker, his injury history is questionable.

A key cog in two of the decade’s top defenses (2015 Broncos, 2018 Bears), Trevathan is a solid starter and respected leader entering the decline phase of a fine career.

Then there’s cornerback Prince Amukamara, who the Bears released last month, landing at No. 92. Amukamara was a viable option at cornerback for the Bears, but he had a rough 2019 season.

Amukamara spent three seasons with the Bears (2017-19), where he had 29 pass breakups and 3 interceptions. When it came down to it, Chicago couldn’t afford to keep Amukamara (and they saved $9 million in the process.)

Amukamara is back on the free agent market for a fifth time. That’s a sign that he’s good enough to be a starter year after year, but not quite good enough to always stick around.

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Sounds like Nick Kwiatkoski is going to get paid in free agency

Nick Kwiatkoski is one of those relatively unknown free agents set to get paid this offseason. But will the Bears be the ones to pay him?

The Bears have plenty of important decisions to make heading into free agency, which is just about one month away.

Chicago is likely to target a veteran quarterback to challenge Mitchell Trubisky, bring in a veteran tight end to bring to the fold and focus on a slew of other needs. But some of the most important decisions they’ll have to make will come about what to do with their in-house free agents.

There are several high-profile guys set to hit the free agent market, including inside linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski, defensive tackle Nick Williams and inside linebacker Danny Trevathan among others.

Sports Illustrated‘s Albert Breer believes Kwiatkoski is one of those relatively unknown free agents that is set to get paid this offseason.

Here’s the guy who’d never really gotten the chance to be a full-time starter, then did… at just the right time. The fourth-year former fourth-round pick started Chicago’s final seven games and showed that he can play the middle for someone, and he could get paid after guys like Cory Littleton and Joe Schobert come off the board. And maybe that someone will be his old coordinator, Vic Fangio in Denver.

Kwiatkoski is going to get paid. The question is: Will the Bears be the team to do it?

The Bears have several in-house pending free agents that they need to make a decision one. With three inside linebackers set to hit the open market — Kwiatkoski, Danny Trevathan and Kevin Pierre-Louis — there’s no doubt Chicago needs to re-sign at least one of those players.

The most logical option is Kwiatkoski, who is a younger and healthier option than Trevathan. Kwiatkoski shined in relief of the injured Trevathan, where he had career highs with 76 combined tackles, three sacks, four pass breakups and a safety, as well as one forced fumble. He was one of the better defenders down the stretch for the Bears.

Then there’s the question if the Bears feel comfortable enough with Pierre-Louis in a full-time role alongside Roquan Smith in the middle of that Bears defense. You figure the Bears aim to re-sign Kwiatkoski or Trevathan and possibly bring back Pierre-Louis in a reserve role.

But it sounds like if the Bears want to lock Kwiatkoski up for a long-term deal, they’re going to need to shell out some money for his services.

Is Kwiatkoski worth it? Absolutely.

Can the Bears afford it? Well, that’s another question entirely. I guess we’ll see.

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Bears’ top 5 positional needs this free agency

With free agency just about a month away, the Bears have plenty of needs they could address at the start of the new league year.

The Chicago Bears have no shortage of needs this offseason as they look to rebound from a disappointing 2019 season. The offense will require plenty of work this offseason, which has already begun with the hiring of four new offensive coaches in Bill Lazor, John DeFilippo, Juan Castillo and Clancy Barone.

With free agency just about a month away, the Bears have plenty of needs they could address at the start of the new league year in regards to their roster.

Here are the Bears’ top five positional needs for free agency:

1. Quarterback

Finding a veteran quarterback to challenge incumbent Mitchell Trubisky will surely be the Bears’ biggest priority in free agency. While general manager Ryan Pace has publicly voiced his support of Trubisky, what he does at the quarterback position this offseason will speak louder than than his words.

Considering the Bears are in a bit of crunch as far as the salary cap goes, they likely won’t be able to afford some of the high-profile free agents, like Teddy Bridgewater. Instead, expect the Bears to bring in an experienced veteran quarterback that will challenge Trubisky but won’t necessarily be anointed the starter upon arrival, perhaps a Marcus Mariota or Case Keenum.

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Which pending defensive free agent should Bears prioritize re-signing?

The Bears have several players set to hit free agency. But who should be the biggest priority for the Bears to re-sign this offseason?

The Bears have plenty of pending free agents set to hit the open market next month, but they won’t be able to re-sign them all. That’s what happens when you have a vulnerable salary cap situation.

Some of the in-house players set to hit free agency include inside linebackers Danny Trevathan and Nick Kwiatkoski, as well as defensive tackle Nick Williams, safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and defensive back Sherrick McManis.

But who should be the biggest priority for the Bears to re-sign this offseason?

Bleacher Report believes the Bears should focus on re-signing veteran safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to an extension following his performance in 2019.

Eddie Jackson is a star, but they lost Adrian Amos in free agency last offseason, and 2016 fourth-round pick Deon Bush hasn’t emerged. Clinton-Dix delivered on a one-year prove-it contract in 2019 with 78 tackles, a pair of picks, a defensive touchdown and five passes defensed in 16 starts. Now the Bears will have to prioritize the 27-year-old former Green Bay Packers Pro Bowler.

That won’t be easy considering their potential cap crunch, but this is an experienced, talented roster, and they can’t take another step backward in the secondary.

While Clinton-Dix put together a solid season on a one-year prove-it deal, there are reasons why the free safety might not re-sign in Chicago. The first one being he won’t come as cheap as the $3 million deal he signed last offseason. Chicago has plenty of needs they need to address through free agency and the NFL Draft outside of re-signing Clinton-Dix.

The Bears would also benefit from bringing in a strong safety to line-up opposite newly-extended Eddie Jackson, who was forced to move to strong safety in 2019. Bringing in a strong safety would allow Jackson to move back to his natural position where he was a dominant force in 2018.

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Bears dubbed potential landing spot for QB Philip Rivers

If there’s a free agent QB out there, he’s going to be linked to the Bears. Could Chicago be a potential landing spot for Philip Rivers?

The Los Angeles Chargers may be parting ways with quarterback Philip Rivers, which could mean that a prominent veteran quarterback will be on the free-agent market.

Most of the offseason discussion surrounding the Bears has involved potential replacements for quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, whose regression in his third season was a massive red flag.

If there’s a free-agent quarterback out there, he’s going to somehow be linked to Chicago. If there’s a prominent quarterback in the NFL Draft available in the second round, he’s going to somehow be linked to Chicago.

So it’s really not a surprise that Bleacher Report believes Chicago would be a potential landing spot for Rivers this offseason.

It’s a tricky situation because the Bears aren’t flush with cap space and Trubisky’s 2020 salary is fully guaranteed at $9.2 million.

Yet, an opportunity exists to upgrade the position, improve the offense and place Chicago back into the postseason picture. The Bears must consider the possibility of adding Rivers based on those arguments.

It’s not a question of whether the Bears are going to bring in a veteran quarterback this offseason. It’s a matter of which one. The Bears are bound by salary cap restrictions, and considering Trubisky’s salary is full-guaranteed at $9.2 million this year, the Bears might not be able to pay someone like Rivers.

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Should Bears re-sign Nick Kwiatkoski over Danny Trevathan?

The Bears have a decision to make at inside linebacker. They’ll only be able to re-sign Danny Trevathan or Nick Kwiatkoski this offseason.

The Bears have a decision to make at inside linebacker this offseason. Given their salary cap situation, they’ll likely only be able to re-sign Danny Trevathan or Nick Kwiatkoski to line-up opposite Roquan Smith.

While Trevathan has been an effective contributor and leader in that locker room in his four years with the Bears, the fact of the matter is that he’s 30 years old and has a history of injuries. Trevathan has missed 16 games since signing with the Bears prior to the 2015 season.

Bleacher Report believes that the Bears should opt to re-sign Kwiatkoski rather than Trevathan this offseason.

They should opt for Kwiatkoski, who is three years younger and likely a lot fresher than Trevathan. The former Denver Bronco is more of a proven commodity than Kwiatkoski, but he’s missed 18 games in four seasons with the Bears and will be on the wrong side of 30 this spring.

The Bears are already paying Khalil Mack huge money and will soon have to pay fellow linebackers Leonard Floyd and Roquan Smith. Considering that only five teams are projected to have less cap space this offseason, they’d be smart to save some money. The lesser-known Kwiatkoski might be a tad cheaper than Trevathan, and there’s a lot more upside there after somewhat of a breakout season from the 2016 fourth-round pick.

Trevathan might’ve made a case for re-signing him had he stayed healthy. But Kwiatkoski took advantage of his opportunity and put together an impressive performance in relief of Trevathan following his elbow injury in Week 10.

Ultimately when it comes down to it, Kwiatkoski is the younger and cheaper option with no injury history. You’d figure the Bears are going to make a decision that benefits them most from a production and salary standpoint.

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4 pending free agents the Bears should let walk in 2020

There are some players that the Bears should let walk this offseason, whether that’s due to injury concerns or monetary reasons.

The offseason is in full swing, and we’re just a couple months away from the start of the new league year and free agency. And the Bears have some important decisions to make when it comes to in-house free agents.

It’s impossible for the Bears to keep everyone — especially considering their salary cap situation, where they currently have just over $7 million in available cap space, according to Over The Cap.

But there are some players that the Bears should let walk this offseason, whether that’s due to injury concerns or monetary reasons.

Here are four free agents that the Bears shouldn’t re-sign this offseason:

1. ILB Danny Trevathan

Danny Trevathan has been a staple of this Bears defense in the last four years, but with three inside linebackers due up for contract extensions in Chicago, Trevathan is likely the odd man out. Trevathan was playing some of his best football with the Bears before he suffered a gruesome elbow injury that essentially ended his season. Injuries have been Trevathan’s downfall, as he’s missed 16 games since joining the Bears prior to the 2015 season, including the final seven weeks of 2019.

If not for Nick Kwiatkoski’s impressive performance in Trevathan’s absence, I’d be advocating for the Bears to re-sign Trevathan. But when it comes down to it, Kwiatkoski is the younger, healthier and cheaper option to pair with Roquan Smith in 2020.

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4 pending free agents the Bears need to re-sign

The Bears can’t re-sign every free agent, but there are some players they need to make it a priority to keep in Chicago.

But there are some players that the Bears need to make it a priority to keep in Chicago in 2020 and beyond.

Here are 4 pending free agents the Bears must re-sign this offseason:

1. ILB Nick Kwiatkoski

When it comes down to it, the Bears are going to have to choose between Danny Trevathan and Nick Kwiatkoski. Earlier in the season, it would’ve been an easy win for Trevathan, who was playing some of his best football. But Trevathan’s elbow injury in Week 10 and Kwiatkoski’s subsequent impressive performance soon made things more difficult.

But when it comes to deciding who to sign to an extension, the answer becomes obvious. Naturally, the Bears should sign the younger, healthier and cheaper option, which is Kwiatkoski, to pair with Roquan Smith in 2020.

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