Tag: bears grades

How NFL experts graded the Bears’ selection of DT Gervon Dexter

We’ve rounded up the grades for the Bears’ second-round selection of DT Gervon Dexter, where most experts believe he was a solid addition.

The Chicago Bears shored up the defensive line with the selection of Florida defensive tackle Gervon Dexter in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft.

Chicago had the NFL’s worst defensive line last season, and general manager Ryan Poles has wasted no time addressing that in free agency and on Day 2 of the NFL draft.

Dexter brings versatility as a defensive linemen, where he can line up both at 1-technique and also play some 3-technique. That would fit what we’ve seen from the Bears this offseason, where they’ve added players who can play multiple spots. Dexter has an explosive first step that helps him create penetration and disrupt the run game.

Dexter has drawn comparisons to DeForest Buckner, with his size and athleticism, and Matt Eberflus might view Dexter as Chicago’s version on this defensive line.

Here’s a collection of all of the grades for Dexter from various media outlets, where most experts believe it was a solid addition by the Bears.

Grading the Bears’ selection of DT Gervon Dexter

The Bears shored up the defensive line with the selection of Gervon Dexter. Here’s how we graded the pick.

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The Chicago Bears selected Florida defensive tackle Gervon Dexter with the 53rd overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

Chicago had the worst defensive line in the NFL last season, and it’s been the team’s biggest weakness this offseason. The addition of Dexter, who’s drawn comparisons to DeForest Buckner given his size and athleticism, is a big get for Matt Eberflus and his defense.

Last season, Dexter totaled a career-high 55 tackles, four tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and one interception in 13 starts with the Gators.

Dexter has great length and athleticism when compared to most defensive tackles. At 6-foot-6, 310 pounds, he remains light on his feet and has consistently been disruptive. The Bears can move him all over their defensive line. Having that versatility is certainly a plus.

Grade: A

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How NFL experts graded the Bears’ selection of OT Darnell Wright

We’ve rounded up the grades for the Bears’ first-round selection of OT Darnell Wright, where most experts believe he’s a solid addition.

The Chicago Bears shored up the offensive line with the selection of Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft.

Chicago traded back one spot with the Philadelphia Eagles — electing to pass on Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter — and landed an additional fourth-rounder in 2024. Philadelphia drafted Carter.

During an offseason where building around quarterback Justin Fields has been a focal point, general manager Ryan Poles addressed a glaring hole at right tackle with Wright, who also has experience at left tackle and right guard.

Wright projects as a plug-and-play starter at right tackle opposite left tackle Braxton Jones. Wright is a reliable pass protector — not allowing a sack in 19 consecutive games — but needs to improve as a run blocker. But after Fields was sacked 55 times in 15 games last season, shoring up the pass protection with Wright was a great move.

Here’s a collection of all of the grades for Wright from various media outlets, where most analysts agree it was a solid addition by the Bears.

Grading the Bears’ signing of DE Rasheem Green

The Bears made another low-risk move on the defensive line by signing DE Rasheem Green. Here is our initial grade of the deal.

The Chicago Bears took another stab at fortifying their defensive line on Thursday, signing former Houston Texans defensive end Rasheem Green to a one-year contract. Green is entering his sixth season as a pro, initially getting selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

Over the course of four seasons, Green was effective as a role player for the Seahawks. He notched at least four sacks in two of those years, having his best season in 2021 when he recorded 48 total tackles (six for a loss) with 6.5 sacks in his lone season as a full-time starter.

Green spent the 2022 season with the Texans where he was a rotational player. He totaled 42 tackles (five for a loss) along with 3.5 sacks in 16 games. Now he comes to the Bears in a similar capacity to help improve what was an abysmal pass rush in 2022. Here is our initial grade of the signing.

Grading the Bears’ signing of LB Dylan Cole

The addition of Dylan Cole should give the Bears another steady special teams contributor. Here’s our initial grade of the move.

The second wave of free agency is coming to a close, but the Chicago Bears still made one more move before the week ended. They agreed to a one-year deal with former Tennessee Titans linebacker Dylan Cole on Thursday, adding yet another player to a revamped position group while stabilizing their special teams.

Cole came into the league in 2017 as an undrafted free agent with the Houston Texans and primarily played a role on special teams. He spent four seasons with them before joining the Titans in 2021 in a similar capacity. But last season, Cole saw the most playing time of his career. He played in 43% of the team’s snaps on defense and had 64 total tackles, including four for a loss, and one sack.

Now with the Bears, Cole joins a group of linebackers led by Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, and Jack Sanborn. He could see some time on defense, but his primary role will be on special teams. Here’s our initial grade of the move.

Bears free agency: Experts hand out grades for Chicago

Here’s a collection of all of the grades for the Bears’ signings through the first wave of free agency, where experts agree they won.

The Chicago Bears were quite active through the first week — and even the Friday before — free agency, where they added some impact starters to help better this roster.

That started with trading the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for two first-round selections, two second-round picks and wide receiver DJ Moore.

Then, the Bears went out and upgrade their linebacker group with Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards, running back room with D’Onta Foreman and Travis Homer, as well as solid additions in guard Nate Davis, defensive linemen Andrew Billings and DeMarcus Walker and tight end Robert Tonyan.

While there’s still the second and third waves of free agency on the way, experts agree that Chicago has won this first part of free agency.

Here’s a collection of all of the grades for the Bears’ signings through the first wave of free agency:

Grading the Bears’ initial free agency moves

We graded each new addition by the Bears during the first week of free agency.

The Chicago Bears were quite busy through the first week of free agency, where they landed some impact starters and key depth pieces as general manager Ryan Poles retools the roster.

Chicago signed linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards, defensive linemen DeMarcus Walker and Andrew Billings, as well as guard Nate Davis and running back D’Onta Foreman. But there’s still plenty of work to do with the second and third waves of free agency on the horizon.

We graded each move by Chicago during the first week of free agency.

Grading the Bears’ signing of RB D’Onta Foreman

D’Onta Foreman gives the Bears a solid replacement for David Montgomery with more production and at half the cost.

The Chicago Bears have a new running back who is looking to earn the starting job this year. The team signed former Carolina Panthers running back D’Onta Foreman to a one-year contract, who will compete with Khalil Herbert for touches in the offense.

Foreman was drafted by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft after a decorated collegiate career at Texas. After a solid start to his rookie season, injuries and work habits sidelined him for nearly two years and he was released prior to the 2019 season.

He found new life with the Tennessee Titans in 2021, filling in for Derrick Henry after he suffered a foot injury and had a career year with the Carolina Panthers last season following the Christian McCaffrey trade. Foreman rushed for 914 yards, averaging 4.5 yards per carry, with five touchdowns. The majority of his production came after Week 6 where he had five 100-yard games.

Foreman now joins the Bears with a chance to earn the starting job away from Herbert. Regardless of the outcome, though, his presence will benefit the offense and fills the void left by David Montgomery and then some. Here is our initial grade of the signing.

Grading the Bears’ signing of TE Robert Tonyan

Robert Tonyan gives the Bears an effective pass catcher at the tight end position behind Cole Kmet. Here’s our grade of the move.

The Chicago Bears fortified their tight end position with a former rival. They signed former Green Bay Packers tight end Robert Tonyan to a one-year deal, reuniting him with offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.

Tonyan, a local product from McHenry, Ill came to the Packers in 2017 after a brief stint with the Detroit Lions where he initially signed as an undrafted free agent. He slowly was integrated into the offense over the next couple of seasons and had a breakout year in 2020, where he caught 52 passes for 586 yards and 11 touchdowns. A torn ACL sidelined him halfway through the 2021 season after another solid start, but was able to return for the start of last season. In 2022, Tonyan had 53 receptions for 470 yards and two scores.

Now joining the Bears, Tonyan will pair up with Cole Kmet to help improve the Bears’ passing attack and give Justin Fields yet another weapon to utilize. Here is how we graded the signing.

Grading the Bears’ signing of DT Andrew Billings

Andrew Billings immediately upgrades the Bears run defense at a reasonable cost. Here is our grade of the signing.

Defensive line was a glaring weakness for the Chicago Bears throughout the 2022 season and general manger Ryan Poles took another step towards improving it for 2023. The Bears signed former Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Andrew Billings to a one-year deal on Thursday. It’s their second addition to the line after signing DeMarcus Walker earlier in the week.

Billings was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth round in 2016 but missed his rookie season due to a torn meniscus. He bounced back in 2017 and has had a modest career up to this point. Last year for the Raiders, Billings notched a career-high 39 total tackles (three for a loss), and one sack. He joins the Bears as someone who will rotate in as an interior lineman who will hopefully be a solution when it comes to stopping the run. Here is our initial grade of the move.