Chicago Bears free agency is here. Tomorrow is the first day that NFL teams can officially start contacting their targets. And the Bears have made a couple moves already with some of their own guys. In part one of my Chicago Bears free agency preview, I looked at who will be likely leaving Chicago; as Devin Hester is.
(Update: Brian Urlacher thinks Hester could land in Tampa Bay)
Here, in part two we look at who the Bears are hoping to sign. Obviously, it all starts with Seahawks Defensive End Michael Bennett, brother of Bears Tight End Martellus Bennett. I recently talked with the Orange Dino about the recruitment of his brother.
Here’s what Martysaurus Rex had to say.
Chicago Bears free agency: the targets
San Francisco 49ers CB Terrell Brown– fired his agent after he missed out on a $2 million salary increase. His agent overlooked a clause in his contract regarding offseason workouts. Brown told the media yesterday that nothing is happening in contract talks with the Niners. So I guess his new agent will be fielding offers from other teams.
“Does he fit into your system? One size does not fit all,” said ESPN Analyst and for Indianapolis Colts GM Bill Polian on conference call the other day in reference to Brown.
“And system fit will determine his market value”
Well, Brown can cover people and tackle them, unlike most of the Bears corners behind Tim Jennings and Peanut Tillman. And Tillman is likely to move on, so yes Mr. Polian, I’d say he fits the system!
Seattle Seahawks DE Michael Bennett
I LOVED LOVED LOVED his “this is not Costco” response when asked about the prospect of a “hometown discount” to stay with the defending Super Bowl Champs. You know how witty and profound his brother Martellus is, so I guess being fun to listen to (in a world where 95% of the interview subjects are anything but) is a trait that runs in the family
“by definition the best players aren’t free-agents, they’re tagged or signed. So by definition you’re getting someone that is not someone else’s number one, and you’re overpaying for him,” said Polian. I guess that’s what the Seahawks might believe. They seem to think Cliff Avril is superior?
Bennett left an offer from the Seahawks on the table yesterday, it was reported. And now conventional wisdom says the Bears and the Raiders are the favorites to acquire his services.
“It all comes down to our other brother, Benjamin Franklin,” Martellus said.
“The Benjis talk, I can only do so much by talking to him, at the end of the day you got to show him the money.”
You can see why this specific target will be the primary storyline of Chicago Bears free agency.
The Bears already started forming their defensive line with the signing of Jeremiah Ratliff to a two-year contract on Wednesday, and yesterday they signed defensive end Trevor Scott to a one-year deal. Defensive Line is the position most in need, and it’s also the position most in question.
Paul M. Banks owns The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. An MBA and Fulbright scholar, he’s also a frequent analyst on news talk radio; with regular segments on ESPN,NBC, CBS and Fox. A former NBC Chicago and Washington Times writer, he’s also been featured on the History Channel. President Obama follows him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)