Early free agency thread

[Stinger226]

Any big name free agents has to much cost of multi picks. Just draft a stud at 10 if it's that valuable. I like the value way to build, Kevin Zeilter and Chase Young for the same money. 

[BearFan PHX]

16 minutes ago, Stinger226 said:

Any big name free agents has to much cost of multi picks. Just draft a stud at 10 if it's that valuable. I like the value way to build, Kevin Zeilter and Chase Young for the same money. 

so you dont need to trade for free agents, you just need to (over) pay for them?

[Stinger226]

17 hours ago, BearFan PHX said:

so you dont need to trade for free agents, you just need to (over) pay for them?

Totally that happens but then you get Edwards and Billings at great prices.  Byard's contract is reasonable, Pryor and Shelton were cheap additions. Poles has signed more good contracts than bad. Hopefully he continues that behavior.

[AZ54]

WR madness...After losing AJ Brown, and then later his job, it's no surprise Vrabel will want to pay for Higgins.  

https://www.profootballrumors.com/2025/02/teams-picking-in-top-five-may-look-to-trade-back

[Stinger226]

I don't think we  will need to add a top WR in free agency. We have 3 weapons in Moore, Odunze and Kmet. That's exactly what Detroit had last year with a top offense. 

Tim Patrick would fill WR 3 role at a cheap price. Scott has speed and will given the chance to show it this year or be cut. I think they bring back Collin Johnson to fill in depth. 

Swift is also a weapon in the passing game. 

[AZ54]

2 hours ago, Stinger226 said:

I don't think we  will need to add a top WR in free agency. We have 3 weapons in Moore, Odunze and Kmet. That's exactly what Detroit had last year with a top offense. 

Tim Patrick would fill WR 3 role at a cheap price. Scott has speed and will given the chance to show it this year or be cut. I think they bring back Collin Johnson to fill in depth. 

Swift is also a weapon in the passing game. 

I don't think so either.  I'm just enjoying watching teams way overpay at the position.  

[BearFan PHX]

I dont think we will make a big splash in free agency for a WR either, but I do think there are questions about Kmet. We can cut him any year int he next three and instantly save $10M off of the cap. I dont think Kmet sucks, but I dont think he is worth $10M.

That said, they may give him a year under Johnson and see what they can make of him. Certainly he wasnt targeted much last year at all, so it's hard to judge if he is a $5M TE, a $10M Te or a $15M TE. My guess is you could replace him with someone better for the money at $10M, but I also think he will get a prove it year this year.

But until he does prove it, I dont know if you can count on him to be a top 3 receiver for us?

I do expect us to find a speedy slot type guy though, but probably not the most expensive one.

[ASHKUM BEAR]

2 hours ago, BearFan PHX said:

I dont think we will make a big splash in free agency for a WR either, but I do think there are questions about Kmet. We can cut him any year int he next three and instantly save $10M off of the cap. I dont think Kmet sucks, but I dont think he is worth $10M.

That said, they may give him a year under Johnson and see what they can make of him. Certainly he wasnt targeted much last year at all, so it's hard to judge if he is a $5M TE, a $10M Te or a $15M TE. My guess is you could replace him with someone better for the money at $10M, but I also think he will get a prove it year this year.

But until he does prove it, I dont know if you can count on him to be a top 3 receiver for us?

I do expect us to find a speedy slot type guy though, but probably not the most expensive one.

 He had to block more to keep his QB alive, so unless the oline improves he's useless here.  He goes to KC, he's a 10M man.  Poles needs to realize how building a team works and get the damn line fixed or Caleb isn't worth anything either.

[BearFan PHX]

1 hour ago, ASHKUM BEAR said:

 He had to block more to keep his QB alive, so unless the oline improves he's useless here.  He goes to KC, he's a 10M man.  Poles needs to realize how building a team works and get the damn line fixed or Caleb isn't worth anything either.

I agree. This is why i think they give him one more year to prove himself before thinking about that $10M. I could be wrong, but that's my guess.

But the way his contract is set up, they can cut him any year now and gain $10M in cap space.

[BearFan PHX]

just a finer point - to save that $10M, the trade (or cut) must be designated as a post June 1st move. For anyone researching the cap situation.

Still feel the same though. He gets a year tryout with BJ. Probably. If someone offers enough in trade, or BJ doesnt think he has the skills he needs, then it could go the other way. But my money is on him being here at least this year.

 

[Stinger226]

Kmet played well when a QB throws the ball to him. He can't do anything about a lack of targets. Our passing game was disjointed and play calling was 34 wr sceens a game. If we want a professional passing game, he will be used frequently. 

[Mongo3451]

Why are we discussing cutting Kmet?  He's a top ten TE when targeted.  He stays in shape and is a locker room leader.

[Lucky Luciano]

19 minutes ago, Mongo3451 said:

Why are we discussing cutting Kmet?  He's a top ten TE when targeted.  He stays in shape and is a locker room leader.

agree.

cutting a good TE sound familiar? martz was an idiot.

[Stinger226]

Montez Sweat didn't have a good year. He was burdened by nagging injuries but just because someone has a bad year, they automatically need to be traded? Now several bad years would be a problem but one year with an injury laden line shouldn't be the measuring tool.

Good players don't always have consistent play every game of f their career.

[BearFan PHX]

4 hours ago, Mongo3451 said:

Why are we discussing cutting Kmet?  He's a top ten TE when targeted.  He stays in shape and is a locker room leader.

well first off I wasnt saying he should be cut, but it is worth noting that you save $10M off the cap if you trade him - thats a lot of money. But what I said was they will probably keep him this year to see what they can get out of him before they make that decision.

I dont know what skill set BJ requires in a TE, so it was worth noting.

Im not saying Kmet is bad, but $10M plus a decent trade offer is worth considering, because Im not sure his worth is equivalent to all of that?

But again, I predict we keep him this year, but he might be ont he block next year depending on how he plays for us this year with targets.

[DABEARSDABOMB]

1 hour ago, Stinger226 said:

Montez Sweat didn't have a good year. He was burdened by nagging injuries but just because someone has a bad year, they automatically need to be traded? Now several bad years would be a problem but one year with an injury laden line shouldn't be the measuring tool.

Good players don't always have consistent play every game of f their career.

I think injuries impacted Sweat, but in fairness, I think Sweat is a good, but not great player.  However - if you pair him with a more talented mate, he can play at a great level.  But on his own, he isn't that sort of player (by the way very few DE's are).  If you pair him with Chase Young - neither of whom are great, but it makes things better. If you have another explosive player in the interior - same thing.  Compounding agent/effect.  I very much could see a scenario where Bears go for an impact dlinemen with their 1st pick, swing big in free agency on line (or even middle on free agency but still center/guard upgrades) and than double down on oline with 2 of the next 3 picks. I for sure see 3 of first 4 picks being on the line (2 oline / 1 dline).  Than I probably see RB/TE/DB(or S) in that order.  Obviously you still got to play value - but you can also move around quite a bit.  

I will say - everything gets real interesting if there was a QB or someone at a position Bears weren't interested who slid down to 10 that drove a need for another team to jump up and allowed Bears to get to the middle of the pack. It feels like in this draft there isn't a player that will drive a team within 15-23 to leap up to 10...but we'll know a lot more post combine.  

[DABEARSDABOMB]

6 minutes ago, BearFan PHX said:

well first off I wasnt saying he should be cut, but it is worth noting that you save $10M off the cap if you do - thats a lot of money. But what I said was they will probably keep him this year to see what they can get out of him before they make that decision.

I dont know what skill set BJ requires in a TE, so it was worth noting.

I do think we'll see Bears cut Everett - but Kmet is a very good all around TE who was mis-utilized. He is coming off a poor season so if next year he goes out and doesn't put up production  -than I do think you'd have to ask if he is really worth $10M per year. But he's in his prime years and fairly paid and I expect we'll see a bounce pack in overall production.  I also expect we'll see Bears add another TE, maybe 2 - as this is a pretty good TE draft and there should be a number of them available that can make an impact over time between rounds 3-5.  Not a high end TE draft - but a very deep TE draft which bodes well (kind of like wideout was last year - which it still pains me we didn't take 2 swings at that spot given the depth of last year's draft).  

[BearFan PHX]

1 hour ago, DABEARSDABOMB said:

He is coming off a poor season so if next year he goes out and doesn't put up production  -than I do think you'd have to ask if he is really worth $10M per year. But he's in his prime years and fairly paid and I expect we'll see a bounce pack in overall production.

totally agree. thats where Im at too. I just think you gotta think about what else you could get for $10M in cap space plus whatever value youd get in trade.

[AZ54]

7 hours ago, DABEARSDABOMB said:

I do think we'll see Bears cut Everett - but Kmet is a very good all around TE who was mis-utilized. He is coming off a poor season so if next year he goes out and doesn't put up production  -than I do think you'd have to ask if he is really worth $10M per year. But he's in his prime years and fairly paid and I expect we'll see a bounce pack in overall production.  I also expect we'll see Bears add another TE, maybe 2 - as this is a pretty good TE draft and there should be a number of them available that can make an impact over time between rounds 3-5.  Not a high end TE draft - but a very deep TE draft which bodes well (kind of like wideout was last year - which it still pains me we didn't take 2 swings at that spot given the depth of last year's draft).  

Gerald Everett absolutely should be missing paychecks just like he was missing blocks.   

[AZ54]

5 hours ago, BearFan PHX said:

totally agree. thats where Im at too. I just think you gotta think about what else you could get for $10M in cap space plus whatever value youd get in trade.

Zero chance I'm trading Kmet with all the other blocking issues we have.   Average NFL salary is ~$5mil/yr (based on $270m/53).    He's making $10?  This is not a big contract to worry about until we have his replacement in the fold.  Let's try using him first and go fix the positions that are big problems.   

[Stinger226]

10 mil a year is what average starters get. He proved he can play at a high level if used properly. 

There are 12 TEs making over 10 mil a year.  Kmet had 55 targets this year. 47/474/4

Sam Laporte 83 targets. 60/736/7 on the best offense in the league. 

Kmet had one of the top catch percentages in the league. 28 TEs  had more targets than Kmet in 2024. More targets better production. It's not brain surgery. 

[BearFan PHX]

Ok so just being clear - Im keeping Kmet this year too. Im just saying, if someone offered a good value in trade, that I could use, say to help the OL, and if johnson was saying Kmet didnt have the skill set he needed, that youd have to look at it.

But yes, my money is on that Kmet will be a Bear this year, but maybe not next year depending on his performance in 2025.

[Stinger226]

9 hours ago, BearFan PHX said:

Ok so just being clear - Im keeping Kmet this year too. Im just saying, if someone offered a good value in trade, that I could use, say to help the OL, and if johnson was saying Kmet didnt have the skill set he needed, that youd have to look at it.

But yes, my money is on that Kmet will be a Bear this year, but maybe not next year depending on his performance in 2025.

If you look at his history, he fits the Laporte role in Detroit. No way Johnson thinks he's not a fit. 

With a better offense, he will be a top 10 TE next year and 10 mil will be considered a bargain.

[ASHKUM BEAR]

The NFL announced the salary cap will be increasing from 255 million to 277-281 million for next season.  This will give the cheifs 20-25 million to re-sign Trey Smith.  

[Stinger226]

1 hour ago, ASHKUM BEAR said:

The NFL announced the salary cap will be increasing from 255 million to 277-281 million for next season.  This will give the cheifs 20-25 million to re-sign Trey Smith.  

Most high level free agents stay with their teams unless someone overpays for their service. If you were Smith, 2 SBs in KC compared to the Bears? We may pay a couple of million more but you up routing, up your family for that?

Same for Dalman, unless a team has a cap problem and can't make a decent offer, tendencies say they stay home. We have a better shot at someone like Kevin Zeitler that has has played for several teams and only been in Detroit for 2 years.