Chicago Bears: NFL Free Agent Fliers To Ponder
By Erik Lambert
Oct 6, 2013; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley (88) runs with the ball as Detroit Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy (54) defends in the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
The roster is pretty much set for the Chicago Bears but are there a few more NFL free agents to consider before the 2014 season?
Jermichael Finley – TE
Interest in tight end Jermichael Finley has begun to wane over the past couple weeks. Such is the nature of fear surrounding neck injuries. Still, he’s been medically cleared and at age 27 Finley still has plenty of tread on the tires. The Chicago Bears already have Martellus Bennett, but would there be any real harm in adding Finley as a cheap insurance policy? Depth of course is the key to success in the NFL and the Bears are lacking some at the tight end position. Finley would solve that.
Ed Reed – FS
The Bears brought in a lot of young safeties via free agency and the draft. Most believe the two spots will be decided between former reserve Ryan Mundy, former starters Chris Conte and M.D. Jennings and rookie Brock Vereen. The problem is none of those names inspire much confidence. So is there any harm in bringing aboard a veteran like Ed Reed? Is he the All-Pro he was for so many years in Baltimore? No. Still, he can bring a lot to the table including experience, leadership and a work ethic that some of the younger safeties might be able to learn from. If anything else, he knows how to take good angles and not constantly get beat deep.
Pat Angerer – MLB
A healthy competition is set to unfold at linebacker for the Chicago Bears, particularly at the middle and strong side positions. The four candidates competing for the two spots including veteran D.J. Williams, youngsters Jon Bostic and Khaseem Greene, and converted defensive end Shea McClellin. The problem is most see Williams being the only realistic option in the middle while the other three seem like better fits on the outside. That could mean depth concerns given Williams missed most of last season with a torn pectoral. Pat Angerer has been a productive player through four seasons in Indianapolis despite dealing with injury issues of his own. The last full season he played he posted 148 tackles. He can be had cheap, and at age 27 is a solid fit for their scheme.
Aaron Ross – CB
The saying goes that teams can never have enough weapon for a quarterback. Well another saying on the heels of that is one can never have enough guys to cover those weapons. Chicago invested at the cornerback position when they brought back Charles Tillman, extended Tim Jennings and drafted Kyle Fuller in the 1st round. They also have veteran Kelvin Hayden and experienced third-year player Isaiah Frey as well. Is that enough depth? Some would say yes, but there is no such thing as too much competition. Aaron Ross is a veteran with good size and speed who helped the New York Giants win two Super Bowls. At the very least he can push the depth chart from the bottom to keep everybody else on their toes and give the Bears valuable experience come playoff time.