Chicago Bears patience on Aaron Lynch pursuit paid off

The Chicago Bears were taking a big risk when they allowed #3 outside linebacker Aaron Lynch to test free agency back in March.

Everybody knows the league is always thirsty for pass rushers and Lynch had himself a solid year behind Khalil Mack and Leonard Floyd. Other teams might be keen on bringing him in to bolster their own depth chart, especially since he’s still just 25-years old. GM Ryan Pace chose to let things play out. As the first couple of weeks passed, Lynch did take visits with a few teams including the Indianapolis Colts.

It looked like he might be secured at one point, then out of nowhere, the Bears announced they’d re-signed him to another one-year deal. It seems the market wasn’t as strong for him as initially believed and he didn’t desire to uproot himself to another city. So instead he stayed put in Chicago where he had a clearly defined role. This also ended up working out in favor of the Bears too, and not just from the depth perspective.

Getting Lynch back at a discount is a huge win for the Bears

Keep this in mind. When the Bears signed Lynch last year, it cost them $3 million for the season. According to these new numbers, it’s going to cost less than half that number to bring him back for another year. This should be another reminder of how good Pace is from a pro scouting perspective. He read the market exactly right and decided to stay patient, letting Lynch learn what his value was. A value that Pace and the Bears already knew.

Now the trio of outside linebacker that created so much havoc last year is back together with a chance to deepen it even further in the draft. It will be fascinating to see what Chuck Pagano and his new defensive staff try to do with Lynch. He’s been known for doing good work with pass rushers before. This could be another of those new projects he’s able to maximize beyond their normal production, which would only help the Bears.