Only seven teams currently have more space under the 2017 salary cap than the Chicago Bears. Per Spotrac, the Bears have just south of $55 million to spend this offseason, and if the Chicago Tribune is to be believed, they are going to be very aggressive in spending it.
A report from the Tribune laid out three top targets for the Bears this offseason: Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore, Buccaneers quarterback Mike Glennon, and Ravens right tackle Ricky Wagner.
Forecasting free agency can be as hazardous as constructing a mock draft that doesn’t look like a mess before the first round is half over. But based on conversations with many sources across the league, it sounds as if the Bears are expected to make a strong bid for Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore — a replacement addition to the Pro Bowl last season after a career-high five interceptions — and Buccaneers quarterback Mike Glennon.
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Pace and Fox both praised the Bears offensive line Wednesday, so it’s interesting that multiple sources indicated they might be in play for Ravens right tackle Ricky Wagner.
Gilmore, Buffalo’s first-round pick back in 2012, is coming off the first Pro Bowl season of his career. He’s been a good corner for a number of years, and 2015 and 2016 were likely his two best seasons. The Bears desperately need help in the defensive backfield, so he makes sense as a target. With Houston’s A.J. Bouye likely considered the top available corner on the market, it’s possible the Bears could get Gilmore at a better price.
Glennon has been a rumored target for quarterback-needy teams for a while now. He’s been in Tampa since 2013, when he started 13 games and played decently while posting a 4-9 record. He started another five games the following year, winning just one while seeing his performance slip. Then the Bucs drafted Jameis Winston.
Glennon has thrown only 11 passes in the last two years. He’s already 27 years old and his track record is sub-average at best, but he has definitely been a source of intrigue over the last few offseasons. With the Bears expected to move on from Jay Cutler, they’re surely exploring all available quarterback options. They’ve been connected to New England’s Jimmy Garoppolo as well as several quarterback options in the draft.
Wagner has been a starter on the right side of the line for Baltimore for the last three seasons, shining in 2014 before slumping in 2015 and bouncing back this past season. The Bears have Bobby Massie signed for the next two years at right tackle but have an opening on the left side. Wagner’s been considered strictly a right tackle and the same is true of Massie, so it’ll be interesting to watch which one of the two swings over to the blind side if the Bears do actually sign him.
That the Bears are apparently getting ready to spend a bunch of cash this offseason is interesting, given that they declined to use the franchise tag on receiver Alshon Jeffery. If they sign high-priced players this offseason, the Bears will likely not receive a compensatory pick for losing Jeffery’s services.
