The Chicago Bears was very quiet on the first day of the free agency – the period of legal tampering before the league’s new year on Wednesday. But general manager Ryan Pace is certainly not sitting idly by while asking about one of the best free agents in the NFL.
The Bears are one of several teams that have asked about Trent Williams, left player of the Pro Bowl, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. But for that to happen, Chicago would need to find more ways to free up space on the edge – more than it has done so far.
Williams would be a significant upgrade to the left tackle over Charles Leno Jr., who still has a year left on his contract. The Bears could free up $ 6.2 million in space limits if they parted ways with Leno. Although, they will not release Leno without a proven locked substitute. That’s where Williams comes in.
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According to Rapoport, the San Francisco 49ers was trying to re-sign Williams before the legal adulteration period started on Monday, but was unable to do so. Which means Williams is free to negotiate with other teams, including the Bears.
But Chicago will certainly have a lot of competition for Williams’ services, including the Kansas City Chiefs. If the Bears hope to get Williams, they will have to make a very attractive offer for him to choose Chicago over Kansas City.
Brad Biggs of Chicago Tribune he also reported that the Bears asked about “what it would take” to acquire Williams, which should be a lot of money, since he is considered the best free agent on the market. Rapoport said that this amount could be in excess of $ 20 million.
Given that the offensive tackle is a great need for the Bears, it is important that Pace is doing his due diligence in the position this offseason.
The Bears also have a vacant right tackle position in contention after the release of Bobby Massie, who raised $ 5.4 million in cap space. Chicago could rehearse Germain Ifedi, who played straight in the place of injured Massie for most of 2020, or they could resort to the NFL draft to catch a tackle in a loaded draft class.