I believe the Bears should look for offensive line help now in the same way sought kicking assistance in 2019. Examine all options, then bring in an ideal mix of healthy competition. And if your team can unearth a sure-fire starter during the process, then said process will have been a productive one.
For what it’s worth, Chicago’s football team played host to free agent right tackle Morgan Moses at Halas Hall last week. Moses would fit the bill as a sure-fire starter based on his experience in Washington … but he left Chicago without a contract. He also checked in with the New York Jets, but also left without striking a deal. And while it doesn’t sound like Moses is any closer to finding a new team, the interest remains real:
#Jets are among multiple teams that remain interested in free agent OT Morgan Moses, per sources. Moses visited New York and Chicago in recent weeks. Teams have made strides in potentially signing him but no decision made.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) June 8, 2021
The Jets provide healthy competition for the Bears in a race for Moses. Much like Chicago, New York needs offensive line help to protect a rookie quarterback on the rise. But unlike the Bears, the Jets have more financial wiggle room to work within should they want to sign Moses. New York has $27,088,735 in available cap space, per OverTheCap.com. In other words, the Jets could pony up a sizable deal and land Moses without flinching. Meanwhile, Chicago has just $8,369,852 in available space.
Remember, Moses is coming out of a deal that paid him an average of $7.7 million per year. Keep in mind he’ll want to be paid admirably, but also note how he could angle for a deal that allows him to return to the market next year when the cap ceiling could grow to $208.2 million.
That Jeremy Fowler reports “teams have strides” toward a potential signing piques my interest. To me, that reads as if there is real interest from both sides. That’s good. But something is missing on one end of the deal. That isn’t, especially if you’re a team looking to bolster your group of blockers. Maybe the Jets are offering a satisfactory amount of money, but New York’s competitive state might be a hang-up. Perhaps the Bears, who can’t offer the type of money the Jets can, have Moses’ eye because of the potential job stability and because Chicago has made the postseason in two of the last three years. In any case, no deal is done despite two teams having interest in Moses. Which ultimately says he isn’t totally happy with whatever terms are out there for him.
And yet, we should keep up with the situation because “teams have made strides” can quickly turn into two sides coming together on a deal if the price is right.