Free Agency Pitch Plans, Weird Wagner Cut, Cash Rules, Hurd is Free, and Other Bears Bullets

Feb 24, 2023

OK, so not everyone appreciates a cromulent Simpsons reference as much as I do. As far as I’m concerned, y’all need to embiggen your spirits.

The Rams cutting ties with Bobby Wagner after one year blew my mind:

Turns out to be a heckuva one-year investment.

The Rams weren't good last year, but Wagner was superb. He made 140 total tackles, set a career-high with 6 sacks, came up with 10 TFLs, and 10 QB Hits. https://t.co/JInGDIa380— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) February 23, 2023

Hmmm … and now I’m wondering about the Bears as a possible fit. That might be a tough sell from a Bears perspective. HOWEVER, I don’t think it is an impossible pitch. Not with oodles of cap space. Did I mention the Bears currently have $98,029,155 in available space under the cap? Because that feels like an important thing to mention. Thanks to OverTheCap.com for their continuous cap updates.

This goes for any free agent, and maybe more so for someone like Wagner, but Chicago’s ability to blow folks out of the water with cash could ultimately be a deciding factor. Cash rules everything around me, after all. Wu-Tang taught me that.

Can you sell Wagner on Justin Fields’ upside? Just direct him to this link:

This 7+ Minute Justin Fields Hype Video Goes Hard

I fully expect Fields to be at the heart of any and all free agency pitches this offseason.

There are are alternatives. Maybe underscoring how the NFC North is about to be wide open will open his eyes. A Packers team that will have a declining Aaron Rodgers or an unknown in Jordan Love isn’t all that fearsome. The Lions are a team on the upswing, but they’re not some impenetrable fortress. And the Vikings are coming off a season in which they made the playoffs before ultimately proving to be a paper lion. There is a window here for Wagner to join a team that will be competitive before others might believe. Someone ask Theo Epstein how he wooed Jon Lester to the Cubs before the 2015 season. Or, heck, Jed Hoyer just got Dansby Swanson after a winning run with the Braves. Again, this isn’t impossible.

When it comes to linebackers, the Bears can opt to run it back with Jack Sanborn (the second-year player who is still under contract) and Nicholas Morrow (a free-agent-to-be) at the position. But I’m not opposed to upgrading a spot that I think is important in the Matt Eberflus/Alan Williams scheme.

Speaking of future Bears targets, I’m growing more intrigued with the possibility of a Justin Fields-Jaxon Smith-Njigba reunion the more that I think about it:

Keep an eye on Jaxon Smith-Njigba at the Combine. Several teams I’ve talked to are enamored by his overall talent, with one veteran scout telling me: “He reminds me of Keenan Allen with his releases at the LOS and his footwork. The way he’s able to track the football in the air.”— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) February 23, 2023

A stray thought: If Fields *REALLY* wants JSN, I think the Bears should find a way to get him. Teams getting quarterbacks their old college running mates is fashionable right now. But it has also been successful.

This story in The Tennesseean outlining A.J. Brown spilling the tea on how he ended up on the Eagles is worth sharing in this space. Brown’s friendship with Jalen Hurts which dates back to their college days was something that played a role in Brown ending up in Philly. That’s because Hurts was pitching his GM on trading for Brown. Eventually, that happened. It always helps when your QB wants to aid in the recruiting process. And it helps doubly when your GM has faith in the quarterback. In other words, if JF1 wants to nudge his general manager to get his guy, then I’m all for it. Every bit helps, after all.

Elsewhere on the receiver front, Josh Schrock (NBC Sports Chicago) presents an angle for Robert Woods as a low-risk, high-reward option. Woods isn’t the WR1 Bears fans are craving, but having another worthwhile wideout could help elevate the passing game. Keep in mind that incremental progress still counts as progress.

Cam has plans for the Bears’ offseason:

.@KingsleyEllis offers his take on how the Bears should attack their roster holes. Trading for Brian Burns is on his agenda! #FNIC pic.twitter.com/qPE8ZhapHR— Bears Talk (@NBCSBears) February 24, 2023

The Bears made it officially official by naming Eddie Jackson their Ed Block Courage Award winner. Add it to the list of accomplishments and hardware Jackson received in a bounce-back 2022 season.

You got us to 44,000 followers on Twitter this week. And I’ve never been happier to call you internet friends:

You guys really got us to 4⃣4⃣,0⃣0⃣0⃣ followers.

And I'm thankful for every one of you.

Yes, even YOU! pic.twitter.com/N6EMs80u72— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) February 24, 2023

You can also like us on Facebook (if that’s a thing you’d like to do).

A former Bears receiver is in the news because he is now a free man:

Former Chicago Bears wide receiver Sam Hurd has been released from a federal prison after serving time for cocaine trafficking charges. https://t.co/3qAVZHpofc— ABC 7 Chicago (@ABC7Chicago) February 24, 2023

That Russell Wilson needs to refute reports that he wanted Pete Carroll canned before his trade to the Broncos serves as a reminder that Carroll saved Ryan Pace’s bacon:

Russell Wilson Refutes Report He Wanted Pete Carroll Fired in Seattlehttps://t.co/ruo2cHShYV pic.twitter.com/9OD52xO82b
— Bleacher Nation NFL (@BN_Touchdown) February 24, 2023

Whew! It seems like Bears dodged a bullet in not landing Russ. Didn’t think that was something I’d type out in 2023.

Cubs players have weird nicknames:

Cubs Players Shared Their Nicknames and Somehow Seiya Suzuki is Justin Bieberhttps://t.co/jDNE8RTzDw pic.twitter.com/ydO51Jb4In
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) February 24, 2023

Sounds like Zach LaVine has been wanting a Patrick Beverley homecoming for a hot minute:

Zach LaVine Says He’s Been Trying to Get Patrick Beverley to Chicago

Is Patrick Kane going to the Rangers or nah? As we ponder that question, let’s take some time to check out the latest tank standings:

Your Feb 24 Bad for Bedard Tank Standings

San Jose's loss last night gets them closer to the #Blackhawks in third

& we're adding Washington, who have lost 6 straight and traded away a couple players last night pic.twitter.com/Lp7bCXRSX7— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) February 24, 2023

written by

Luis C. Medina

Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.

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