The NFL Draft’s conclusion often brings clarity to various team needs that should be addressed before training camps open up this summer. So it isn’t a surprise to see teams ramping up their free agent signings again now that the draft is in our rear-view mirror.
The Baltimore Ravens front office is known as one of the league’s thriftiest shoppers. And that knack for bringing in quality players on a bargain deal showed itself again with Baltimore’s signing cornerback Rock Ya-Sin to a one-year deal:
I’ve spent the offesason thinking the Bears were a fitting landing spot for Ya-Sin. There was a history with Head Coach Matt Eberflus and a familiarity with the scheme Chicago runs. Plus, the Bears had a sneaky need for cornerback help. Sure, Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon are locked into starting roles in 2023. But it felt like there was a piece of the puzzle that was missing. And Ya-Sin made sense. At least, he *DID* before the Bears drafted cornerbacks on Days 2 and 3 of last weekend’s draft. But even with the draft being done, I don’t think this team is done adding to its roster.
And neither does Pro Football Focus.
PFF’s Brad Spielberger does some dot connecting in linking the best remaining free agents to their best landing spots now that the draft is over. The Bears pop up twice on this list. First, with defensive end Yannick Ngakoue. We discussed Ngakoue in our post unpacking why Chicago didn’t take a defensive end in last weekend’s draft. Secondly, offensive tackle George Fant’s name pops up as a fit. I hadn’t been thinking about adding another offensive lineman to the group. However, it is something this front office should consider.
Fant is a seasoned vet who has experience blocking in the type of scheme the Bears plan on running. Maybe it would be seen as a luxury to add a 30-year-old tackle with ample starting. But you know how you can’t have too many starting pitchers in baseball? Well, the same idea can be applied to football. But it’s offensive linemen and not pitching. And if the Bears can add O-line help between now and when camp starts, they should do so without hesitating.
For what it’s worth, Spielberger pegged the Ya-Sin and Ravens thing in his best fit. As someone hoping the Bears continue to fill out their roster, I hope history finds a way of repeating itself.