If you can’t beat ’em, sign ’em away.
At least, that is where my mind went when I saw the news from NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo that the Bears were coming to terms with free agent defensive back Jonathan Owens:
Owens, 28, spent the 2023 season with the Green Bay Packers. He started 11 of the 17 games he appeared in for the Packers in 2023. Before that, Owens played 31 games (19 starts) for the Houston Texans from 2019-22. Overall, Owens has 48 games (30 starts) of NFL ball under his belt with 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries, 2 sacks, and 227 total tackles under his belt.
NFL reporter Aaron Wilson has the deal as a two-year pact worth $4.5 million. That feels like a bargain for a player who has extensive playing experience. Maybe that’s just the price of doing business to bring in some quality depth at a position of need.
Who is Jonathan Owens and why are the Bears signing him?
One thing I found most interesting about Owens is that in addition to playing on 70 percent of the team’s defensive snaps, it is also worth noting that Owens played on 54 percent of Green Bay’s special teams plays. Considering how the Bears’ special teams unit could use some work, adding a fresh face to the mix seems like a good idea. I’m certainly not going to say no. Especially not after that group finished 22nd on the Rick Gosselin Special Teams rankings in 2023 and 24th in 2022.
Even after signing Kevin Byard to fill the starting role vacated by Eddie Jackson’s departure, safety depth was a major concern for the Bears. Last year, we saw drop-offs in play when Jackson and Jaquan Brisker missed time. And because we saw a similar tail-off in production from the secondary when those players were unavailable in 2022, it makes sense that General Manager Ryan Poles is targeting secondary depth that represents an upgrade from what the team has had for the last couple of seasons.
And you knew I wasn’t going to leave this post without pointing out that Jonathan Owens’ wife is Simone Biles, the Olympic champion gymnast. And she seems excited about it:
Chicago is ready, Ms. Biles!
This randomly reminds me that 2024 is an Olympic year. We’ll probably be too preoccupied with football things to dive in too deep on that stuff. But whenever the time comes for me to take a football break, at least I know the Olympics will be on.