The Beras MUST go after this free agent!!
The Chicago Bears are in one of the most unique positions in all of football. They own the top pick in the NFL Draft for the second consecutive season thanks to the trade with the Carolina Panthers a year ago, will likely reset the quarterback contract clock with Caleb Williams, and have tons of money to spend in free agency. Now, its about building a dominant football team around their young quarterback.
Upgrading the offensive line, adding another receiver, and beefing up the defensive line are the three most important areas the Bears need to address this offseason. When thinking about the defensive line, most fans and analysts have the Bears going after a top edge rusher such as Danielle Hunter, who they've been linked to previously. However, what if they gifted Matt Eberflus his big fish at the 3-tech position and acquired soon-to-be former Miami Dolphin Christian Wilkins?
According to a recent report, the Dolphins have no plans of tagging or re-signing Wilkins, meaning he will be a free agent at 28 years of age. He's entering his football prime, and is due for a huge payday. According to Spotrac, his calculated market value is $20.2 million per season, somewhere in the four-year range on a new contract.
There is certainly a reason to doubt that the Bears will meet the contract demands of a player like Wilkins, given they already paid Montez Sweat as their premier defensive end. However, teaming up Sweat and Wilkins feels like a dream come true for Eberflus and his defense.
Wilkins is coming off a career season with the Dolphins in 2023. In 17 games, which he has played every year since 2021, Wilkins registered 65 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 9.0 sacks. Although his tackle numbers were down, Wilkins became more of a pass rusher in his fifth NFL season. Wilkins' two prior seasons featured at least 89 tackles but less sacks compared to 2023.
Adding Wilkins simply doesn't come down to meeting his potential contract demands. Rather, the Bears would also be competing with a number of other teams, as indicated in the report from Diana Russini and Ian Rapoport. It's safe to believe that at least six or seven teams will be seriously interested in Wilkins' ability. He'll make a great addition to any team in any system. He's not pigeonholed to a 3-4 or 4-3 defense. Just take a look at what he can do if you're unfamiliar with his game.
If I'm Ryan Poles, Wilkins is a priority if he's interested in joining the Bears. Pairing him with Sweat, the youngsters (Dexter and Pickens), and Andrew Billings will give the Bears a top defensive line. Add an edge rusher in the draft or free agency and the front four is ready to run in 2024.
There is a lot that will happen between now and the end of April, but as free agency opens, the Bears NEED to be giving Wilkins' camp a call. He could give the Bears the dominant 3-tech that Matt Eberflus so desperately wants.
| POLL | ||
7 MARS | 21 ANSWERS The Beras MUST go after this free agent!! Should the Bears offer a big deal to Christian Wilkins? | ||
| Yes | 10 | 47.6 % |
| No | 11 | 52.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
