The opening salvo of 2023 free agency was a rollercoaster for the Chicago Bears. They did some good work. GM Ryan Poles completely revamped the linebacker corps with Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards. He also added athletic guard Nate Davis and versatile defensive lineman DeMarcus Walker. All should be immediate helps to this team. Perhaps the biggest surprise was how the team couldn’t nab one of the bigger defensive tackle names on the market. Javon Hargrave went to San Francisco. Zach Allen headed to Denver. Then there was Dre’Mont Jones.
Many felt the former Broncos lineman was a perfect fit for the Bears’ defense as an interior pass rusher. Rumors circulated that the team was interested when free agency began. The market stayed silent most of the day. Then the shocking news broke that Jones had signed with the Seattle Seahawks. Plenty of fans were disappointed. The Bears had plenty of money. Why didn’t they make a more aggressive push? Former scout Greg Gabriel provided some interesting inside information on that for Windy City Gridiron.
Going into yesterday, it was believed the Chicago Bears were going after people like Javon Hargrave, Dre’Mont Jones, and Mike McGlinchey. The truth is they bowed out on Jones long before yesterday began, never considered Hargrave because of his age, and walked away from McGlinchey more than an hour before his deal with Denver was announced…
…The Bears had a price limit for Jones, and it wasn’t close to $18M; in fact, it wasn’t close to $16M. Yes, they would have liked to sign the player, but not at a price way over what they felt he was worth.
Dre’Mont Jones wasn’t that good to the Bears.
This is another reminder that what the media and fans may think of a player doesn’t always align with a team. Poles and Matt Eberflus saw enough in Jones to believe he could help the Bears. However, they felt his overall game wasn’t worth the price tag he was demanding. Maybe it was the fact that for all his pass rush skills, Jones is a bad run defender. Pro Football Focus has given him a grade of 50 or less in three of his four seasons. Eberflus wants pass rush, but he expects the three-technique to stop the run too. See De’Forest Buckner in Indianapolis.
That is likely why the Bears pivoted to Walker. While he isn’t as skilled rushing the quarterback, he is good enough and is a far better run defender. Chicago also got him for significantly less at $7 million per year compared to $17 million. Dre’Mont Jones would’ve been a flashy signing, but Poles didn’t think the value was there. Considering the other quality moves he has made, it is hard to doubt him. The Bears will seek out defensive line solutions elsewhere.
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