The NFL free agency period kicked off Tuesday, and the Chicago Bears were ready to make an impact. General Manager Phil Emery wasted no time by adding two big free-agents and filling two glaring holes to the Bears roster. The first move of the day was signing tight end Martellus Bennett to a four-year deal. Just hours later, the Bears continued to add to their team by agreeing to a five-year contract with left tackle Jermon Bushrod.
With the two additions, the Bears have filled arguably their two biggest needs of the offseason by adding a legitimate pass-catching tight end and a pro-bowl caliber left tackle. Finally. The Bears have been searching for a left tackle for several years now. They have used countless draft picks on trying to find a left tackle, only to see most, if not all become busts. Prior to the 2011 season, the Bears traded tight end Greg Olsen to the Carolina Panthers. Ever since then, the Bears have not had a player that even resembles a tight end with skills in the passing game. With Olsen, the Bears were not satisfied with his ability to help out with blocking. By drafted Kellen Davis in 2008, the Bears thought they had found someone that could not only block, but could also be a threat in the passing game for their future. Obviously, that was never the case. Now with the addition of Bennett, the Bears appear to have actually found the player they thought Davis could become.
Martellus Bennett comes to Chicago coming off of a 55 catch, 626 yard season with 5 touchdowns. Now, those are certainly not Rob Gronkowski or Jimmy Graham type numbers, but it is vastly superior to what the Bears had last season. Kellen Davis only had 19 catches for 229 yards and 2 touchdowns. Not only did Bennett out-perform Davis last season, but Bennett's 2012 season was more productive than Davis' entire five-year career in terms of catches and yardage. With Davis only having 47 receptions and 529 yards during his career, it is apparent that the Bears have significantly upgraded the tight end position.
Jermon Bushrod's arrival to Chicago will be highly anticipated by the Bears and their fans. Since acquiring Jay Cutler prior to the 2009 season, the Bears' offensive line has been in shambles. More times than not, Cutler has had to run for his life in order to avoid injury. I realize that Cutler has poor mechanics and a tendency to throw off his back foot, but constantly being pressured and feeling the need to get rid of the ball quickly has certainly added to his struggles. If Cutler is provided time to throw, he should thrive in Marc Trestman's offense with weapons to utilize such as Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, and now Martellus Bennett. By acquiring Bushrod, the Bears can now also move their other offensive linemen down the depth chart. With Bushrod as left tackle, J'Marcus Webb could move to right tackle, and Gabe Camiri could play guard opposite of Lance Louis provided he returns. By moving Webb and Camiri to less important roles on the offensive line, the Bears have now essentially upgraded three offensive line positions with one move.
After thinking about both acquisitions, I really like what the Bears have done. Bennett will be a major upgrade in the passing and blocking games, and Bushrod helps to solidify the Bears entire offensive line. In addition, by adding a tight end and left tackle to the roster, the Bears do not have to use their first round pick on either one of the positions. The Bears may still be looking to draft an offensive lineman, preferably right tackle D.J. Fluker, but it isn't as important. The now have some flexibility and may look to add a linebacker to replace Brian Urlacher(whether or not he returns), or even possibly could look to trade their first round pick to move down in the draft to acquire more picks. Either way, it was a productive day for the Bears and a nice way to begin their offseason.
-Eric Tichelbaut
Follow me on Twitter @etichel07
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