Getty Terron Armstead will be one of the most coveted free agents of the 2022 offseason.
The offensive line of the Chicago Bears is going to look very different next season.
New GM Ryan Poles has commented multiple times on his desire to fix the unit that led the NFL in sacks last year with 58. In the debut of rookie quarterback Justin Fields, the Bears’ O-line gave up 9.0 sacks against the Cleveland Browns, and there were several times Fields lay on the ground without getting a lift up from the guys blocking for him. There were also times Fields took late hits that drew no flags — or complaints from Fields’ linemen — and Poles noticed.
“You always have to take the side of your quarterback,” Poles told Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times on March 2. “That tells me a lot,” Poles added. So when it doesn’t happen — and there’s definitely clips that it didn’t — it bothers me. We’ll fix that.”
ESPN suggested “bold outside-the-box” moves each of the 32 NFL teams should make this offseason, and for the Bears, a “break the bank” move to acquire a three-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman was suggested.
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ESPN Urges Bears to Sign Free Agent OL
The ex-Bears regime led by former GM Ryan Pace and ex-coach Matt Nagy drafted tackle Teven Jenkins in the second round of the 2021 draft, and instead of keeping him at the position he played in college — right tackle — Nagy and company moved him to the left tackle spot.
ESPN thinks signing former New Orleans Saints free agent left tackle Terron Armstead would be the perfect way to change Chicago’s O-line for the better.
“With a bona fide left tackle in Terron Armstead on the market and a fresh coaching staff in the building, the Bears might be better served abandoning Jenkins at left tackle,” ESPN suggested, adding Jenkins “would likely be more comfortable kicking back over to the right side. Not only would that help the Bears take out two birds with one free-agent stone, but it would play into what their young quarterback Justin Fields needs the most: pass protection.”
Spotrac currently has the Bears at just under $26 million in cap space, but that number will change as the team adds or subtracts more players. Adding a player of Armstead’s caliber would certainly come close to breaking the bank, but it could pay off for Chicago.
“This approach might require the Bears to nail draft picks and midrange free-agent signings at wide receiver, but keeping Fields upright has to be the main priority for Chicago this season,” ESPN noted.
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Armstead is Expected to Earn Nearly $20 Million Per Year
PFF has Armstead projected to sign a contract in the three-year, $60 million range, with around $43 million in guaranteed money. Armstead had offseason surgery on his knee, which makes signing him a slight risk, although the surgery was more for maintenance and less serious than a torn ACL. According to a screenshot captured by Amie Just of NOLANews, Armstead said on Instagram in January the surgery was a successful one.
Looks like Saints LT Terron Armstead had a “successful” knee surgery, he posted this morning on his Instagram story.
Armstead turns 31 in July, and he has been one of the best left tackles in the business since entering the league in 2013. He has allowed just 20 sacks and 32 QB hurries in 5,710 total snaps, per PFF, while getting called for just 29 penalties. Those are elite-level numbers.
Adding Armstead would certainly be a splash signing, and the team wouldn’t have to trade away the future in draft capital to do it. Will Poles make a big move like this? With free agency kicking off on March 14, we’ll know soon enough.