Getty The Bears have extended veteran defensive tackle Andrew Brown as an exclusive rights free agent for 2023.
The Chicago Bears have secured a few more depth pieces from last year’s roster as they prepare for the start of 2023 free agency at 4 p.m. ET on March 15.
According to Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap, the Bears have extended both rookie cornerback Josh Blackwell and defensive tackle Andrew Brown as exclusive rights free agents for the 2023 season. The EFRA tender locks in both players for the league minimum based on the number of seasons they have played and prevents them from being able to negotiate with other teams during next week’s free agency period.
With one year under his belt, Blackwell will make $870,000 in base salary for 2023, while Brown — a four-season veteran — will receive a base salary of $1.01 million.
Blackwell and Brown were the only two players eligible to receive exclusive rights tenders from the Bears during the 2023 offseason. They do, however, have pending restricted free agents to consider bringing back in cornerback Breon Border, center Sam Mustipher, linebacker Javin White and running back Darrynton Evans. The rest of their pending free agents are unrestricted and will be free to look elsewhere next week.
According to Over the Cap’s projections, the Bears now have roughly $94.6 million in effective cap space for the 2023 season.
Blackwell Showed Flashes at Cornerback in Late-Year Run
Blackwell originally signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted rookie and was claimed by the Bears after getting waived during 53-man roster cuts in August. While he spent most of the 2022 season as a special teams contributor, injuries caused him to be elevated into the defensive lineup down the stretch and led to him making his first career NFL start in Week 13 against the Green Bay Packers.
In total, Blackwell logged 133 defensive snaps in his final four performances before landing on injured reserve for the regular-season finale with an undisclosed issue. He finished his rookie year with 23 tackles, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery, which is certainly notable for a cast-aside undrafted rookie forced to step up.
Brown was a little less active during his short time with the Bears. Chicago signed the 2018 fifth-round pick to their active roster at the end of November and used him as a rotational defensive tackle in its final five games of the regular season, but he only managed to notch one tackle during that span. He does, however, have one sack, two tackles for a loss and 23 games of experience on his resume from his previous seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, Houston Texans and Los Angeles Chargers.
If one had to guess, Blackwell will most likely have a chance to compete for a roster spot during 2023 training camp even if the Bears add a veteran or another rookie to the cornerback room during the offseason. The chances are much lower for Brown, though, with adding to the defensive line expected to be a primary focus for the Bears in 2023.
Will Bears Pursue a Veteran Cornerback in Free Agency?
GettyJonathan Jones could be a free agent target for the Bears in 2023 if they want to add a slot cornerback.
The Bears have an abundance of defensive needs to address as they head into the meat of the 2023 offseason, but even with Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon set to reprise their roles as starters next season, it wouldn’t be too surprising if they used some of their cap resources to secure another experienced defensive back for the group.
Part of the reason the Bears even got a chance to see how Blackwell could handle himself in regular-season action was because of the injuries to their corner room. Johnson missed three games early in the season with a quad injury, then spent the final three games on injured reserve with a broken finger. Without him or star free safety Eddie Jackson, the Bears secondary looked near-lifeless in the final month, and that is a problem they can’t afford to have if they want to improve things in 2023.
Now, the Bears might only be looking for an experienced slot cornerback after Gordon seemed to solidify himself as the other outside corner with a strong rookie-year finish. But, if they can find a veteran with quality experience in the slot who can reinforce their ranks and prevent one injury from sinking their entire group, it would be worth the money.
One of the Bears’ top options could be New England Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Patriots are not going to tag Jones for the 2023 season and will allow him to test the market despite having some interest in bringing him back for next year. If the Bears could swoop in and sign him, they would be gaining a seven-season veteran with more than 1,800 snaps played in the slot.