Getty Bears general manager Ryan Poles.
The Chicago Bears are poised to make a big splash in 2024 NFL free agency with roughly $56.4 million left in cap space after franchise-tagging Jaylon Johnson. And if the smoke coming from New York media signals fire, the apple of their eye could be none other than Giants superstar running back Saquon Barkley.
According to Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News, his sources have identified the Bears are one of the “primary potential suitors” for Barkley when he reaches the open market next week. Barkley is due to become a free agent for the first time in his career after the Giants declined to franchise-tag him before the league deadline on March 5.
Leonard writes the Bears are one of the teams with “the resources, need and interest” to potentially lock up the two-time Pro Bowler on a long-term deal in 2024. USA Today’s Tyler Dragon has also noted the Bears are “rumored to have an interest” in Barkley.
Along with the New York-based reports, Bill Zimmerman of Windy City Gridiron also heard noise about the Bears potentially wanting to upgrade at the running back spot during the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis last week.
“The other possibility that has been floated is that the Bears might be interested in upgrading running back and getting Khalil Herbert back to RB2 where he excelled in 2022,” Zimmerman wrote. “I’ve never seen Poles as a ‘spend on a running back’ guy unless he’s a true difference-maker, so that will be something to watch.”
Barkley is a dynamic talent, but he is also an expensive one with Pro Football Focus projecting him to sign a three-year deal worth $36 million in free agency. The Bears can make it work, but how much sense would an investment in Barkley make?
Saquon Barkley Could Provide Safety Net for Rookie QB
The Bears would surprise many if they signed Barkley to a lucrative long-term contract this offseason. D’Onta Foreman will likely walk in free agency, but they still have three backs under contract for next season, including Herbert and 2023 fourth-round pick Roschon Johnson. At this point, running back probably isn’t even a top-5 roster need.
That said, the prospect of pairing a rookie quarterback with Barkley in the backfield is enticing. When healthy, Barkley is one of the NFL’s most dominant rushers with 2,274 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground in his last 30 games. He has also added 98 receptions for 618 yards and four scores over the same period, making him a dual-threat capable of acting as a safety net for a young quarterback finding his groove.
An aggressive move for Barkley would also make sense if the Bears believe they can reasonably contend for the playoffs in 2024. Their rushing offense has not been the problem over the past two seasons, but having an elite-caliber talent in the backfield could help alleviate some of the pressure for whoever is under center for the Bears.
Still, Barkley comes with risks. Can the Bears trust his health enough to pay him the big bucks? He has not played a full regular season since his 2018 rookie year; though, to be fair, he has missed just four games in the last two seasons.
The Bears also must figure out how the rotation would fit around Barkley. There is zero question that he would be Chicago’s new lead back, but would Herbert or Johnson be the No. 2 option behind him? Herbert has more experience and makes the most sense, but where would that leave Johnson, a guy Poles was ecstatic to draft in 2023?
Bears May Prefer to Target More Reasonably Priced RBs
The Bears could quite possibly go shopping for a running back in 2024 free agency, but consider what they need to replace. Foreman had a nice run as a fill-in starter toward the middle of the 2023 season, but the Bears mostly relegated him to a fourth-string role in their rotation when at full strength and made him a healthy scratch in six games.
In other words, unless the Bears have grown disenchanted with Herbert or Johnson, they are likely going to target more affordable free agents to help bolster the position — if they sign a running back at all in free agency.
The market is flush with highly productive veteran options, including Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry, Austin Ekeler, Tony Pollard and D’Andre Swift. The middle of the pack also includes guys such as Gus Edwards, AJ Dillon, Zack Moss and Antonio Gibson who might be more amenable to one-year, prove-it deals within a reasonable price range.
Of course, the Bears could also just invest one of their draft picks in a running back to add another quality body to the room. They have just five total draft picks now after dealing away their fifth-rounder to Buffalo for interior lineman Ryan Bates, but there will be options in both the third and fourth rounds for them to consider targeting.
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