Bears Free Agent Focus: Daron Payne |
Now that the Superbowl is set, and congrats to the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles for getting it done, it is nearly time to focus on the NFL offseason. For the Chicago Bears, that focus has been going on for roughly a month as they have had a head start on other teams.
With this team currently holding the No. 1 pick and tons of money to spend, a jump on the competition could be a good thing as it gives the organization more time to figure things out. Despite having all the money in the world and a chance to do great things, there still needs to be a clear path to what this organization will do come free agency. Looking at this roster and trying to address the needs, the Bears have a ton of needs, and most of them fall on the offensive side of the ball. However, the Bears also need to fix their defense which ranked 31st in the NFL last season. A big reason for that was their lack of a pass rush, as Khalil Mack, Akiem Hicks, Roquan Smith, and Robert Quinn were all traded away within 14 months' time. That was nearly the Bears entire pass rush going back the past few seasons, and their absence was far too much for them to overcome. For the Bears to improve their defense, it all starts up front, where they need to get after the QB and a run stuffer in the middle. Soon-to-be free agent, Daron Payne of Washington could be an option, as he has been linked to Chicago for quite a while. When you look at their front seven, it is abundantly clear that this team's biggest weakness is getting pressure on the QB. Chicago recorded just 20 sacks this season which was the fewest of any team. To put that into perspective, Joey Bosa nearly had more sacks by himself as he led the NFL with 18.5. Because of this issue, expect Chicago to target plenty of pass rushers through the draft or in free agency. Among the best options on the free-agent market could be defensive tackle Daron Payne, who may not return to the Washington Commanders. Now in his fifth season, Payne has been about as durable as you can be, missing just one game in his career thus far. After never recording more than five sacks in a season from 2018-21, the 25-year-old is coming off his best year yet, which is crucial with free agency upon him. Payne registered 11.5 sacks across 17 games this season and was a massive part of the Washington defense. Adding that type of impact pass rusher would be an enormous get for Chicago, but Payne would only solve some of the Bears' pass-rushing woes himself. While he may not be able to put up the great sack numbers he had this season right away, Payne would add a tremendous presence to the Bears front, which they missed this season without Hicks and Eddie Goldman. If Payne is a target for the Bears, they need to make him an offer he can't refuse, which could be a four-year contract worth between 32-40 million dollars. Adding a player like Payne would take care of one of the Bears needs, but they have a lot more work to do. It does open the door for other possibilities and would allow Ryan Poles to get more creative. Not only could you add several other linemen next to him, but you could also pick up a few linebackers behind him. That could come via free agency or the draft, where the Bears have been linked to DT Jalen Carter or OLB Will Anderson Jr. In any instance, rushing the QB is going to be an area of need for Poles this offseason, and with one move, he could set himself to knock it out of the park.
