Free agency officially kicks off Tuesday, so here’s the final installment in our countdown of the top 10 Chicago Bears players set to hit the open market on March 10:
Stephen Paea, defensive tackle
2014 pay: $877,623 ($827,623 base salary, $50,000 workout bonus)
By the numbers: Participated in 67.2 percent of Chicago’s defensive snaps in 2014 and contributed 39 tackles, including 3.5 stops for lost yardage and a career-high six sacks. Paea also forced a pair of fumbles in addition to notching 14 quarterback pressures while starting all 16 outings for the first time in his career. Paea’s six sacks tied for 10th in the NFL among defensive tackles.
The case for keeping him: Teams often discuss rewarding their own homegrown talent, and no player on Chicago’s defense fits the description more than the 2011 second-round pick coming off the best season of his career. Paea should be one of the more sought-after players at his position once he hits the market because he’s a young, ascending player who excels at rushing the passer but can also be a force against the run. Paea has shown improvement every season he’s been in Chicago, and in 2014 he finally stayed healthy for the entire season.
The case for letting him walk: With the expected change to a 3-4 scheme under new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, Paea doesn’t appear to be a fit as a potential nose. At 6-foot-1 and 300 pounds, Paea is more suited to play in a penetrating 4-3 front than in a two-gap system, which requires more size at the position. That’s part of the reason the Bears didn’t reach out during the offseason to make a push to bring back the defensive tackle.
Prediction: Several teams showed interested in acquiring Paea over the weekend when the window opened for clubs to enter into negotiations with players, but Chicago wasn’t one of them as the Bears don’t appear to be in the hunt to bring back the defensive tackle. Paea should be able to land a lucrative deal during the first wave of free agency starting Tuesday. It appears he has a good chance of landing in Dallas, where he’d rejoin former Bears defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli.
Previous installments