The NFL’s deadline for teams to apply the franchise tag to their unrestricted free agents passed Tuesday with one particularly intriguing player potentially available for the Bears: Chiefs left tackle Orlando Brown.
Brown, who turns 27 on May 2, has made the Pro Bowl the last four seasons — two with the Ravens, two with the Chiefs — and played a key role in a revitalized Chiefs offensive line that held the Eagles without a sack in Super Bowl LVII in February.
Brown, who played on the franchise tag for $16.7 million last season, was expected to get tagged again this season. But with the price tag at $19.9 million, the Chiefs declined, instead hoping to sign Brown to a long-term contract. If they don’t do that by Monday, Brown will be able to negotiate with all 32 teams for a new contract when the free agency negotiating window opens.
The Bears figure to be at or near the top of the list of suitors, considering their glaring need for an upgrade at offensive tackle. General manager Ryan Poles, a former offensive lineman, was the Chiefs’ assistant director of player personnel when the team traded for Brown in 2021.
But there are caveats. Brown is an accomplished starter, but he’s solidly in the good-but-not-great tier of NFL offensive tackles — not in anyone’s top 10 and not even in the top 20 by Pro Football Focus. He’s a better run-blocker than a pass-blocker — not a perfect fit for a Bears team desperately looking for an upgrade in pass-blocking after leading the NFL in sacks allowed last season. Even with the most salary-cap space in the NFL, Poles seems less inclined to overpay for anything — not even Roquan Smith — and he would have to overpay to sign Brown.
Brown also prefers to play left tackle, which likely would require the Bears to move 2022 starter Braxton Jones to right tackle after a promising rookie season on the left side.
Right tackle Kaleb McGary also could interest the Bears in free agency after the Falcons declined to apply the franchise tag to the former first-round pick. McGary, 28, played his first two seasons with the Falcons under current Bears offensive line coach Chris Morgan.
The Ravens as expected applied the franchise tag to quarterback Lamar Jackson after failing to agree on a long-term deal. The Giants applied the franchise tag to running back Saquon Barkley after agreeing with quarterback Daniel Jones on a long-term contract (they could tag one or the other). Other players getting the franchise tag were Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne, Raiders running back Josh Jacobs, Cowboys running back Tony Pollard and Jaguars tight end Evan Engram.
As expected, the Bears did not use the franchise tag on any of their players. Running back David Montgomery heads their list of unrestricted free agents and is the player they’d most like to re-sign to a long-term deal.
Montgomery, a third-round draft pick by the Bears in 2019, rushed for 1,070 yards (4.3 average) and eight touchdowns in 2020. He rushed for 801 yards (4.0 average) and five touchdowns last season as Khalil Herbert emerged as a productive complement.
But Montgomery’s versatility — as a receiver and particularly in pass protection — increase his value as a keeper for Poles in 2023. But with Barkley tagged, Montgomery and Miles Sanders are the top two running backs in free agency, so the Bears signing him at their price could be problematic.
Linebacker Nick Morrow is the only other full-time starter among the Bears’ 20 unrestricted free agents. DeAndre Houston-Carson, who started six games at safety but has been a four-phase standout and leader on special teams, figures to be high on the Bears’ list of players they would like to re-sign.
The Bears’ other unrestricted free agents include wide receivers N’Keal Harry, Dante Pettis and Byron Pringle, offensive tackle Riley Reiff, defensive tackle Armon Watts, tight end Ryan Griffin, fullback Khari Blasingame, guard Michael Schofield, linebackers Matt Adams and Joe Thomas and long-snapper Patrick Scales.
