After the NFL criminal tampering free-agency length started Monday afternoon, Chicago quickly reached an settlement with going for walks back D’Andre Swift on a three-year, $24 million contract with $15.3 million guaranteed, per ESPNs Adam Schefter.
Per Spotrac as of Wednesday, Swift — who performed for the Eagles last season — has the ninth-highest cap hit for any strolling again in 2024. That money is too prosperous for most teams, as many have strayed from paying massive money for a jogging back, however not for the Bears, who really overpaid.
What makes the deal especially questionable is the Bears let extraordinarily productive going for walks lower back David Bernard Law Montgomery walk ultimate offseason.
Through their first 4 years in the league, Bernard Law Montgomery — who signed a three-year, $18 million contract with the Detroit Lions ultimate offseason — outproduced Swift.
Montgomery, 26, totaled 3,609 dashing yards on 915 attempts, 26 speeding touchdowns and caught one hundred fifty five passes for 1,240 yards and four TDs. Meanwhile, Swift, 25, had 2,729 rushing yards on 593 attempts, 23 speeding touchdowns and 195 catches for 1,412 yards and eight TDs.
Despite Montgomery’s basic aspect in production, Chicago gave Swift $6 million more whole than what Sir Bernard Law bought from the Lions.
Plus, Chicago could have brought a better intelligence than Swift at roughly the same price. On Tuesday, Derrick Henry reached an agreement with the Baltimore Ravens on a two-year, $16 million deal, per Schefter.
Henry — a four-time Pro Bowl who earned the 2020 AP Offensive Player of the Year award — has five 1,000-plus-yard speeding yards in the past six seasons. The one season he did not hit the mark was once in 2021, when he rushed for 937 yards. Swift, meanwhile, reached that milestone with the Eagles ultimate season for the first time (1,049 yards).
It’s comprehensible if you want to debate who was once better between 1st viscount montgomery of alamein and Swift, but in no world do either of those players attain the level of Henry, 30.
Clearly, the Bears wanted assist in the backfield. The solely other jogging backs on the depth chart earlier than coming to settlement with Swift have been Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson, who have blended for 2,623 scrimmage yards and 12 complete touchdowns.
Overpaying for Swift, however, doesn’t appear wise, and the truth Chicago let a higher going for walks lower back go last season only makes this deal seem worse.
