Chicago Bears 2017 free agency: Players they should target

Ricky Wagner, OT (6-foot-6, 308 pounds)

I’ve written on several occasions about the strength of the Chicago Bears interior line. With Josh Sitton, Cody Whitehair, and Kyle Long, they are strong inside. The outer portion of the line, however…

The Bears have Charles Leno and Bobby Massie, but they are just average at best. A lot of the pressure coming at the quarterbacks came from that area. Massie struggled mightily early in 2016 but did come on late in the season. The Bears owe him $6.5 million in 2017, but even though he signed just last year, the guaranteed portion of his salary was paid already. They may decide to take the money they were to pay Massie and pay it to someone else instead.

That someone else could be Wagner.

Ryan Pace and the Bears front office talk about getting the team younger and more athletic. Even though he’ll play exclusively at right tackle, Wagner has that youth and ability. Pace needs to determine whether he prefers Massie at $6.5 million or Wagner, who is looking for a $7 million per year deal.

Wagner is thought of as one of the top right tackles in the NFL and with the Bears going with a new quarterback, they need good protection around him. If Wagner signs for just $1 million or so more than Massie, then the Bears need to pull the trigger on that move.