Chicago Bears news: Signing Ricky Jean-Francois may change draft strategy

If the Chicago Bears sign Ricky Jean-Francois, that could signal a big change in what their draft strategy is in the upcoming NFL Draft.

After Washington released veteran Ricky Jean-Francois last week, he reportedly visited several teams. One of the teams the 6-foot-3, 300-pound defensive tackle met with was the Chicago Bears.

The Bears have a big hole along the line. They have Akiem Hicks and Eddie Goldman, but don’t have that guy on the other side. Many draft analysts have them taking Alabama’s Jonathan Allen (though his shoulders now caused him to drop) or Solomon Thomas, two elite defensive linemen.

Picking up Jean-Francois could be a signal that the Bears are going away from the defensive lineman route.

Adding Jean-Francois to the mix, along with Hicks and Goldman, and Mitch Unrein, Jonathan Bullard, and John Jenkins (who signed last week) gives the Bears a very good and deep defensive line. The unit was a bit shaky last season, having trouble against the run, but having this rotation keeps all the players fresh and strong late in games. There were many times over the past couple of seasons that the Bears’ defense gave up late 4th quarter leads. If they make the signing, then the unit becomes one of the team’s strongest units.

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With that, the Bears are free to look at other units that could use shoring up. They signed Quintin Demps, but I don’t think he’s the long-term answer at safety. The Bears could go with Jamal Adams, a player most scouts view as special. They also sent a gaggle of personnel to see quarterback Deshaun Watson so that also is in play.

Jean-Francois has ties with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Fangio coached him in his first four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. The familiarity between the two would help in signing him. In his career, he’s known as a locker room leader so that is another good reason to add him to this locker room.

After his meeting with the Bears, Jean-Francois sent out a tweet that gave the impression that a signing may be in order:

You can take that for what it’s worth. He did leave Chicago without a contract, so let’s see if he ultimately comes back to sign one.

Next: Top second-round targets for the Bears

If the Chicago Bears ultimately sign Jean-Francois, it adds intrigue to an already intriguing draft for them. This may be one of the most important drafts in recent franchise history. Many jobs are on the line. Let’s see in what direction the front office takes to try to turn things around.