Chicago Bears: Jamie Collins would fill need at edge rusher

Recently released Jamie Collins would be a terrific addition to the Chicago Bears.

An interesting name joined the ranks of free agency on Wednesday and, he could be a very intriguing option for the Chicago Bears. While the deadline to place a franchise tag has come and gone, NFL teams are continuing to make moves to shed salary cap space in anticipation of free agency, which starts in less than a week (March 11th).

In such a move, the Cleveland Browns decided to part ways with outside linebacker Jamie Collins, who was scheduled to earn about $10 million (and account for approximately $9 million against the against the salary cap) next season. The 2015 Pro Bowl edge rusher was traded to Cleveland mid-season in 2016 by the New England Patriots. At the time, he was thought to bring a dominating edge presence to the Browns.

Unfortunately, his time in Cleveland did not materialize the way he had hoped. In eight games with Cleveland in 2016, he recorded two sacks and 69 tackles (seven for a loss). Not too shabby for half a season, but not what the Browns expected. His 2017 season was an even greater disappointment as he only played in six games due to an injury, recording one sack and a measly 31 tackles. Again, not what they had hoped for, especially after signing him to a four-year, $50 million contract extension prior to the season.

However, Collins had a very solid 2018 campaign which saw him play a full season and finish with four sacks and 104 tackles. Nevertheless, the Browns did not feel they were getting their money’s worth and did not want to commit $9 million in cap space on Collins.

There were rumors that the Browns were seeking trade partners for Collins before his release but did not get any takers. However, there didn’t appear to be any interest. Considering he was acquired from the Patriots for a conditional third-round pick, the asking price could not have been too high.

Why is that important? Because it gives us some (though admittedly not much) of an indication as to what his market could be now that he’s a free agent. If a team wasn’t willing to send a late-round pick to the Browns, then they are probably unlikely to pay him close to the amount he was scheduled to make this season.

This means that he may have to take a significant pay cut this season. If so, then the Chicago Bears need to give Collins a serious look. They certainly have a need for another edge rusher, if only to add depth and insurance against injury.

If they could entice him to take a deal in the range of $5-6 million, he would be well worth the risk, assuming they decide not to bring back Aaron Lynch. He hasn’t necessarily lived up to lofty expectations, but for the right price, it would be fun to watch what Chuck Pagano could do with the talented edge rusher.