Chicago Bears Rumors: Team reportedly joins Le’Veon Bell sweepstakes

The legal tampering period is underway and Chicago Bears rumors are already flying.

The legal tampering period is only a few hours old, and the Chicago Bears rumors are already flying around. It’s no secret the Bears are looking to upgrade in the running back position. They have reportedly received multiple inquiries at the NFL Combine about trading Jordan Howard.

In terms of replacements, there has been substantial speculation about whether they would address the position in the NFL Draft, or pursue a free agent. Perhaps they would even do both. Some the names that have been floating around on the free agent front are Tevin Coleman, Spencer Ware, and more recently Mark Ingram.

However, if the recent rumors are true, they certainly won’t be addressing the position via the Draft. That’s because they are a team to watch in the Le’Veon Bell sweepstakes.

According to FanSided’s own Matt Verderame, the Bears have emerged as a team to watch for the services of one of the league’s best running backs.

Apparently, the team has “significant interest” in Bell and could be a sleeper to land him. There are a few things to consider here. First, not only is it free agent season, but it’s also “lying season.” Sometimes information is purposely put out to influence the market. So reports must be taken with a grain of salt until confirmed.

Second, even if it is true, is it really something the Bears should do at this point? While Bell would be an absolute game-changer and would cement them as Super Bowl contenders for next season, his signing would come with significant costs — especially in the intermediate to long term future.

It would most certainly mean Adrian Amos and Bryce Callahan would not be returning next year. It would also mean the Bears are going to have to roll into the season with a no-name undrafted free agent kicker. Bell is going to command top-dollar. Heck, he didn’t hold out last season to take a team-friendly deal. It could be in the neighborhood of $18 million per year. That doesn’t leave anything for next year’s free agents/needs.

Moreover, it would potentially limit what they could do to extend Leonard Floyd, Eddie Jackson, or other young stars that make up the core of this team. Not to mention at some point in the very near future, they are going to have to extend Mitchell Trubisky. Currently, this team’s roster is set up to have sustained success for a long period of time. So while Bell would drastically improve them in the short-term, it could cripple their ability to sustain success in the longer-term.