5 best offseason moves the Chicago Bears made in 2022

3. The reclamation project approach

The Chicago Bears took on a few projects to try and get them right.

With how strapped the Bears were for cap space in the land of dead money the past regime left behind, they had to find some creative ways to add talent to the roster.

The reclamation project approach is one of my favorite ways to do this. Guys who haven’t figured out on a consistent level yet were once highly touted or flashed plus production is always intriguing.

Talent almost never just disappears from players. If they flame out, it’s usually for personal issues or the situation they were in.

That said, taking cheap one-year flyers on players like these to see if they would perform better in a new environment is a great way to do business.

We have seen players like Shaq Barrett, Rasul Douglas, Deviondre Campbell and many others in the same vein have huge payoffs in new situations.

Now, it doesn’t always pan out that way but the risk is so little it doesn’t matter. They aren’t committed to these players for long-term time or money so they are easy to move on from.

Dante Pettis, Equanimeous St. Brown, and Dane Cruikshank ring a bell in terms of these types of deals. These were all talented prospects that fell through the cracks with their respective teams.

Then, there is Byron Pringle, Tavon Young, and Justin Jones who have flashed in small samples. They all should have the opportunity to show more consistency in starting roles.

The Bears took flyers on all of these players hoping there is more meat left on the bone and those are always good bargains to make when resources are tight.