The Den will be taking a look at one of the Chicago Bears' 2017 unrestricted free agents (UFA's) and restricted free agents (RFA's) each day until we have knocked out the list.
I will be talking about the player, whether I personally would sign the player and to what contract, and what my best guess the Bears will do with him.
Today let’s discuss a controversial Bear this season, kicker Connor Barth out of North Carolina.
Barth was an unpopular last minute replacement for Bears legend Robbie "Good As" Gould, Chicago. Gould struggled last season in Chicago, and by all accounts he had a horrible camp. Still, pretty much everybody was shocked when Chicago replaced Gould at the end of pre-season with the much-less-expensive Connor Barth.
Barth didn’t endear himself to fans early on, with several key misses. Barth was 18-23 in the field goal department, 78.3 percent with a long of 54 yards. By comparison, Gould was 33 of 39 for a percentage of 84 percent in 2015 for Chicago. The problem wasn’t that he missed too many, it was WHEN he missed them, directly costing Chicago 2 wins. In 2014, Gould was 9 of 12 for 75 percent.
Lifetime, comparing Barth to Gould, Barth has a 84 percent rate, while Gould (who admittedly kicked in much tougher conditions) is 85.9.
Perhaps the biggest difference between the two was Robbie’s contract, one that made him the highest paid kicker in the NFL. Barth is more of a "league minimum" type of a guy.
That none of Barth’s misses really cost Chicago dearly this season was more of a testament to the fact that we were way behind in a lot of games than his "clutch" performance. Gould, as a comparison, went on the kick for New York towards the end of the season going 10 for 10, but he had two extra point misses in a Giants win this season in a game with a howling wind that he called "the worst conditions I have ever kicked in".
Kickoff stats from this season are weird, since the rule change, so you can’t really compare them to the past. Robbie wasn’t very good at kickoffs, and Barth isn’t either. That’s a wash.
Here’s one thing to consider about whether it was a good idea to release Gould or no. This season, it didn’t matter, Barth didn’t cost us a game. Additionally, that extra 3-million we didn’t spend on Gould’s salary is rolling into next year’s salary cap. So, there’s that.
Bottom line, Gould is gone (and not coming back) and Barth is here. Did he do enough to stay?
My take on whether we should bring Barth back: Yes, but... we definitely need competition in the draft, and there are some great kickers coming out of college we should be looking at, bringing the best one we can get as a priority UDFA or if there’s a guy we REALLY love throwing a 7th round pick at him. I’m not sold on Barth, but he’s "OK". I want better than "OK", I want a great.
Will Chicago bring him back? Yes, but... they will probably (and definitely should) bring in competition.
BEAR DOWN, CHICAGO BEARS, BEAR DOWN!!!!
BEARRRSSSS
Mayer: Sadowski sees huge benefit for Bears - ChicagoBears.com - Bears director of college scouting Mark Sadowski is ecstatic that John Fox and his entire staff are coaching the North squad this week at the Senior Bowl.
Rosenbloom: Martellus Bennett can't duck out on his Bears rips this time - Chicago Tribune - This should be fun. It might take a week, but when Super Bowl chaos begins Monday, Martellus Bennett will be trapped, and that’s the fun part.
DRAFT / PROSPECTS / FREE AGENCY
Reports from Senior Bowl, Pro Bowl - ChicagoBears.com - ChicagoBears.com is hitting the road this week to bring you all of the latest news from both the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., as well as the Pro Bowl in Orlando.
Cox: Senior Bowl prospects with most at stake at weigh-ins - Bears Wire - Weigh-ins at the Senior Bowl don't always mean a lot, but for some players, it could really hurt or help their draft stock.
Jahns: QBs and familiarity, 5 things for Bears to ponder at Senior Bowl - Chicago Sun-Times - General manager Ryan Pace’s plans for the Senior Bowl include a promise. He never wants his team to coach it again.
Perez: Will the Bears find another Cody Whitehair at the 2017 Senior Bowl? - Bears Wire - The Chicago Bears will search for another gem like Cody Whitehair at the 2017 Senior Bowl
Perez: Senior Bowl weigh-in winners that the Bears will coach on North roster - Bears Wire - Several players from the Senior Bowl North roster impressed at the 2017 weigh-ins
Cox: Bears won’t find much size in secondary on North Senior Bowl roster - Bears Wire - The Chicago Bears are in desperate need for upgrades in the secondary this offseason, and even after drafting three defensive backs last year, they should be in the market to add even more rookies on the back end.
Smith: Dabo Swinney says if Browns pass on Deshaun Watson, they’re passing on Michael Jordan - ProFootballTalk - Clemson coach Dabo Swinney says there's no doubt that his star quarterback should be the first overall pick in the draft. In fact, Swinney says that if the Browns don't use the No. 1 pick on Deshaun Watson, they're making a historic mistake that will haunt the franchise for years.
POLISH SAUSAGE
Bonesteel: NFL RedZone channel eliminates 35 hours of commercials each season - Chicago Tribune - As if you need any more convincing to go get NFL RedZone for next season.
Campbell: Former Bears assistant Kevin Mawae eyes new coaching gig, Hall of Fame nod - Chicago Tribune - Kevin Mawae’s attempt to regain a foothold in coaching is remarkable when contrasted with the fact he’s days away from possibly earning a player’s highest honor
KNOW THY ENEMY
Western: Packers Free Agents 2017 - Perry, Peppers, & Lacy among 20 players with expiring contracts - Acme Packing Company - Green Bay has several key players hitting free agency this March, including three of their top four pass-rushers.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON
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Wiltfong's Chicago Bears 2017 Roster Turnover: Who will be the #2 RB behind Jordan Howard? - Windy City Gridiron - In this 13 part series we'll take an in depth look at each position group for the Chicago Bears with an eye towards the 2017 season. We'll speculate on who stays, who goes, and some potential...
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Wiltfong: Ten Thoughts on the NFL - Windy City Gridiron - Give my latest Thoughts on the NFL a peek and be sure to add some thoughts of your own in our comment section.
FANPOSTS
FanPosts - Recent - Windy City Gridiron - Here's a link to our FanPost section, where YOU have the opportunity to contribute to Windy City Gridiron. Take a few minutes and write a post about what you are thinking about regarding the Chicago Bears, and there'a chance it will be linked right here in the Den.
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