I like this re-signing even if we lose a comp pick now (for Callahan). This fills a void at OLB3 and allows the team to focus te draft in other need areas. A crazy fact, Lynch is younger than Floyd and Mack. If Lynch can stay healthy, he is very productive when he plays.

If they all get in with the weight room with Mack, we could have something special.

To expound upon that; I'm sure every person on the team has a little extra pep in their step when it comes to training this off-season.

1 hour ago, adam said:

I like this re-signing even if we lose a comp pick now (for Callahan). This fills a void at OLB3 and allows the team to focus te draft in other need areas. A crazy fact, Lynch is younger than Floyd and Mack. If Lynch can stay healthy, he is very productive when he plays.

I did not think re-signing your own had an impact on the compensation process.

Anyways, great signing imo.  I thought he may go to Denver to rejoin Fangio. He is a solid #3 and can spot start if needed. This relieves the need to find OLB in the draft, unless someone we like happens to be there.

I like Lynch as a quality depth player.

It does give us the opportunity to draft someone that might take a year to put weight on their frame, or develop in other ways.

Great.

22 minutes ago, BearFan NYC said:

I like Lynch as a quality depth player.

It does give us the opportunity to draft someone that might take a year to put weight on their frame, or develop in other ways.

Great.

Agreed, good to have Lynch back.  

I’d sure like to see Irving and/or Fitts work out to at least be rotational players before we invest more drafts on the position.  

58 minutes ago, ASHKUM BEAR said:

I did not think re-signing your own had an impact on the compensation process.

Anyways, great signing imo.  I thought he may go to Denver to rejoin Fangio. He is a solid #3 and can spot start if needed. This relieves the need to find OLB in the draft, unless someone we like happens to be there.

We needed him to sign with another team to maintain the Callahan compensation. Since we didn't lose him, we don't get that benefit. There is a Twitter thread about it.

 

 

I want to win a Superbowl and really don't care about comp picks.  Those are nice to have but after just one winning season in recent memory I'm not confident we are a stable winning franchise loaded with depth players who can step up into starting roles.   Pace is right to hedge his bets at OLB by re-signing Lynch.  If Fitts develops as I think he can then next year we bid adieu to Lynch. 

Pace waited for Lynch's market value to come down to what he wanted to spend, at least close enough to what Pace was offering that Lynch preferred the shot at a Superbowl and possibly a very big payday afterward.    

This offseason is working out nicely. Something to consider is having Mack and Smith around for the whole year should have a uptick to the other players with their work ethic. We added a little more speed. A better SS, a more physical slot corner and a full year of Smith. 

3 hours ago, adam said:

We needed him to sign with another team to maintain the Callahan compensation. Since we didn't lose him, we don't get that benefit. There is a Twitter thread about it.

I see, we needed the loss. That kind of sucks. I don't think we have anyone left who can sign elsewhere that can reverse that.

Its about this year and depth,  not comp. picks. 

What a difference a year makes.  A losing team pays Aaron Lynch $4mil to play for one season.  A 12-win team pays him $1.4mil.  No wonder Lynch sounded a bit despondent after he re-signed.   If he wasn't getting much of an offer around the league his best chance for a big contract is returning to the Bears for one season playing alongside Mack, Floyd, Hicks, and Goldman.  If he puts up 10 or more sacks he'll get paid next year.   Plus he knows Pagano is more aggressive going after the QB than Fangio was.  Lynch isn't great off the edge but if Pagano uses more inside blitzes it will force QBs into Lynch's arms more often.  Even those half-sacks add up.   

I like the fact we're getting players that are hungry for a fat contract.  If he stays healthy for a whole year,  he could get 6 sacks and a long term contract somewhere. 

If you're a talented free agent who didn't find the huge guaranteed contract you were hoping for, then you sign a one year prove it deal somewhere and hope to cash in the next year.

SO it stands to reason that if you have to play a low paid prove it year, you want to go to a team that's GOOD for two reasons - one your productivity looks better playing on a good team, especially on defense, and you get a chance to win a super bowl. On offense, you want to play with a good QB.

Basically, this means as long as Pace does his job right, and keeps this window open, we should be an attractive landing place for free agents every year to fill holes.

They have a salary cap and parity in a draft order in inverse order of your prior year's record all in an attempt to equalize the league. But the salary cap also promotes the importance of free agency and coaches, so if you have a winning team with a good coach and a good QB, youre going to have an ongoing advantage in building your roster. Like the Patriots. Like the Bears.