On the surface, what appears to be a genuine opportunity for the Bears may not be the best option.
On the other hand, they don’t appear to be able to be fussy.
The Philadelphia Eagles dismissed third-year guard Nate Herbig on Monday after tendering him an offer as a restricted free agency. Herbig had also signed the offer sheet.
Herbig is a right guard and the Bears seem to have a right guard opening as they were lining up former Vikings guard/tackle backup Dakota Dozier and their own 2021 starting center Sam Mustipher at the guard spot in minicamp.
Herbig actually was more highly regarded by Pro Football Focus last year than Bates. Herbig allowed one sack and committed three penalties and PFF gave him a 68.1 grade. Bates, on the other hand, had a 64.3 grade.
The Bears had tried to sign restricted free agent Ryan Bates away from the Buffalo Bills to play the right guard spot where James Daniels used to play, but the Bills matched the offer sheet.
There are possible connections here, as well. Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham was with the Eagles in 2019 when Herbig came into the league, and is a former offensive lineman like Bears GM Ryan Poles is. So he has some insight into Herbig.
Herbig is also an undrafted free agent, something Poles has seemed to pursue in the players he has brought in during free agency. The thinking is they are hungrier and set a better competitive tone in the first year of the team’s rebuild. Plus, they’re cheaper.
Herbig had signed an offer sheet for the minimum $2.43 million, which had allowed the Eagles right of first refusal on offers. According to PhillyVoice’s Jimmy Kempski, the Eagles tried to find a trade for Herbig but weren’t successful. Herbig is reportedly as being an extra piece now because the Eagles feel their offensive line is loaded.
It might seem like an ideal situation for the Bears—a right guard who has started 17 games in the last two years at a low cost with no compensation involved. They’re…