Mike C. Wright of ESPN.com mentioned that recently released S Roman Harper would be a “more realistic” free agent target for the Bears this offseason than someone like T.J. Ward.
Wright admits that he wouldn’t surprised to see Chicago inquiring about Ward and his asking price, but the Bears limited amount of cap space would likely prevent them from going after some of the best available free agents.
Wright also mentions that the Bears “don’t place much value in the safety position,” and believes a guy like Harper makes more sense for them.
Harper, 31, was a former second-round pick of the Saints before he was cut loose earlier this week. Harper totaled 39 tackles, one interception and a fumble recovery in nine games for the Saints this season. However, Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 54 safety in the league this past season.
Still, the Bears group of safeties were atrocious last season, so even if Harper had some struggles it would likely be an upgrade, at least to some degree.
Harper can meet with teams right now, so I’m sure we’ll be hearing more regarding his market in the coming days.
Looking for the latest NFL Insider News & Rumors?
Be sure to follow NFL Trade Rumors on TWITTER and FACEBOOK for breaking NFL News and Rumors for all 32 teams!
