NEWSLETTER
Another one of the high-impact defensive ends on the free agent market is soon leaving the market.
Danielle Hunter, long believed to be a free-agent target for the Chicago Bears this offseason, is reportedly signing with the Houston Texans. NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero has the scoop on Houston’s big signing:
My initial reaction to this was an audible “OOF!” followed by me slumping in my chair. Hunter gets a pretty penny on a two-year deal that includes $48 million guaranteed. But to see this contract be just a two-year pact at that price makes me wish the Bears could’ve swung this deal. Maybe Hunter wanted to play close to home. I’ll never rule that out as part of a player’s desire. And Pelissero points out the proximity factor in the tweet above. So maybe there is something to it. If this is the case, there is nothing the Bears could do about something like location. But still … this feels like a missed opportunity.
And if you’re excited that Danielle Hunter is finally out of the division, I can’t say I blame ya. But just know that the Houston Texans are on the Chicago Bears list of scheduled opponents for 2024. So, for at least one more year, we have to prepare for the possibility of needing to block that guy coming off the edge. And as an additional bonus, they’ll also have to slow down Will Anderson Jr. — who the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award last year. Best wishes to Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright!
What will the Bears do at defensive end with Danielle Hunter going to the Texans?
Hunter, 29, was Pro Football Focus’ third-highest-ranking free agent edge defender and the 12th-highest-ranking free agent overall. In other words, Danielle Hunter was the kind of impact defensive player whose signing would’ve made sense for the Bears. PFF projected a three-year deal worth $67.5 million with $47.5 million guaranteed. Hunter comes close to nailing those figures, so good for him. But not so good for the Bears, who have seen the following 2024 offseason targets land elsewhere:
And to think, that is just a sampling of the players who made sense as Bears fits who have agreed to terms elsewhere. Maybe something falls through and the Bears can swoop in on a target. But let me be clear in saying that is not a proper way to go about building a defense.
I’m annoyed that the Bears didn’t sign Danielle Hunter. But it isn’t just about not signing Hunter.
Not signing Hunter, in isolation, isn’t the end of the world. But what bugs me is that the Bears are flushed with cap space but haven’t leveraged it in a way that it could improve the team in a significant manner. To be clear, this isn’t me saying to spend money for the sake of it. Instead, this is me saying that I’d wish the Bears would pick and choose their spots to spend on impact talent when they have the flexibility and availability to do so. Not doing so feels like a missed opportunity. And I hope not signing Danielle Hunter doesn’t come back to bit them in the butt.
Here’s the good news: There are still some interesting options at defensive tackle and defensive end. Players like DJ Reader and Jadeveon Clowney come to mind. But maybe we should take this as a sign that drafting an edge defender with the No. 9 pick is more plausible than previously imagined. I’m not sure how I feel about that possibility while simultaneously knowing that it would be nice to see the Bears use their available picks to start fortifying the offense. Let me sleep on it and get back to me later.
