The Chicago Bears made one of the Philadelphia Eagles‘ playmakers their first big-ticket signing of the NFL offseason.
According to a report from Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, the Bears agreed to terms with running back D’Andre Swift to a three-year contract worth $24 million on Monday, March 11, as the NFL legal tampering period gets underway.
Swift, 25, is set to become an unrestricted free agent for the first time, just one year removed from being traded to Philadelphia during a draft weekend deal with the Detroit Lions.
During a strong 2023 campaign, Swift seemed to find a home in head coach Nick Sirianni’s offense, rushing for a career-high 1,049 yards with five touchdowns.
The Bears, and general manager Ryan Poles, will likely be aggressive in free agency to build a strong offense around potential franchise quarterback Caleb Williams, who seems to be gaining momentum as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Through his first four seasons, Swift has rushed for 2,729 yards with 23 touchdowns. Swift also has proven to be a potent weapon in the passing game, pulling down 193 receptions for 1,412 yards and eight touchdowns.
Swift’s efficiency and explosiveness as a runner, combined with his ability to be a security-blanket in the short and intermediate passing game could make him an ideal fit for the Bears if Chicago is aiming to hasten a young quarterback such as Williams’ development quickly.
Eagles linked to Saquon Barkley
Multiple reports have linked the Eagles as a possible destination for explosive New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley.
It would be difficult not to view a Barkley addition as an upgrade over Swift.
Barkley, chosen by the New York Giants with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, has rushed for 5,211 yards with 35 touchdowns through his first 74 career games.
As free agency nears multiple outlets suggest that Barkley could command upwards of $12 million annually.
Whether Eagles general manager Howie Roseman breaks a longstanding trend of not overpaying for veteran running backs remains to be seen. However, having the chance to pluck a division rival’s top weapon who happens to be as explosive as a runner as he is dangerous in the open-field in the passing game may be too alluring to pass up.
How much Cap Space do the Eagles have?
As teams and free agents begin finalizing deals and coming to terms during the legal tampering period, the Eagles are well-positioned to shop at the top of the market to fill critical needs.
Roseman is nothing if not aggressive, especially this time of year.
Having already restructured offensive guard Landon Dickerson’s contract, pushing the total value of his deal to $84 million over the next four seasons with $50 million guaranteed, the Eagles still have plenty of spending flexibility this offseason.
Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports points out that Dickerson’s restructure saves $3 million against the cap in 2024.
Following Dickerson’s reworked deal, Roseman and the Eagles have approximately $36 million in cap space, which shouldn’t be prohibitive against signing a marquee running back such as Barkley or shopping at the top of the linebacker or safety markets to fill glaring holes on the roster.
