Coming off a Pro Bowl berth and his healthiest NFL season, D’Andre Swift has an advantage on this year’s market. Of the higher-profile starters, the four-year veteran is the youngest and freshest. The Bears showed immediate interest and are making a deal.
Expected to make an aggressive push to land Swift (per ESPN’s Adam Schefter), the Bears now have a new running back. Chicago is giving Swift a three-year, $24MM deal, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. Chicago is frontloading this deal, albeit slightly, with Garafolo indicating Swift will receive $16.5MM over the deal’s first two years.
Going into his age-25 season, Swift has logged 593 career carries. Josh Jacobs and Saquon Barkley‘s totals dwarf that. While those two are still the top backs on the market, Swift is drawing interest. Although the Texans showed interest, the Bears will make the first free agency splash this year.
The RB market took several hits last year, but the cap spike stands to help players at all positions. And Swift drew two early suitors, helping his first free agency foray. His early deal will help set the 2024 market. The numbers point to Barkley and Jacobs doing well, though the guarantees here will better illustrate the deal.
The Bears certainly enjoyed an extensive look at Swift during his Detroit years, though GM Ryan Poles was only in place in his role for the 2022 season — one that featured a Swift demotion of sorts as Jamaal Williams seized the Lions’ lead role. But Swift helped his cause in Philly, joining Miles Sanders in that regard. Despite Sanders struggling in Carolina, Chicago will dive in on the latest Eagles starter.
Acquired during the draft, Swift totaled 1,049 rushing yards after commandeering the lead role from Kenneth Gainwell in Week 2 of last season. While Swift benefited from running behind a top-tier Eagles O-line, he showcased plus pass-game ability with the Lions in the past. The former second-round pick produced 452 receiving yards for an undermanned 2021 Lions team, getting there in 13 games. Nagging injuries, of course, have been a Swift drawback. But it appears teams are ready to see how he will look in their offense.
The Bears were not exactly thin at running back, making this signing interesting. Khalil Herbert remains on his rookie deal, and the team drafted Roschon Johnson in the 2023 fourth round. Travis Homer is under contract as well, though D’Onta Foreman had played out another one-year deal. Swift’s contract does not leave much doubt about where he stands in Chicago’s backfield pecking order. The recent Pro Bowl selection will parlay that Eagles run into a starting role in the Windy City, as the Bears are heading toward a Swift-Caleb Williams backfield.
Nice pickup
Swift in DET
Montgomery in CHI
2 years later
Swift in CHI
Montgomery in DET
Well that was a Swift change.
This may be updated but I didn’t see how much guaranteed money is in there. I was thinking he’d be a better value than Jocobs or Barkley and with less wear and tear. I wonder how he grades out as a blocking back? Herbert is atrocious.
$15M guaranteed, so it’s essentially a two year deal with a third year club option. Swift is definitely better at blitz pickup, much better blocker than Herbert, who is a year older than Swift. He adds speed and receiving versatility on 3rd downs, which makes Homer expendable.
They got exactly who they targeted, so it’s a win.
Next up, Colby Parkinson as a young in-line blocking TE to replace Mercedes Lewis.
My next ones up would be Cushenberry and Gabe Davis. That would take care of 1 WR and C anyway without breaking the bank. Then they’ll have to go low on an Edge. Maybe Epenessa as Washington knows him anyway.
Gave Davis already signed with the Jags. Cushenberry headed to TEN for top money. Both are overpays, imo
My guess is that Bears strategy at Center will be to sign SEA FA Evan Brown for cheap and drafting a later round prospect like PSU’s Hunter Nourzad, whom they met with.
Yeah my hopes got dashed in a half hour. LOL
Parkinson’s gone now as well..
Rotofool-Mercedes Lewis will be back. It’ll be a low money deal and he’ll still be the third TE. he has no bearing on the B/U TE.
Lewis just isn’t old and slow enough. The Bears should bring back Ditka as the third TE option.
I think Bears may bring in at least one TE from Seattle for OC Waldron, be it Fant, Dissley or Parkinson. Parkinson is an ascending blocking TE that can actually catch, should be relatively cheap and very nearly 15 years younger than Mercedes Lewis.
Fant would seem to be a possibility as a move TE but will be expensive and potentially block drafting Brent Bowers at #9 if their WR target is not there.
Parkinson gone now too.
Ugh, it took 5 minutes for my wishlist TE Colby Parkinson to sign with the Rams for $15M guaranteed. Nearly more expensive than Swift, guess the Bears couldn’t go that high.
I think Lewis was fairly productive in this offense given his age, so if they can keep him, I would hope the do. The Bears still need that other TE (Im guessing via Draft) for the other side of Kmet and when Kmet inevitability gets hurt throughout the season.
Interesting that I hear people report that Fields had great blocking in front of him so that was not an excuse, but then hear people complain about Herbert being bad at blocking…
I’ll put the over/under on the number of games Swift plays next year at 10. His availability is always questionable but hey at least he parlayed one semi-healthy season into a hefty payday, so good for him!
Shame on Howie for not making a 3/$24mil contract work in Philly.
I’ll take the field. Swift is fine but the Eagles can do better, and don’t have to jump the market to do it.
Paid much more for a guy that you have to hope stays healthy.
Interesting RB P/U. Makes the RB room pretty competitive. Looks like Poles is going to do the smart thing and pick up young, Reasonably priced FA’s rather than shop at the top of the market. Not sure it’s the best way to go but they did have a lot of holes. With Johnson and Byard and Swift signed we’re down to needed positions:
Edge
WR- Many
B/U TE
C
Looks like we’re stuck with Davis because of his cap hit. There’s no way to get rid of him. He better get with it this year.
Here is to hoping that if Davis is still a turnstile at Guard that he is gone fairly quickly cap hit or not. I have a feeling, especially if the Bears draft the ‘generational’ QB, they will not want him to be a tackling dummy like Fields has been in his 3 years with the Bears.
It’s too bad because if the Bears sign a decent C, Jenkins and Wright makes a pretty young and powerful right side of the line. Swift would enjoy running behind that. Of course that would leave Davis and Jones on the Left Side. But oh yeah Davis too lame to play LG he has to play RG. But he’ll probably stink at both.
This beats giving Barkley one and a half or two times that much guaranteed money.
Unless you believe ball security has a significant impact on who wins or loses. Barkley fumbles far less frequently than Swift.
Swift’s nine career fumbles don’t make me prefer to pay Barkley vastly more money.
I might be in the minority but the contrasting OL between Philadelphia & Chicago will be interesting
That’ll depend on how FA goes and the draft.
Yeah, Here is to hoping the Bears have an OC that actually knows what to do with what he has instead of trying to squeeze everything into their design.
According to OverTheCap, Swift’s contract is essentially a 2/yr for $16.45M (all but $1M guaranteed), plus a third year club option for $7.5M. Covers at least 2025 should Herbert move on.