Overpaid Edmunds
Edwards Can't play on passing downs
Dline, RB, Oline and DBs alll still ***.
With the defense the Bears want to run, Edmunds was one of the only guys they really could have gone after. They need a big, tall MLB type to cover that middle zone and make it difficult to throw over the top of the linebacker. Its why they punted Ro Smith to the Ravens and paid a few more bucks to a LB that can operate in their defense. They don't necessarily need Edwards to play on pass downs, but its a fair criticism. Edwards is basically a one year deal at 8M anyway. Its a show-me deal.
As an aside, the concept of "overpaying" is silly. And judging it at this point of the offseason is equally silly. The Jaguars "overpaid" last year for a variety of players (you have to when you stink), yet they made a run and the players they "overpaid" for, all performed at or above their salary and were vital pieces to a playoff run. It doesn't always work, but who cares what these guys are getting paid at this point. The NFL is very good at manipulating their cap figure annually. They figure it out. It isn't 2002 where a team being upside down on a roster means you are toast for a while. A key cut (that was almost always planned), some core restructuring, some contract play with front/back loaded deals and you'll be alright. Its not that serious.
Edmunds for example...14M cap hit this year, 22M cap hit next year (if it works out, will surely be restructured), 17M in 2025. Cut year will be the 2026 off-season where its a 2M dead cap hit. Comparable players - per Sportrac - are like Zach Cunningham, Deion Jones, Lavonte David, Eric Kendricks. Per PFF, Edmunds outperformed all of them sans Lavonte David last year, pretty significantly (injuries and other factors are not necessarily included, but I digress). Also, Edmunds is TWENTY FOUR YEARS OLD. That's wild. Edwards out performed those aforementioned LBs per PFF last year as well.
If it doesn't work out, Edwards is gone next year and you might have to slog through two years of bad play from Edmunds (would be weird considering his age...it'd be a dramatic drop off for an ascending player)...but nothing looks egregious. Like all free agents, you just hope things bank right.