LAKE FOREST – On the first day NFL teams were able to talk to unrestricted free agents, the Bears made two major defensive splashes.
While reports of deals for linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and TJ Edwards dominated the headlines, the team also made an addition at another important position: the offensive line.
According to multiple reports, the first from NFL Network’s Ian Rapaport, the Bears are signing former Titans guard Nate Davis to a three-year, $30 million contract. The team cannot confirm the move until the start of the new league season on Wednesday.
In the 2019 NFL Draft, Davis was selected in the third round out of Charlotte Tennessee. He started 54 of the 55 games he appeared in during that time, including 12 contests during the 2022 season.
Davis was part of an offensive line that blocked running back Derrick Henry, who became one of the best offensive players in all of football. The three-time Pro Bowler has rushed for at least 1,500 yards in three of the last four seasons, including 2,027 yards in 2020, when he was the NFL’s leading rusher.
Tennessee has made the playoffs in three of the last four seasons, including an AFC Championship appearance in 2019 and two AFC South championships.
He joins an offensive line that was in flux during the 2022 season and hopes to find consistency in 2023 in front of quarterback Justin Fields. Veteran Cody Whitehair was primarily at right guard last season, while Teven Jenkins, Lucas Patrick and Michael Schofield were primarily at right guard.
Davis is expected to lock down one of those guard spots for next season in hopes of bringing more consistency to the group in 2023.
https://wgntv.com/sports/bears-report/bears-add-to-their-offensive-line-early-in-free-agency/
