Prior to the Chicago Bears signing D'Andre Swift to a lucrative three-year deal at the start of NFL Free Agency, the expectation was that the Bears would make an effort to sign running back Saquon Barkley.
In the latest episode of HBO's offseason version of Hard Knocks, the extent of the Bears' interest in Barkley was seemingly revealed. Throughout the show, it seemed clear that Giants' general manager Joe Schoen was leaning toward parting ways with Barkley, and on Tuesday's episode, it seemed that his belief was that the Pro Bowl running back may be headed to the Bears.
"Just got a text that Chicago is driving the price up and Philly is out," Schoen told his team on the show. "I don't know if that's true or not. I'll make a couple of calls. I don't know if that's gonna happen."
The indication there is that the Bears were initially the team driving up Barkley's market to the extent that they pushed the Giants and Philadelphia Eagles out of the bidding. Of course, the Eagles did wind up signing Barkley to a three-year deal worth $37.75.
By comparison, Swift's deal with the Bears was for $24MM.
It may be fair to speculate if the Bears floated a similar offer to Barkley before the Eagles ultimately decided to top it. Regardless, Tuesday's episode made it clear that the Bears were indeed prioritizing the addition of a playmaking running back at the start of the offseason.
Interestingly enough, the Bears' deal with Swift has routinely been criticized by national media outlets. Many are discrediting Swift's Pro Bowl season with the Eagles last season, given that Philadelphia had one of the best offensive lines in all of football. With the Bears this season, Swift has the opportunity to prove his critics wrong while being a pivotal piece in the Bears' offense.
