Bears sign free agent OT Frank Omiyale

The Bears have made their first move of the free agent period and it’s one that no one, including my saw coming. Earlier this morning they agreed to a four-year contract worth between $11.5 and $14million with Carolina Panther free agent Frank Omiyale.

While Omiyale is undoubtedly not the big name most fans were looking for, at least he’s not John St. Clair. As a four year veteran with only one career start Omiyale fits perfectly with Jerry Angelo’s system of letting other teams develop linemen and then going after them in free agency.

He also brings two aspects the Bears desperately needed along their line. He should make the unit bigger at 6’4”/310lbs and most importantly younger at 26.

Some people might be shocked by the size of the deal, especially for a player with limited starting experience, but that’s the NFL. Omiyale oddly enough received a ringing endorsement from ex-Bear Mushin Muhammad, who was his teammate this past season in Carolina.

It’s hard to tell what this means for the rest of the Bears free agent plans at OT. It’s possible they could still bring St. Clair back and open up the competition for RT. One way to look at this deal is a response by Bears management to the added leverage John Tait’s retirement provided St. Clair in negotiations.

Frank Omiyale may not be the name most Bears fans were hoping to see come across the wire in the early stages of free agency, but he is also the kind of young cost-efficient signing that a team with as many needs as the Bears has to have.