Jared Allen signs with Chicago Bears

Last week, word was out that the Seattle Seahawks were expected to sign defensive end Jared Allen. He had gone on a pair of trips to the Pacific Northwest, the Seahawks had some money to spend, and it would put him in position to win a ring.

NOT SO FAST!

Adam Schefter is reporting this morning that Allen has agreed to terms on a 4-year contract with the Chicago Bears. Multiple national reporters are reporting the deal is worth $32 million, but voids to 3-years, $24 million. He got $15.5 million in guarantees.

At one point it seemed like this thing was down to the Seahawks and Cowboys, but apparently the Bears decided to swoop in late and get a deal done. The Seahawks had space to get this done, but like the 49ers they have a variety of young players due for contracts now or soon. My guess is they wanted to see if they could get Allen on a 1-year deal like they did with Bennett last year. Once that wasn't going to work, the two sides parted ways.

The 49ers will host the Bears this year. Chicago basically swapped out Julius Peppers for Jared Allen. They finished 8-8 last year, but also went through a five game spell without quarterback Jay Cutler. They were 3-3 with McCown at the helm, and honestly, I'm not entirely sure having Cutler would have made a huge difference. That being said, with a full season in Marc Trestman's offense, I think Cutler can be more dangerous in year two.

The problem for the Bears is that defense. What was once a dominate unit has been mediocre in recent years. Heading into the 2014 NFL Draft, I suspect they go pretty heavy on the defensive side of the ball. They've replaced Peppers with Allen, and added in S M.D. Jennings and DE Lamarr Houston, but they have a lot more work to do to shore up that unit.