Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show - James Palmer talks Bears' addition of Kalif Raymond, NFL free agency signings

Episode Date: March 10, 2026

Leila Rahimi and Marshall Harris were joined by James Palmer of Bleacher Report and The Athletic, who shared his insight on the Bears' new additions and reacted to the biggest headlines coming out of the opening day of NFL free agency.

This hour is brought to you by Jewel Osco. Here he is, my guy James Palmer. Get in here. We don't have a lot of time. You know what, James? I love it when you check in to Snitchville. Go ahead. All right.

Well, I'm a permanent resident, so here we go. I think there was a bit of cohesion issue within the offense. I think you started to see, and I know DJ knew this, Caleb really wasn't looking his way towards the back end of the season as much. And it didn't seem like there was a whole lot of, like, trust from, I don't know which direction, from one side to the other. I think DJ is a very professional receiver that plays the position in that manner,

if you understand that term. And I think Caleb is a little bit more of a difficult quarterback to play in that manner with. With Rahimi Harrison Grody on 1043 The Score. This is Rahimi Harrison Grotie on 1043 The Score. And joining us on our hotline. Also on Twitch, twitch.tv slash the Score, Chicago, is our friend James Palmer.

James is with the athletic. He is the co-host of the Scoop City podcast with Diana Rossini. He's an NFL insider for Bleacher Report. And he is the co-host of 89 with Steve Smith. And he's our friend. James, how are you? Family, how are we doing? Oh, we good.

It's day two. We would have waiting for some more hot scoops. Right? Yeah. Anything you... Yeah, we got a salty Schefter right now. It's already like we're off and running. He's all fired up and upset.

It's been great to watch. Wait, what is he upset about? We've been working on our show. Okay. Well, see, so Shafti was a little upset in that, I think that Studio, that Thunderdome studio, he was the first time in there working his phones and whatnot. But I think he's just kind of saying, you know, the league year, everybody says, the new league year, four o'clock Wednesday. He's like, no, free agency is, you know, noon on Monday. I mean, nobody talked to anybody, right, guys?

These deals just happened in an instant as soon as the legal tampering window opened, right? So I'm doing the math. There's no way nobody spoke to each other prior to that window opening, right? Do we need a legal tampering window for the legal tampering window? Is that what you're saying? Yeah, let's do this. Let's go by the book and say, like, we have to have a legal opportunity for two days that these teams can first speak to one another. But before we do that, let's put all of them in one city in Indianapolis in a number of watering holes, and they will not speak to each other.

And not exactly a city, James, known for having a plethora of watering holes per capita. Only a few options. You know, and they close early-ish. This isn't the East Coast or Chicago, for example, where you can sneak off to some dive bar nobody knows about. Chances are you're going to see a lot of these people out and about. Listen, if you guys want to split a shrimp cocktail of St. Elmo's, just tell me right now, okay? That's what you want to do, James.

We can do it. I love to do it. I didn't even go this year, which I'm, I was there for five days and I didn't even make it into St. Elmo's. It was a rare year. Oh, I was going to say, I was thinking you met the combine, actually. But to avoid St. Elmo's is a feat. sometimes they bring it to you guys

with the early shrimp cocktail in the morning. All of that said, though, what do you think about a lot of the moves that were done? Now, I'm going to say, I think you know this because you've been on our station a lot. We were very in love with the Max Crosby idea. We were very in love with Tyler Lindervam, especially since we knew him from playing at Iowa.

But Max Crosby left the Raiders. Tyler Linderbom went to the Raiders, and the Bears don't have either guy. Yeah. Layla, but do you love either them at the cost that it would have taken? I guess that's the point of this offseason, right? Value is everything, right? And what the Raiders essentially did to my understanding is they knew this was essentially over

and I feel like John Spitech was lying to my face at the Combine. Now, he was, they knew at the end of the season kind of the way that this was going to go and they played it, I think, very, very well. And they just listened to offers. And was Chicago one of those teams that was, you know, in Indianapolis and other spots trying to kick the tires on Max Carleby? Certainly, there were a number of teams. But I kept hearing the same ones, and I kept hearing the Ravens, I kept hearing the bills,

I kept hearing a couple of other teams, Chicago being one of them, and Dallas was certainly right there. I would consider them the runner-up on Max Crosby. But what John Spitech did is he essentially just listened. He didn't set a price, and teams were in, and they were trying to put their prices out there. Layland, essentially what ended up happening was when it came closer to the deal getting done and everybody realized that it was going to take two ones, that's when teams started dropping off like kids in Willy Wonka's chocolate factory.

They were just toast. They were off. So essentially it ended up being like Dallas, really wanted to, but couldn't essentially get there. And two ones are there for Max Crosby for the Ravens, and they do a rare move for a team that's right there ready to try to get over the hump, and oftentimes that happens with pass rushers. I don't know if, you know, Ryan

Poles ever wanted to give up that amount of capital. I don't think so. And then with Tyre Lindelbaum, I mean, I thought it was bonkers to say he's going to get 25. And then yesterday morning, I kept hearing around the league, like, no, no, this going to get closer to 25. The market is 18 with Creed Humphrey in Kansas City, and then he gets 27, and it's like, oh, my gosh. So I don't think that was either, you know, in the realm either for

Chicago. So I do think you have to be measured in a sense in terms of value, and I think Ryan Poles with both those deals, was able to do that. My question is this, with the Linderbaum signing specifically, because to reset the market at 150 percent of what the next highest AAB is, from 18 million to 27 million. Did the Raiders outbid themselves? Help me understand this, James. I think they did a little bit. And Marshall, you have to remember, there is a minimum you have to spend in the NFL. Like, the Raiders needed to spend money. You know that office episode where Michael finds out there's a surplus and he has to spend something? That's essentially what was going on with the Raiders. Like, they're so far below that over the next couple of years, they have to make

sure that they spend. What I do think they did, and, you know, everybody overspends in free agency. So let's just say that that's there. But you overspent for a rare player that has no red flags, and very few of them reach free agency, right, in today's NFL. They're all locked up. But because of the way the franchise tag is with offensive linemen and him playing center and the way it went, him and Alec Pierce are the rare players that probably get there with no red flags at all. So you overpay in free agency period. You overpay for a guy that really has no question marks next to his game. And then also, I think he makes your team better, in essence, of your team. top two players. I know Brock Bowers is probably right in that mix, but Ashen Dente, you take him in the

top 10 last year. He's hit at or behind the line of scrimmage and probably 60% of his runs roughly. And you have a dominant run blocking center that fits exactly the way Clint Kubiak runs that scheme. So it's a force multiplier to where you're overpaid, but he makes your star running back that you invested a lot of draft capital in to get better. And then you have a number one overall pick that we all assume is going to be Fernando Mendoza. And who better than to have a very smart, Avey. Obviously he's better in run blocking than pass blocking, but that type of center to be in front of your new quarterback, you may be overpaid, but at the same time, he makes your top two investments over the last two years exponentially better, and maybe that softens the blow a little bit about

where they were at in terms of price. James, you want to join us for some breaking news? Yeah, hit me. So this, according to Ian Rappaport, the Bears are signing former Lions wide receiver and returner, Kleefe Raymond. Raymond, yeah. Adding an intriguing weapon in Chicago. I think that's a good description for him.

I was wondering if any Ben Johnson familiar guys would make their way over here. Took a little bit, but it finally happened. Yeah, I knew Khalif. I think he was in Denver, right, where I live. Caliph's been around a little bit. Yeah, he is kind of that gadgety type of guy that can do a couple of different things for your receiver group. After losing, I mean, he's not a replacement for DJ more, right? But after you lose a body in a room, sometimes you like to fill it.

That's essentially what the bears have done this free agency, right? Linebacker out, linebacker in safety. possibly out, safety. And so they kind of have stayed right in that same zone. But this is kind of one of those little guys that can be out there and make some plays for you. Yeah, it can be a third, fourth option in an offense that I think some of those top guys in terms of weapons are going to draw a lot of attention. James, I feel like I'm beating a dead horse, but the horse isn't dead. The horse is very much alive. And that horse is opposing. Violent sounding. Well, it's an expression. Don't take it literally. I think we have a disclaimer in our shows. Don't take Marshall's analogies

literally. But listen, I've been talking about the Bears need for a better pass rush since I have been talking about the Bears. And I'm trying to find the best path to that. It feels like the draft is an avenue that finally can maybe help with this. But from what you're seeing, whether it's draft because you were at the Combine or now free agency in this kind of second waven. Also, the fact that Trey Hendrickson's still out there available as a free agent, what do you think is the most prudent and smartest

way for the Bears, or really any team trying to attack that common problem? Yeah, there's a couple of different approaches, Marshall, that teams take. And the Bears might be in that group, like you've seen in Buffalo a number of years, where it was, we're right there after we

saw the run that Chicago went on, and I've seen the bills and covered them in the postseason where they've gone on these runs. And then they go, you know, we need a closer. Like, that's oftentimes the way edge rushers are thought of for teams that are right there. Essentially, kind of like a baseball analogy, essentially. Like, our dominant edge rusher is great for your roster when you're not close to winning a Super Bowl. I mean, we just watched Max Crosby's career in Vegas, right?

It's different when you're a contender. And Buffalo did that with Vaughn Miller. They did it with Joey Bosa. And you try to get these veteran guys that still have something in the tank that were, you know, some of the best in football and they're a little bit cheaper towards the end of their career. Those guys are all still available, and there's still possibilities, I think, if you want to plug them in, I think you can wait a little bit, and I think there's a lure like Chicago partially has. Like, Vaughn Miller really takes into account, do I have a chance to win another Super Bowl?

Like, money's not really an object to me. I think Joey Boeufs is a little bit in the same vein. And can you kind of lure these guys in with the idea that, you know, they have an opportunity to win a ring in Chicago, and you can kind of wait them out in free agency? There's that path. Obviously, there's a path of drafting them and, you know, keeping them. and making sure they never hit the likes of free agency and you keep giving them deals.

The Trey Hendrickson one is obviously still out there and it's out there and to my understanding is because nobody's met his price. And we've seen Trey out there in golf attire during off-season activities where everybody's practicing and he's holding press conferences. He's a guy that holds pretty firm in where he believes his value is.

And I think right now when we all assumed on Monday he was going to fly off the board pretty quickly in his first time in free agency at 31, it doesn't happen. It's probably because he believes his value coming off that injury is still extremely high. But I do think in free agency is the hardest way to do it. The biggest contract that was given out on Monday was Jalen Phillips when the Panthers kind of swooped in behind the Eagles back and landed up to a four-year $120 million deal. That's a 26-year-old pass rusher in the prime at a prime position. He also was an injury history. This could blow up in their face.

It could be great for Dave Canales and Dan Morgan and company, but it could blow up in their face. There's a reason why these guys at the pass rushing position are available in free agency. So I'm always weary, Marshall, of going after that position in free agency. I would prefer it in the draft. And if you don't go that way, then can you get those guys at the tail end of their career that can either rotate and kind of help you get after the quarterback in the fourth quarter and in certain instances. Well, James, I think part of it too is we talk to James Palmer, who works with the athletic and also with Leacher Report. I think part of the issue is on its face, if you say 30-year-old pass pressure wants 30 million coming off of a surgery. That's a rough, that's a rough headline.

Now, when you factor in, it's Trey Hendrickson the individual. That changes a lot of this. But I wonder how much of it still overrides the fact that he is indeed Trey Hendrickson. I totally agree with you, Lidda. And there's certain players that are considered outliers. I think Trey might be it. I mean, if you take away the injury and how terrible things went honestly between the two sides this past year, each of the two previous seasons, what do you have? 17 and a half sacks. When he gets to the quarterback, he oftentimes strips the football. I mean, he doesn't wear gloves, which is still makes him one of my favorites, and I think Chicago would love him for that too. But there is always a risk with every free agent. And I think that's why

these guys are available. That's why they're there. But at the same time, you look at these deals, like Addafei Owe getting four years for $100 million from the commanders, like, listen, they haven't really connected on a lot of their big veteran type of moves lately. So, you kind of look at all of these going, I get it's Trey Hendrickson. And I've seen enough of him play to where I still think he has a ton left in the tank. And a lot of people around the league I talk to do believe that. But Trey is very firm with his numbers. And it's going to take the league in general to more or less tell him the number is going to go down. Because what often happens in free agency, as we were just talking about with Tyro Lindelbaum is, it takes just one team to go,

hell, I'll pay it. You know what I mean? Like, that's all it takes. And that's what he's waiting for. The league might collectively need to tell Trey Henderson that he's not going to be worth that. And in free agency, when teams panic, sometimes that doesn't work. When you look James at Kevin Byard and the success he had in kind of a resurgent year last year, past the age of 30, a third time now he's been first team all pro as a safety. I like the idea of the bears pairing him with Kobe Bryant in the defensive backfield. But at the same time, I'm wondering, because he, much like Trey Hendrickson, I was surprised he was still on the board here as we go into day two of this. Yeah.

I feel like the longer he's out there, the more likely it is he comes back to the Bears. But I would be surprised if he didn't get paid more than, you know, the $7.5 million a year the Bears were paying him. Yeah, he's been a very fascinating player for the course of his career in all honesty. I think he's been undervalued in terms of dollars, his entire career. He's never been put in that Derwin James and Kyle Hamilton. and top safeties in the league group, really at any point in his career. And I don't know why, because I think we saw plenty of playmaking ability, even at the age he was at this past season.

And I know Chicago loves him, and I know Ryan Poles loves him, and he admitted at the combine, it might be a challenge to bring him back. But oftentimes with players of this age, Marshall, you're kind of right where you're always keeping a tab. Like Bill Belichick used to do this all the time to where there were certain players that he had a strong affinity for, but he knew that they could possibly get paid elsewhere. but he also was like, if you get anything, just come back to me and tell me what it was, because obviously we'd love to have you, but I'm in some cap constraints here, and this is kind of a similar conversation I think Ryan Poles could probably have with Kevin Byer.

Like, just make sure you keep checking in with us and have the ability to possibly for us to match that. And it just because of the reputation has been what it is, and again, I don't know why, because he's an outstanding player, might be beneficial to where things stand with Chicago right now. TBD, in a sense, but I do think the, the position as a whole has an increased value over the last two seasons, I would say. And then this past year, with the entire world just talking about Nickyman Worry, has really made the position a little bit more attractive in terms of teams' aggressiveness towards it, specifically in the draft too.

But I do think it's one of those situations because of the relationship and the age, that you can continue to probably keep tabs and see if there's a possibility to bring him back. Because you're right, having both those guys back there, I think Kobe Bryant was a really, really good pick. It's not a scheme fit entirely for him, but he's just enough of a player and brings that Super Bowl mentality. And those guys are oftentimes coveted to teams that feel like they're on the cusp. I think also, James, there's the penalty of perhaps drafting too well. Ian Rappaport pointed this out yesterday. The Ravens' 2022 draft class has collected $298.5 million in contract extensions,

with Daniel Fahle'i's still available. Kyle Hamilton, as you mentioned, $10.4 million. Tyler Linderbaum, $81 million. Travis Jones, $40.5 million. Charlie Kohler, $24.3 million. Jordan Stout, 12.3. Isaiah likely at 40. I never thought that you could draft too well,

but perhaps that is the case here. It happens, certainly, and that's why we have the comp pick system put in place later. Is that a touchy subject in Chicago? I'm trying to bring up compensatory picks? Is it touchy or is it just the fact that the NFL doesn't want to enforce the spirit of the law that they decided to enact? Yeah, it is interesting that within the bylaws, within the written aspect of it, Lailia, it says, you know, a decision-making role, i.e. general manager. Essentially, when you use the term general manager in your description of it, it makes it, I think, completely insane. But that's why when you draft that way, again, the salary cap, in for,

on your ability to keep everybody. Seattle's going through this because John Snyder drafts really, really well, and everybody wants your players after you win a Super Bowl. I remember that happened in 2015 in Denver with an unbelievable defense that got torn apart because of salary cap constraints and you draft all these guys really, really well. The prior that I look at in a direct example of what this is, is like Rashid Walker still available out there as a left tackle, who's a serviceable left tackle. Is he great left tackle? No. But they drafted him in the seventh round. He's probably going to get paid in the next 48 hours here, and then they're going to get probably a third round pick in return. You've got to keep flipping it in that sense when you hit

on certain guys and they walk in free agency, but it's also why I think you have to do deals early. I had a great conversation with George Payton at the Combine, and one of the things Denver has done, and you just saw them bring in zero players, only re-sign their own players on the first day of free agency, was that he does deals really, really early. And when you draft well, you have to do deals early. Now, Nick Benito is a absolute steal as a pass rusher, and so is Jonathan Cooper, and Pat Sertan's deal is, like, he's like the fifth highest paid corner in football now, and that's a steal. And so doing deals early when you draft well, I think is really the key, but oftentimes people try to kick the can down the line, and they get themselves in trouble. James, I just,

before we let you go, I did want to say, please give my best to your dad, who I worked with for a long time in Philadelphia, Scott. That's why I dropped the family. Yes, yes. And then I also tell your sister I said what? Today's her birthday. Oh! Today is my sister's birthday. And I will text, Jen. I will text. Yeah, text her up. Yeah, my dad's hanging out in Clearwater with the Phil's, hopefully a big signing today. I think he had a press conference. Lock the, locked the, lock the picture. He runs those press conferences. And we'll just say, say hi to Megan Nicks for me as well, too. So everybody's covered. Yeah, for sure. Everybody is covered. Yeah, thank you so much for

joining us. Thank you for also hanging out with her afternoon show. And thanks for taking the time out of a very busy NFL day. So we appreciate it. Anything for you guys. That's a Knicks painting right there, Lela. No, are you serious? A hundred percent it is. Yes. You have a star on your hands. That's outstanding. It's for sale, everybody, if anybody wants. There you go. James, thanks again, and congratulations to Nix on wonderful talent. We appreciate it. Thanks, James. I'll tell you said what's up. See you guys, Marshall. Thank you. That is James Palmer, who hosts Scoop City with the Athletic, and he is also an NFL insider for Bleacher Report and the co-host of 89 with Steve Smith. So let's pick up where we left off with James because we've touched on it a little bit in our discussion surrounding the bears inactivity

or at least basic activity when it comes to addressing the defensive line. Minimal activity is what we'll call it. Essential activity. Sure. I think that that probably falls under the category of Neville Gallimore being essential activity. It's probably not enough. So how much is it going to be? We'll figure that out next.