Tag: 2021 Free Agency

Free Agency: Grading the Bears’ signing of OLB Jeremiah Attaochu

The Bears strengthened their pass rush with the addition of OLB Jeremiah Attaochu to a two-year deal. Here’s our grade.

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The Chicago Bears strengthened their pass rush with the free-agent addition of Jeremiah Attaochu, who signed a two-year deal worth $5.5 million with the Bears.

A former second-round pick in 2014, Attaochu spent the last two seasons with the Denver Broncos. In his career, he’s recorded 20.5 sacks and 144 tackles in 74 games with 23 starts.

Last season, Attaochu appeared in 13 games with the Broncos, including five starts, and totaled 5.0 sacks, nine quarterback hits and 31 tackles, which was the second most of his career outside of his 2015 season (6.0 sacks and 55 tackles) with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Attaochu replaces Barkevious Mingo, who was Chicago’s top rotational pass rusher last season. Attaochu does have experience with that, as be filled in for an injured Von Miller with the Broncos last season, also serving as a rotational edge defender.

Overall, Attaochu is an upgrade over Mingo, albeit at a higher price tag, as Mingo signed a one-year, $1.25 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons this offseason. Attaochu is a consistent run defender and has found success as a pass rusher, which should bode well for a Bears pass rush that needs to turn it up in 2021.

Grade: A-

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Safety Jayron Kearse gets offer, agrees to terms with Cowboys

Cowboys sign safety Jayron Kearse

After visiting with three safeties on Wednesday, the Dallas Cowboys have decided to sign former Viking and Lion special teamer and reserve safety Jayron Kearse.

The 26 year-old has started 12 games at both strong safety and free safety during his career. Minnesota drafted Kearse in the seventh round out of  Clemson in the 2016 draft. Most of the 6-foot-4 safety’s work has been done on special teams. Suspended for the first three games of 2020 for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, Kearse went on to start seven games for the Lions last season before being waived on December 28.

Wednesdays free agent visits make it clear that the Cowboys are searching for depth at the safety position as they also met with potential starting options Malik Hooker and Damontae Kazee. While Kearse may not be a starting caliber player, he can bring some position flex and special teams juice.

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Twitter reacts to Damien Williams signing with Bears

The Bears signed Damien Williams to serve as depth at running back, and Twitter was pleased with the move.

The last time new Chicago Bears running back Damien Williams was on the football field, he was powering the Kansas City Chiefs to a championship victory when they defeated the San Francisco 49ers to win Super Bowl LIV. Now, the veteran running back joins the Bears on a one-year deal, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. 

Williams came into the league as an undrafted free agent in 2014, signing with the Miami Dolphins. After four seasons, he signed with the Chiefs and became a key component in their championship run in 2019. “Playoff Damien” ran for 104 yards and one touchdown in the Chiefs Super Bowl win. He also added a receiving touchdown. It was the last game Williams played, however.

Last July, Williams opted out of the 2020 NFL season due to COVID-19 concerns. He was released by the Chiefs last week.

The 28-year old joins a running back room led by David Montgomery and Tarik Cohen. He’ll likely serve as the primary backup to both players and provides solid depth to the position as a dual-threat back.

As with any move concerning the Bears, fans and experts shared their thoughts on the team’s newest offensive weapon. But the vast majority seem to agree that general manager Ryan Pace nailed it with this acquisition.

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Aldon Smith will not be returning to Cowboys in 2021 after triumphant return to NFL

After having early success in his return to the NFL, the Cowboys are parting ways with DE Aldon Smith and he will become a free agent.

Coming into the 2020 season, defensive end Aldon Smith hadn’t played football since 2015. Formerly a member of the 49ers and Raiders, Smith was a terror for offenses during his first few seasons in the NFL, totaling 47.5 sacks before suspensions led to his departure from football.

After his reinstatement to the NFL, he and the Dallas Cowboys agreed to a one-year, $2 million dollar contract and he was very efficient early on. For Dallas, the pair of defensive ends Demarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory became the starters and Smith became an afterthought late in the season. Now, Dallas has decided they are moving on from Smith.

During the first three games of the season, the Missouri product had 20 total tackles and four sacks, leading the way for the defensive line. After this quick start, Smith only had 1 sack during the next 13 games and eventually lost snaps to the returning Gregory.

In addition, Smith’s return to the NFL found him joining forces with his former DL coach Jim Tomsula in Dallas. Tomsula was let go in January along with defensive coordinator Mike Nolan. Part of that decision was their refusal to offer a bigger role for Gregory.

After a miraculous return to football, Smith showed promise and will likely find a team that needs a skillset like his but it won’t be in Dallas. With the signing of defensive end Tarell Basham, Smith’s fate was likely sealed, with the Cowboys feeling that they have enough depth on the defensive line.

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Cowboys add to potential safety pool with Jayron Kearse visit

Safety Jayron Kearse joins Damonte Kazee and Mailk Hooker at The Star on Wednesday. If signed, he provides depth and special teams value.

After years of treating the safety position as an afterthought, the Dallas Cowboys are doing their due diligence in 2021. They signed veteran Keanu Neal to a one-year deal on Saturday, however, his role is being switched to weakside linebacker under Dan Quinn’s scheme. Damonte Kazee and Malik Hooker are scheduled to visit The Star in Frisco on Wednesday with a potential starting role opposite Donovan Wilson up for grabs.

The Cowboys aren’t stopping there though as another name has been thrown into the safety hat. Jayron Kearse will also be in the building, according to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News.

Kearse was a seventh-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 2016 where he played for four seasons. During his time in the Twin Cities Kearse logged almost 600 plays on defense but was primarily used on special teams as he registered over 1,000 snaps in the area. He signed a one-year deal worth $2.75 million with the Detroit Lions last March but was suspended for the first three games of the season for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy stemming from an arrest last February where he was suspected of driving while intoxicated.

Kearse played a rotational role before earning seven consecutive starts at safety for the Lions in 2020. He logged career highs in defensive snaps (503) and tackles (59) before he was waived for violating team rules just ahead of Lion’s season finale.

If the Cowboys were to bring Kearse on board his role could revert to his days with the Vikings as a special teams contributor. However, having spent time playing both free and strong safety he would provide depth at a position that’s been a weak spot for the Cowboys for quite some time.

 

Here are details of OLB Jeremiah Attaochu’s contract with Bears

The Bears inked OLB Jeremiah Attaochu to a two-year deal to bolster their pass rush. Here are details of Attaochu’s contract.

The Chicago Bears strengthened their pass rush with the addition of Jeremiah Attaochu, who joins an outside linebackers room that consists of Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn, the two highest-paid players on the team.

Attaochu looks to fill a similar role that Barkevious Mingo did last season, where he split reps with Quinn and saw significant action. Attaochu has experience in that department, as be filled in for an injured Von Miller with the Denver Broncos last season.

Now, we have details of Attacohu’s contract with the Bears.

Attaochu signed a two-year deal worth $5.5 million, including a $1.6 million signing bonus and $2.85 million guaranteed. Attaochu will have a cap hit of $1.65 million in 2021, which includes a base salary of $1.25 million and a signing bonus of $1.6 million.

By companion, his predecessor Mingo signed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons, where he’ll earn $1.25 million. But it’s fair to see Attaochu is a clear upgrade from Mingo.

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Bears bring back a familiar face in LB Christian Jones

The Bears are turning to a familiar face in LB Christian Jones, who will bring depth to the inside linebackers room.

The Chicago Bears are turning to a familiar face to bring depth to their linebackers room as they’ve signed Christian Jones, who returns to Chicago for his second stint, to a one-year deal.

An undrafted free agent in 2014, Jones spent his first four seasons with the Bears, where he appeared in 63 games with 31 starts. He totaled 262 tackles, 4.0 sacks, 10 tackles-for-loss, 8 pass breakups and 9 quarterback hits.

Jones spent the past three seasons with the Detroit Lions, where he appeared in 45 games with 42 starts and recorded 177 tackles, 3.0 sacks, 7 tackles-for-loss, 8 pass breakups and 8 quarterback hits.

While Jones has versatility having played both inside linebacker and outside linebacker in Chicago, he’ll likely serve as the third inside linebacker behind Roquan Smith and Danny Trevathan.

Jones is someone who is quite familiar to new Bears defensive coordinator Sean Desai, who served as a defensive quality control coach during Jones’ first tenure in Chicago from 2014-2017.

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Bears signing former Broncos OL Elijah Wilkinson

The Bears added depth on the offensive line with the signing of former Bronco Elijah Wilkinson.

The Chicago Bears are making a move on the offensive line with the signing of former Denver Broncos offensive lineman Elijah Wilkinson, who could bring some competition to the vacant right tackle position, to a one-year deal.

Mike Klis, who covers the Broncos for 9News, originally reported that Wilkinson had a visit with the Bears on Tuesday, where a deal was close. Wilkinson soon after took to Instagram to share the news that he was a Bear.

Chicago has a need at right tackle, where Wilkinson could certainly fit the bill. Wilkinson served as the Broncos’ top backup swing guard/tackle, and he’s appeared in 45 games, including 26 starts. While Wilkinson has started at both tackle and guard, he’s served mostly as a tackle for the Broncos since joining the league as an undrafted free agent in 2017.

But Wilkinson will have to win the job over Germain Ifedi, who recently re-signed a one-year deal with the Bears last week. Chicago will also likely be targeting an offensive tackle in next month’s draft. But there’s still certainly need for depth at the tackle position outside of a starting role.

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Free Agency: Grading the Bears’ signing of CB Desmond Trufant

The Bears put a bandaid on the cornerback position with the signing of Desmond Trufant to a one-year deal to replace Kyle Fuller.

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The Chicago Bears have a gaping hole at cornerback following the release of two-time Pro Bowler Kyle Fuller in order to free up $11 million in salary cap space. The Bears are attempting to fill that void with veteran Desmond Trufant, who signed a one-year, prove-it deal with Chicago.

A former first-round selection by the Atlanta Falcons in 2013, Trufant had an impressive rookie season with the Falcons, where he recorded career highs with 70 tackles and 17 pass breakups. He spent his first seven seasons in Atlanta before signing with the Detroit Lions last season.

Trufant has started all 103 games he’s played in over the course of eight seasons, where he’s totaled 349 tackles, 14 interceptions, 83 pass breakups, 10 tackles-for-loss, six sacks, three forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries. He was a Pro Bowl selection in 2015 after recording 42 tackles, one interception and 11 pass breakups.

Last season with the Lions, Trufant played in just six games as he dealt with a hamstring injury. He totaled 20 tackles, one interception and four pass breakups.

There’s no doubt that Trufant is a downgrade from Fuller, whose loss will be a big one in this secondary — due to his play and leadership. But Trufant has shown a knack for making plays in the past.

The only problem is, Trufant’s play has been declining since 2019, coupled with injury struggles, which prompted the Falcons to release him after seven years. He’s certainly not a reliable replacement for Fuller, and it makes the need for cornerback heading into the draft even more important.

While Trufant has impressed in the past, it’s hard to imagine him overcoming some of the injury struggles that have limited him to return to the high level he played at with the Falcons. Which almost makes his signing feel like a bandaid that could be ripped up at any point this season.

Now, Trufant is poised to fill the very big shoes of Fuller in a defensive backfield that lacked consistency. That is, unless Chicago finds his replacement in the 2021 NFL Draft, which feels like a no-brainer at this point.

Grade: C

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B/R suggests D.J. Fluker, Alex Okafor to Bills

Bleacher Report suggests the Buffalo Bills could sign DJ Fluker, Alex Okafor in free agency.

The Buffalo Bills don’t have glaring holes in their roster currently. Still, depth can be just as important.

Earlier this week, Bleacher Report pegged places every NFL team can still stand to improve upon as free agency moves forward. For the Bills, depth is highlighted in the trenches on both sides of the ball.

In helping Buffalo fill these concerns, B/R suggests two players for Buffalo to add: D.J. Fluker and Alex Okafor:

The Bills don’t have much to spend on free agents. As a matter of fact, they are about $2.2 million in the red against the salary cap.

General manager Brandon Beane will no doubt make a few moves to open up some cap space. But at this point, any free-agent deals will be low-end depth signings.

In that regard, the trenches are usually the way to go. Whether it’s a versatile veteran O-lineman like D.J. Fluker or an inexpensive defensive lineman like Alex Okafor, you can never have too much depth up front.

Fluker, an eight-year pro, could certainly be on the Bills’ radar if the price is right. He has experience playing at guard and tackle and Buffalo is widely-known to love versatility in players on the offensive line. With the Ravens last season, Pro Football Focus graded Fluker a solid 63.7 overall mark.

Between the two, the more interesting option is certainly Okafor. Some in Buffalo might remember his name.

During the end of the AFC title game with the Chiefs up on the Bills, a little bit of a fight broke out. That involved Josh Allen, Jon Feliciano and others on Buffalo’s side of things, and for Kansas City, Okafor was in the middle of it.

In a rotational role with the Chiefs last season, Okafor, 30, had three sacks. Is that enough production for the Bills front office to overlook that fight?

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