Tag: bears free agency

Bears signing former All-Pro S Kevin Byard to 2-year deal

According to CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson, the Bears are signing former All-Pro safety Kevin Byard.

The Chicago Bears are signing former All-Pro safety Kevin Byard to a 2-year deal, according to Josina Anderson of CBS Sports, after visiting the team a day earlier. The deal is worth $15 million.

Byard is a nine-year veteran who burst onto the scene with the Tennessee Titans and became one of the league’s best safeties during the end of the 2010s and early 2020s.

Byard was drafted by the Titans in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft and exploded during his second season when he had eight interceptions, which led to him earning All-Pro honors. He continued to be one of the better safeties in the game, totaling 27 interceptions in eight seasons. Last year, Byard was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in hopes of boosting their injury-depleted secondary. He combined for just one interception and three pass breakups to go along with 122 total tackles in 2023.

Now, Byard joins the Bears and takes over for Eddie Jackson, who was released last month. He is set to play next to Jaquan Brisker, giving Chicago another veteran defensive back to round out their secondary.

Bears considered ‘serious suitors’ for RB Saquon Barkley in free agency

According to Jordan Raanan of ESPN, the Bears continue to be linked to running back Saquon Barkley as free agency draws closer.

We’re just hours away from the unofficial beginning of NFL free agency, and dots are starting to be connected when it comes to player interest and possible fits across the league. When it comes to the Chicago Bears, one player has continued to be linked as a possible option, and that is New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley. That continued on Sunday morning with an eye-opening report.

According to Jordan Raanan of ESPN, the Bears are considered to be “serious suitors” for Barkley’s services. He also lists the Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers in that same category.

“The Los Angeles Chargers, Baltimore Ravens and Chicago Bears are believed to be serious suitors. The rival Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys have interest, but aren’t expected to reach Barkley’s price point. Still, they shouldn’t be completely counted out because they are, at the very least, involved.”

Raanan’s report comes a few days after Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News had the Bears tied to Barkley as well. This year’s crop of free agent running backs is as deep as ever, and Barkley is widely considered to be the best of the bunch in a list that includes Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs, Austin Ekeler, Tony Pollard, and D’Andre Swift. Raanan writes that the price for Barkley will be around $10 million per season, according to numerous NFL executives.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles hasn’t indicated he would be willing to pay top dollar for a veteran running back, but Barkley is a player who can be a game changer in the backfield. The 27-year-old running back is coming off a modest season in which he rushed for 962 yards and six touchdowns in 14 games. He also added 41 receptions for 280 yards and four touchdowns as the Giants’ most consistent offensive player in an otherwise dreadful season.

With over $60 million in free cap space, the Bears could feasibly make a run at Barkley to improve their running game. Though Chicago was second last year in rushing yards per game (141.1), much of that production had to do with quarterback Justin Fields. The Bears would benefit from adding a player of Barkley’s caliber.

Grading the Bears’ signing of TE Robert Tonyan

Robert Tonyan gives the Bears an effective pass catcher at the tight end position behind Cole Kmet. Here’s our grade of the move.

The Chicago Bears fortified their tight end position with a former rival. They signed former Green Bay Packers tight end Robert Tonyan to a one-year deal, reuniting him with offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.

Tonyan, a local product from McHenry, Ill came to the Packers in 2017 after a brief stint with the Detroit Lions where he initially signed as an undrafted free agent. He slowly was integrated into the offense over the next couple of seasons and had a breakout year in 2020, where he caught 52 passes for 586 yards and 11 touchdowns. A torn ACL sidelined him halfway through the 2021 season after another solid start, but was able to return for the start of last season. In 2022, Tonyan had 53 receptions for 470 yards and two scores.

Now joining the Bears, Tonyan will pair up with Cole Kmet to help improve the Bears’ passing attack and give Justin Fields yet another weapon to utilize. Here is how we graded the signing.

Grading the Bears’ signing of DT Andrew Billings

Andrew Billings immediately upgrades the Bears run defense at a reasonable cost. Here is our grade of the signing.

Defensive line was a glaring weakness for the Chicago Bears throughout the 2022 season and general manger Ryan Poles took another step towards improving it for 2023. The Bears signed former Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Andrew Billings to a one-year deal on Thursday. It’s their second addition to the line after signing DeMarcus Walker earlier in the week.

Billings was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth round in 2016 but missed his rookie season due to a torn meniscus. He bounced back in 2017 and has had a modest career up to this point. Last year for the Raiders, Billings notched a career-high 39 total tackles (three for a loss), and one sack. He joins the Bears as someone who will rotate in as an interior lineman who will hopefully be a solution when it comes to stopping the run. Here is our initial grade of the move.

Twitter reacts to the Bears signing QB P.J. Walker

Fans are happy to see P.J. Walker sign with the Bears as the new backup quarterback.

The Chicago Bears have a new backup quarterback. According to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, the Bears are signing former Carolina Panthers quarterback P.J. Walker to a two-year deal. Walker likely becomes the new backup to Justin Fields and also reunites with receiver D.J. Moore, who the team acquired from the Panthers last week as part of the trade involving first overall pick in the NFL Draft.

Walker joined the Indianapolis Colts in 2017 as an undrafted free agent, but burst onto the scene in 2020 in the XFL for the Houston Roughnecks. He was the league leader in passing yards and touchdowns before the COVID-19 pandemic halted play. That success propelled him to a deal with the Panthers, where he started a handful of games between 2020 and 2022.

Last season, Walker started five games, throwing for 731 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. His best moment came on a 62-yard Hail Mary touchdown to Moore against the Atlanta Falcons late in the fourth quarter in an overtime loss. Now, he comes to Chicago as the backup to Fields and a chance to work with Moore once again. The Bears do still have Trevor Siemian on the roster as a backup, but he may be on his way out with Walker coming on.

Though it wasn’t the bombshell Bears fans were hoping to see, people seem happy with the move to land a backup like Walker. Here is how Twitter reacted to the news.

Grading the Bears’ signing of G Nate Davis

The Bears upgraded the guard position with Nate Davis, but where will he play? Here’s our initial grade of the signing.

Defense may have stolen the headlines during the Chicago Bears’ first day of the free agent negotiating window, but they beefed up their offensive line as well. The Bears signed former Tennessee Titans guard Nate Davis to a multi-year deal on Monday afternoon, putting him in line to start at one of the guard positions on the line.

Davis was selected in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft and worked his way towards becoming the Titans starting right guard. After Week 4, Davis was entrenched as the right guard and played a significant role as a run blocker in running back Derrick Henry’s success over the last few seasons.

The arrival of Davis can certainly be viewed as an upgrade, but what does it mean for the other interior linemen? Here is our initial grade of the signing.

Bears players currently set for free agency after 2022 season

Here’s a quick look at the Bears’ free agents following the 2022 season, including Roquan Smith and David Montgomery.

The Chicago Bears are in the final phase of the 2022 offseason program, but the 2023 offseason is already shaping up to be a big one for new general manager Ryan Poles.

The Bears are slated to have 32 free agents following the 2022 season, per Spotrac, which isn’t a surprise given Poles signed a lot of one-year, prove-it deals this offseason. Chicago is currently slated to have north of $90 million in salary cap space for the 2023 season.

But there are also some key players who are entering contract years in 2022, most notably linebacker Roquan Smith and running back David Montgomery. While Poles has already made it clear that locking down Smith is a priority before the start of the regular season, Montgomery’s future with the Bears is less clear.

Here’s a quick look at those Bears currently set to hit the open market in 2023:

5 things to know about new Bears WR Trevor Davis

Get to know the Bears’ newest receiver Trevor Davis.

The Chicago Bears added another piece of depth at receiver and a special teams contributor in four-year veteran Trevor Davis, who signed a one-year deal with the team on Wednesday.

While Davis hasn’t been used much in the passing game, he’s served a key special teams role in three years with the Green Bay Packers and his short stints with the Las Vegas Raiders and Miami Dolphins.

Let’s get to know the newest Bears receiver/return specialist:

1. Davis set career-highs against Bears last season with Raiders

Steven Flynn-USA TODAY Sports

Everyone remembers the Bears-Raiders game in London last season. It’s a game that many Bears fans and players would like to forget. But it’s also a game where new Bears receiver Trevor Davis had a career day. Davis played in nine games for the Raiders in 2019, catching seven passes for 83 yards — including career highs with four receptions for 42 yards in a winning effort over Chicago.

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Report: Bears expected to re-sign DB/ST Sherrick McManis

Sherrick McManis will remain the longest-tenured player on the Bears when the club — hopefully — returns for the 2020 season.

Sherrick McManis will remain the longest-tenured player on the Chicago Bears when the team — hopefully — returns for the 2020 season.

The Bears are expected to re-sign the core special teams contributor, who will return for his ninth season with the Bears, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.

While contract details haven’t been revealed, it would be expected for McManis to return on a one or two-year deal, similar to his last contract with the Bears. McManis has been an important veteran presence on this team, and his return will be big for this club.

McManis has proven to be a reliable depth player in Chicago’s secondary — both at cornerback and safety — but his bread and butter has come on special teams, where he’s arguably the team’s most important player, along with kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson.

During his 108 games with Chicago, McManis has tallied one interception, one forced fumble, six passes defensed and one sack.

McManis’s season was cut short in 2019, after he suffered a groin injury in Week 12 against the New York Giants. He finished the season with 11 tackles in nine games.

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Bears TE Jimmy Graham eager to be utilized in Matt Nagy’s offense

Matt Nagy’s offense is designed to utilize the tight end as a matchup problem, and new Bears TE Jimmy Graham believes he’s the perfect fit.

One of the glaring weaknesses for the Chicago Bears last season came at tight end position, where they were among the worst in the NFL. It’s a topic that’s been talked about at great length and will continue to be discussed until the Bears correct it.

General manager Ryan Pace knew that addressing tight end — given its importance in Matt Nagy’s offense — was essential. And he’s banking on veteran Jimmy Graham being part of the solution.

Despite the ineffectiveness of Bears tight ends last season, Nagy’s offense is designed to utilize the tight end as a matchup problem for opposing teams. Chicago just needs the right tight end. Perhaps Graham is the guy.

While some believe the Bears will ultimately grow to regret the Graham signing, his goal is to remind everyone that he can be a playmaker in the NFL. And perhaps Nagy’s offense will lend itself to that.

“That was kind of the biggest draw for me was a coach and a system that use a tight end the way I know how to be used,” Graham said, via ChicagoBears.com. “All the conversations I had with coach, it just made sense to me. To be able to use matchups and to be able to use the tight end down the field, it’s just very attractive. That’s what I am, I’m that matchup problem.”

There’s something to be made about the fact that Graham couldn’t put it together with future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers slinging the rock his way.

In his two years with the Packers, Graham had 93 receptions for 1,083 yards with five touchdowns. Not exactly impressive numbers for someone that was once the best in the league.

But there’s also a point to be made that Graham wasn’t in the kind of offense that knew how to use the tight end. For all his faults, Nagy has a plan to get the offense rolling. And the success of the tight end group will be integral.

Right now, there aren’t many that believe Graham will result as a “win” for the Bears. But there’s no denying that he’s an upgrade at the position for Chicago. Maybe all Graham needs is a fresh start — and the right offense — to find success.

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