Tag: bears free agency

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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B/R predicts Bears TE Jimmy Graham will be among biggest duds in 2020

Jimmy Graham should be considered an upgrade for the Bears at tight end, but some believe he’ll be among the biggest duds in 2020.

There’s not exactly unwavering confidence in Bears tight ends these days. Actually, there’s little confidence in this group that was among the worst in the NFL in 2019.

General manager Ryan Pace has made tight end a priority this offseason, including bringing in veteran Demetrius Harris, who has experience playing in a Matt Nagy offense, and figures to also draft a tight end next month.

But it was the addition of aging veteran tight end Jimmy Graham that has infuriated the football world. It’s hard to look anywhere and see something positive about the Bears’ free agent signing of Graham.

Which has to mostly to do with the fact that Chicago overpaid for Graham’s services — a two-year, $16 million deal with $9 million in guaranteed money. That, in addition to Trey Burton’s contract, which continues to be a $8.5 million weight on the Bears’ salary cap in 2020.

While Graham could be considered an upgrade for the Bears at tight end, there are some, like Bleacher Report, that believe that Graham will be among the biggest duds this season in the NFL.

Somewhat ironically, the Chicago front office seems to hope the stable presence of Graham can help either Foles—acquired via trade—or Mitchell Trubisky, provided the latter responds well to the arrival of serious quarterback competition. 

But Graham’s age isn’t the only problem. He just spent two seasons with the Green Bay Packers, catching just 93 of 149 targets for 1,083 yards and five touchdowns. He’s had seven individual seasons where he’s tallied at least five scores. 

Throwing $8 million per year at a player who turns 34 in November and has slowed down considerably is risky, to say the least. 

While Graham was at one time arguably the best tight end in the game, that’s simply not the case now. Age and injuries have caught up to him, and he didn’t exactly thrive in Green Bay with Aaron Rodgers throwing him the football.

But Graham comes to Chicago with a chip on his shoulder, and he’s determined to prove that he can still be a difference maker in the NFL.

The Bears are desperate for production at tight end, and Pace is banking on Graham to be that guy.

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B/R believes Bears are NFL’s biggest losers this offseason

The Bears have made moves this offseason, but there’s an argument to be made that those changes haven’t made the team better.

The Chicago Bears have made moves this offseason, but there’s an argument to be made that those changes haven’t made the team better.

Unlike last offseason, the Bears glaring needs are much more than just kicker. From quarterback to offensive line to tight end to defensive back, general manager Ryan Pace certainly had his work cut out for him.

Chicago added pass rusher Robert Quinn, quarterback Nick Foles and tight end Jimmy Graham, among others, but not all of the Bears’ additions have been met with praise. They’ve also lost some key veterans, including inside linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski, safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and defensive tackle Nick Williams.

Bleacher Report believes the Bears have had the NFL’s worst offseason, noting Pace placing his faith in aging veterans and the ever-lingering quarterback concern.

The Chicago Bears epitomize how poor timing can wreck an offseason and make their moves look far worse in retrospect.

Even without that added caveat, general manager Ryan Pace’s plan looked suspect from the start since he invested heavily in aging veterans.  

When both factors are taken into consideration, the Bears simply failed at the start of the new league year and had the offseason’s worst overall effort. 

Chicago’s execution relied far too heavily on players with significant question marks, while better or comparable alternatives are/were available. 

Bleacher Report continues noting that it all starts with the handling of the quarterback position. Bringing in Nick Foles to compete with Mitchell Trubisky for the starting job makes a lot of sense. If Trubisky wins the job, then Foles is a solid backup. If Foles wins the job, he knows how to operate Matt Nagy’s offense and it should be a seamless transition.

But, ultimately, the Bears failed to significantly improve the position, something that has been the franchise’s downfall for decades.

Another position that the Bears addressed in free agency, but perhaps not for the better, was the acquisition of aging tight end Jimmy Graham. The Bears paid Graham $16 million for two years — including $9 million guaranteed — to be the solution for their struggling tight end group.

Only, Graham certainly isn’t the savior for a group that was collectively the worst in the NFL last season.

Then there are the continued needs at offensive guard, cornerback and safety. The Bears have a vacancy at right guard following Kyle Long’s retirement. While Chicago signed Germain Ifedi, there’s no guarantee he’s the answer at the position.

The Bears lost starters at cornerback and safety — with the departures of Prince Amukamara and Clinton-Dix. While the Bears have re-signed safety Deon Bush and added cornerback Artie Burns and safety Jordan Lucas, defensive back remains a need heading into the NFL Draft.

The offseason is far from over. But, at least at this point, the Bears haven’t made the splash they were hoping for.

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What’s been the Bears’ smartest decision so far this offseason?

As for what’s been the Bears’ smartest decision so far this offseason, it’s been parting ways with former 1st-round pick Leonard Floyd.

Despite not having a whole lot of salary cap space, the Chicago Bears have been active during free agency — including on the trade market.

General manager Ryan Pace has made some solid moves — adding former All-Pro pass rusher Robert Quinn and trading for quarterback Nick Foles — and he’s made some not-so-great moves — signing aging veteran tight end Jimmy Graham.

But as for what’s been Chicago’s smartest decision so far this offseason, Bleacher Report says it’s been parting ways with former first-round pick Leonard Floyd.

Leonard Floyd never lived up to his first-round billing. The former Georgia Bulldog showed promise in his 2016 rookie campaign with seven sacks in 12 games, but he hasn’t reached that total again despite playing in all 16 games in each of the past two seasons. 

In 2019, the pass-rusher amassed just three sacks. Starting opposite of Khalil Mack, that’s just an unacceptable number. 

Despite the Bears exercising Floyd’s fifth-year option last offseason, the writing was on the wall for Floyd considering his lack of performance and his $13.2 million salary.

The Bears released Floyd just one day before his salary became fully-guaranteed — and right before they brought in an upgrade with Quinn, who logged 11.5 sacks last season with the Cowboys.

When it came down to it, Floyd wasn’t worth the $13.2 million price tag, especially with more pressing needs on the roster heading into free agency. Not to mention, the Bears found an even better pass rusher to pair with Khalil Mack in Quinn.

Floyd, meanwhile, has found second life with the Los Angeles Rams, who signed him to a one-year deal worth $10 million — worth up to $13 million. Well, at least one team was willing to pay Floyd.

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Bears have compiled a handful of compensatory picks this free agency

The Bears have lost some key players to free agency. But it hasn’t been without its compensation – 4 compensatory picks, to be exact.

The Chicago Bears have lost some key members of their roster to free agency. But it hasn’t been without its compensation.

Compensatory draft picks, to be precise.

Following the first wave of the NFL’s free agency, the Bears have racked up four compensatory draft picks for 2021.

According to Over The Cap, the Bears currently are projected to receive four compensatory selections: Three sixth-rounders and one seventh-rounder.

Those come courtesy of new contracts for quarterback Chase Daniel, defensive lineman Nick Williams, safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and inside linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis.

Daniel continues to make the most of his journeyman backup quarterback role as he signed a three-year, $13 million deal. Williams’ impressive performance with the Bears last season earned him a two-year deal with the Lions worth $10 million.

Meanwhile in the NFC East, Clinton-Dix headed to Dallas on a one-year deal that’s set to give him $4 million and $2.5 million guaranteed. Pierre-Louis landed with the Redskins, where he’s set to make $3.45 million.

The Bears were previous projected to land a fifth-round compensatory pick for inside linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski, who agreed to terms with the Raiders. But the signing of All-Pro pass rusher Robert Quinn negated that compensatory selection.

The Bears earned a compensatory pick for 2020 — a fourth-rounder for safety Adrian Amos, who departed for the Packers last offseason. But Chicago traded that fourth-round pick for quarterback Nick Foles.

If these latest projections hold up, the Bears will get some valuable draft capital heading into 2021.

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Free Agency: Grading the Bears’ signing of SS Jordan Lucas

The Bears brought in reinforcements at safety and special teams with the addition of Jordan Lucas. How does his signing grade out?

The Chicago Bears brought in reinforcements for the secondary with the addition of veteran safety Jordan Lucas, who was signed to a one-year deal.

Lucas comes to the Bears after two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he had seven tackles and one pass defensed in 14 regular-season games in 2019.

Following the departure of Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, the Bears are looking for his replacement opposite Pro Bowler Eddie Jackson. Jackson figures to return to his natural position at free safety, which means newly re-signed Deon Bush will battle it out with Lucas at the strong safety spot.

Bush figures to have the upper hand when it comes to winning the starting job, but Lucas will certainly provide competition. Also, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Bears turned to the NFL Draft for safety assistance.

While Lucas will be competing with Bush for that starting job, he also served as a valuable special teams contributor with the Chiefs. Lucas played 63.3 percent of Kansas City’s special teams snaps in 2019, and he played 47 percent of them the year prior. Expect him at the very least to provide depth at safety and to be a valuable asset for Chicago on special teams.

Lucas comes at an affordable price — a one-year prove-it deal worth $1 million — and he’ll get a chance to compete for the starting safety job opposite Jackson, as well as provide some special teams assistance. Another low-risk, yet average signing for the Bears.

Grade: C+

What do you think, Bears fans? How would you grade Chicago’s acquisition of Lucas?

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Bleacher Report grades Bears free agent/trade acquisitions

The Bears made some moves in the early wave of free agency adding to their offense and defense. But not all were met with optimism.

The Chicago Bears made some moves in the early wave of free agency adding to their offense and defense. But not all were met with optimism.

The Bears’ first signing wasn’t one that inspired much confidence in the addition of veteran tight end Jimmy Graham. Given general manager Ryan Pace’s history with Graham — he was in New Orleans when the Saints drafted Graham — it’s not a complete surprise. And if the Bears had gotten him for a discount, it would’ve made sense.

But the fact of the matter is that Pace gave Graham a two-year, $16 million deal with $9 million guaranteed. Which compared to some of the other tight end acqusitions in free agency — notable Eric Ebron’s cheaper deal — makes Pace look like a fool.

Bleacher Report gave the Bears’ signing of Graham a “D” grade.

Jimmy Graham: D

But an $8 million average annual salary for a washed-up Jimmy Graham might look silly if Eric Ebron signs a similar deal. Ebron remains on the open market, is seven years younger than Graham and is a year removed from a breakout campaign in which he led all tight ends with 13 touchdown catches.

Graham has only five touchdown grabs in his last two seasons combined. He hasn’t scored since October, and he looked to be running out of gas down the stretch in 2019. 

The Bears bolstered their already-dominant defense with the signing of pass rusher Robert Quinn. After parting ways with Leonard Floyd, Pace brought in someone with proven production to line up opposite Khalil Mack.

Quinn is coming off a solid outing with the Cowboys last season, where he notched 11.5 sacks, and you figure his production should only get better when one of the game’s best is lining up on the other side.

Bleacher Report gave the Bears’ signing of Quinn a “C” grade.

Robert Quinn: C

In theory, pairing Quinn with Khalil Mack could give Chicago one of the most feared one-two punches on the edge in the league. There was a time when an argument could be made that Quinn was the best pass-rusher in football.

But that time was 2013. Since 2014, Quinn has just one season with double-digit sacks. He’s missed time in four of the last five seasons, including two games a year ago. And the Bears now have tied up close to 20 percent of their cap space in two pass-rushers—one of whom will turn 30 in May.

Chicago made its quarterback room better with the addition of veteran Nick Foles via trade with the Jaguars. Not only does Foles have experience operating in an Andy Reid offense, but he also has history with head coach Matt Nagy, offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo.

Whether you believe Foles will win the starting job or not, there’s no denying that have his veteran presence and leadership will only make this team better.

Bleacher Report gave the Bears’ trading for Foles a “B+” grade.

Nick Foles: B+

Foles isn’t an insurance plan; he’s competition for Trubisky’s starting job. The eight-year veteran is due $15.1 million in base salary this season.

The Super Bowl LII MVP played one season with the Kansas City Chiefs when Bears head coach Matt Nagy first became Andy Reid’s offensive coordinator. That familiarity should create an instant comfort level for Foles.

Trubisky’s continued development is no longer the Bears’ primary concern since Foles could easily end up Chicago’s starter sooner rather than later.

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New Bears QB Nick Foles dubbed winner of free agency

The Bears upgraded their quarterback room with the addition of veteran Nick Foles, who was named one of the winners of free agency.

There’s an argument to be made that the Bears got better or worse at some key positions of need this offseason.

While the signing of veteran tight end Jimmy Graham was deemed the second-worst move of the first day of legal tampering, the addition of All-Pro pass rusher Robert Quinn strengthened Chicago’s already-dominant defense.

As for the most-talked about position of the offseason, the Bears made their quarterback room better with the addition of veteran Nick Foles, who will battle it out with Mitchell Trubisky for the starting job.

And according to Sports Illustrated, Foles was one of the big winners of free agency.

Foles has been bit Forrest Gump-ian throughout his career, as he’s stumbled upon some of the better offensive flashpoints in recent history (and also played for Jeff Fisher). Being traded to Chicago assures that the legend continues to grow. He is, by all accounts, a good person and quarterback with a feel for locker rooms. He’s also walking into a familiar offensive situation. He is a slight upgrade over Mitch Trubisky and can both give Trubisky a run for his money during training camp and adequately enter a game should Trubisky struggle. Foles has had a pretty incredible career to this point.

Considering Foles’ experience in a Matt Nagy-type offense, as well as his history with members of Chicago’s offensive coaching staff, Foles comes to the Bears with an added advantage.

While it’s not a guarantee that Foles gets the start over Trubisky, he’ll certainly push Trubisky as the two battle it out during training camp for the starting role.

And even if Foles doesn’t win the starting job, he provides an immediate upgrade to Chase Daniel and serves as insurance should Trubisky’s struggles continue into his fourth season.

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Bears sign former Steelers CB Artie Burns to 1-year deal

The Chicago Bears addressed one of their secondary needs in free agency with the signing of cornerback Artie Burns.

The Chicago Bears addressed one of their secondary needs in free agency with the signing of a veteran cornerback.

The Bears are signing former Steelers cornerback Artie Burns to a one-year deal, according to Adam Schefter.

Burns was a former first-round pick by the Steelers in 2016. While he started just seven games over the last two seasons for the Steelers, there’s reason to hope for redemption as he’s just 24 years old and joining a veteran Bears defense.

Cornerback Prince Amukamara was a cap casualty earlier this offseason, and the Bears saved $9 million in cap space. Now, they’re looking for a new starting cornerback opposite Kyle Fuller.

Burns is certainly in the running for that starting job, along with recently-added CFL star Tre Roberson and third-year corner Kevin Toliver.

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4 positional needs for Bears through early free agency

After the Bears focused on some needs in free agency at TE, QB and EDGE, they still have some key positions that need to be addressed.

We’ve made it through the early part of free agency, and the Bears have made some big moves. Some are loved — like the addition of pass rusher Robert Quinn — and others not so much — like the signing of tight end Jimmy Graham.

But even after the Bears addressed some needs in free agency at tight end, quarterback and edge rusher, they still have some key positions that need to be addressed through continued free agency and the 2020 NFL Draft.

Here are four positional needs for the Bears following the early wave of free agency:

1. Offensive line

AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall

Chicago’s offensive line had its share of struggles in 2019. Considering the amount of money invested into the line, that kind of production was unacceptable. Unfortunately, the Bears appear to be saddled with what they have, minus right guard, for this season.

The Bears failed to address the offensive line in free agency. They still have a vacancy at the right guard spot, following Kyle Long’s retirement. There are still some veteran options on the free agent market Chicago could take a look at, like Ted Larsen or Kevin Pamphile. But it’s most likely that the Bears make offensive line a priority in the NFL Draft.

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