Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
One week later and 9 Raiders free agents still unemployed
A great many departing Raiders found new homes over the past week. Some were re-signed to the team as well. You can all the team’s additions, retentions, and subtractions right here in our free agency tracker.
But not all of those who were a member of the Raiders a week ago have found a landing spot yet. Specifically these nine.
What Condition Raiders Position is in: Tight end
With free agency under a month away, it’s time to check in on the Raiders’ tight end position to give it a condition of either Strong, Stable, Unstable, Serious, or Critical.
Mayer didn’t come bursting out the gates as some thought he might as the 35th overall pick in the draft. But around midseason, he started to show some of the skills that were expected of him, before being lost to injury late. The veteran Hooper was the team’s number two tight end. All others played sparingly or not at all.
Even if Hooper leaves in free agency, the team is set with Mayer as their starting tight end. He is no sure thing, but expect the Raiders to ride with him for now to see if he can develop. They would simply look to bolster the position with a mid level free agent or mid round draft selection, which shouldn’t be difficult.
With Bears training camp 2023 well underway, let’s remember some former standouts that became fan favorites in previous years.
Chicago Bears training camp is well underway and fans are getting a close look at the team as they prepare for the upcoming 2023 season. Star players like Justin Fields, D.J. Moore, Tremaine Edmunds, and Jaylon Johnson are of course the focus as the team looks to improve upon its dismal 3-14 record from a year ago, but camp is also about finding those undrafted players near the bottom of the roster that can turn heads.
Guys like Terrell Lewis, Aron Cruickshank, and Buddy Johnson have stood out at different times already. Camp is a prime opportunity for players to make a name for themselves, which in turn gets fans excited about what they’re seeing on the field. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and remember some former Bears training camp and preseason standouts who may not have been household names.
Raiders add another tight end to the mix for minicamp.
Today the Raiders had a full slate of tight ends on the field. Six in total. As of tomorrow, they should be fielding seven tight ends. The team signed former Bears tight end Jesper Horsted according to ESPN’s Field Yates.
The Raiders have signed former Bears TE Jesper Horsted.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) June 7, 2022
Horsted went undrafted out of Princeton in 2019. In two NFL seasons with the Bears, he appeared in 13 games with one start, catching ten passes for 108 yards and three touchdowns.
He was waived by the Bears on May 13.
No word yet on corresponding roster moves, but there should be one as the Raiders had a full 90-man offseason roster.
The Bears are saying goodbye to a fan favorite as TE Jesper Horsted has been waived with a failed physical designation.
The Chicago Bears are saying goodbye to a fan favorite. According to Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus, the Bears are releasing tight end Jesper Horsted with a failed physical designation.
Kyed is also reporting they made a waiver claim on former New York Giants tight end Rysen John to take Horsted’s place on the roster.
The #Bears waived TE Jesper Horsted with a failed physical designation.
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) May 11, 2022
More TE waiver claims:
Bears claimed TE Rysen Johnson from the Giants.
Packers claimed TE Eli Wolf from the Colts.
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) May 11, 2022
Horsted signed with the Bears in 2019 as an undrafted free agent out of Princeton. A former receiver, Horsted converted to tight end and lit up the preseason that earned him a spot on the team’s practice squad. He eventually made it onto the active roster, playing in six games and catching eight passes for 87 yards and a touchdown.
After spending the 2020 season the practice squad, Horsted made the final roster cut in 2021 after another brilliant preseason performance. Despite playing on just six offensive snaps, Horsted had two catches for two touchdowns on the year, the first of which was quarterback Justin Fields’ first career touchdown pass that came in week five against the Las Vegas Raiders. He was re-signed earlier this offseason.
Taking his spot on the roster is John, who joined the Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2020. He has yet to play in a professional game due to injuries.
[listicle id=507359]
With James O’Shaughnessy joining the Bears, here’s a look at where Chicago’s tight end depth stands.
The Chicago Bears signed tight end James O’Shaughnessy to a one-year deal, which makes him the third tight end move in free agency for general manager Ryan Poles.
O’Shaughnessy, a former fifth-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2015, has played seven NFL seasons with the Chiefs (2015-16) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2017-21). He has 112 catches for 1,108 yards and three touchdowns.
O’Shaughnessy was drafted by the Chiefs during Poles’ tenure, and he provides additional depth at tight end for the Bears, where he figures to serve as another backup for Cole Kmet.
With the addition of O’Shaughnessy, here’s a look at the Bears’ tight end depth:
We’re breaking down each position ahead of the 2022 NFL draft. Next up is TE, which may not be as big of a priority during the draft.
The Chicago Bears are coming off a disappointing 2021 season that ushered in the start of a new era with general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus. The hope is this Ryan-Matt duo will be able to guide the Bears back to relevance.
With the NFL draft fast approaching, Poles still has plenty of work to do with the current roster, which features some glaring holes at positions of need. Positions like wide receiver, offensive line and defensive back remain huge concerns.
Here at Bears Wire, we’re going position by position to break down where Chicago stands entering the 2022 NFL draft. It’s time to look at tight ends, a position that was bolstered last week and may not be as big of a priority during the draft.
The Bears are bringing back a fan favorite as TE Jesper Horsted has signed a one-year deal as an exclusive rights free agent.
The Chicago Bears are bringing back a fan favorite as the team announced Monday afternoon they have signed tight end Jesper Horsted to a one-year deal as an exclusive rights free agent. He was tendered in early March.
Horsted enters his fourth season with the Bears after earning a spot on the team as an undrafted free agent in 2019 thanks to an impressive preseason performance.
The former Princeton standout had flashes of success his rookie year, catching eight passes for 87 yards and one touchdown. He was relegated to the practice squad in 2020, but worked his way back to the 53-man roster in 2021 after yet another strong preseason, playing behind Cole Kmet, Jimmy Graham, and Jesse James.
Last season, Horsted notched just six snaps on offense and caught two passes, both of which were touchdowns. He was the recipient of quarterback Justin Fields’ first touchdown pass of his career in the team’s Week 5 win against the Las Vegas Raiders. Much of his season was spent on special teams.
With Graham and James unlikely to return in 2022, however, Horsted stands to see more time on offense as the “U” tight end with Kmet at the “Y.” Listed at 6-foot-4 and 241 lbs, Horsted has shown he can be a problem for defenses and he might get to show that depending on the team’s plans at the position for the rest of the offseason.
[listicle id=504642]
The Bears tendered one-year deals to all 3 of their exclusive rights free agents in Jesper Horsted, Sam Mustipher and Lachavious Simmons.
The Chicago Bears made some moves ahead of the start of free agency to tender all three exclusive rights free agents in tight end Jesper Horsted, offensive lineman Sam Mustipher and offensive lineman Lachavious Simmons.
Exclusive rights free agents are players with two or fewer accrued NFL seasons who can only negotiate and sign with their original team. Horsted, Mustipher and Simmons all signed one-year tenders.
Horsted joined the Bears as an undrafted rookie out of Princeton in 2019. As a rookie, he caught eight passes for 87 yards and his first career NFL touchdown. He spent the 2020 season on the practice squad before appearing in seven games last year. Horsted’s two catches were touchdowns. Horsted has been used sparingly, but he showed a great chemistry with quarterback Justin Fields. Perhaps that’ll lead to more involvement in 2022.
Mustipher also signed with the Bears as an undrafted rookie out of Notre Dame, where he spent his rookie year on the practice squad. He got an opportunity to start at center in 2020, which earned him the starting job last season. He started all 17 games at center. But it doesn’t look like he’ll retain that starting job heading into 2022 following a rough year.
Simmons was a seventh-round draft selection out of Tennessee State in 2020. He made his NFL debut last season, playing in two games, including one start at right tackle against the Buccaneers in Week 7.
Follow The Bears Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts
[listicle id=502784]
We’re taking a look at Bears pending free agents, recapping their 2021 season and looking ahead to the future. Next up: Jimmy Graham.
Free agency is just around the corner, and Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles has plenty of work to do with this roster. There are some important decisions he has to make about who to add to the current roster and which pending free agents to retain heading into 2022.
Looking ahead to free agency, we’re breaking down every Bears free agent’s 2021 season, including the team’s need at the position and predicting whether they stay or go in free agency.
Up next is Jimmy Graham who despite making one of the plays of the year, probably overstayed his welcome in Chicago and will more than likely be on his way out of town come March.
