Tag: Patrick Scales

Bears re-sign long snapper Patrick Scales

The Bears finally made another move in free agency. It just wasn’t the one fans were waiting for. Long snapper Patrick Scales is back.

The Chicago Bears finally made a move on the second day of free agency’s legal tampering period. It just wasn’t a move that’s likely to have fans excited.

The Bears are re-signing long snapper Patrick Scales to a one-year, $1,272,500 veteran benefit deal with a maximum $152,500 signing bonus and $1,047,500 total guaranteed, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

In his seven-year career, Scales has appeared in 88 games as a long snapper with the Ravens (2014) and Bears (2015-21), where he recorded eight special teams tackles.

The Bears now have four specialists under contract heading into the 2022 season, including long snapper Beau Brinkley and punter Ryan Winslow, who signed earlier this offseason. Kicker Cairo Santos is also under contract.

Now, the focus shifts to whether or not punter Pat O’Donnell will be brought back on a similar one-year deal, which would keep the Bears’ special teams in tact for the third straight season.

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Bears 2022 free agency preview: Will Patrick Scales stay in Chicago?

We’re taking a look at Bears pending free agents, recapping their 2021 season and looking to the future. Next up: Patrick Scales.

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 long snapper Patrick Scales. Scales has been with the Bears since the 2015 season. The relationship he has built with the special teams unit is unique. Keeping But will keeping Scales be a priority when it comes to special teams this offseason?

Bears 2022 free agency preview: Will Pat O’Donnell return to Chicago?

We’re taking a look at Bears pending free agents, recapping their 2021 season and looking to the future. Next up: Pat O’Donnell.

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.

It’s time to look at the specialists, beginning with punter Pat O’Donnell. Will he remain the longest-tenured Bear? Or are his days punting at Soldier Field over?

Bears 2022 offseason preview: Where does Chicago stand at ST?

We’re breaking down each position entering the 2022 offseason. We’re wrapping things up with special teams, which could see some changes.

The Chicago Bears have a clean slate after hiring new general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus, who will be looking to get this franchise back on track in 2022.

With the offseason in full swing, Poles has plenty of work to do with the current roster, which features some glaring holes at positions of need. Poles will have to decide who to re-sign, who to let walk and who to target outside of the current roster heading into free agency and the NFL draft.

Here at Bears Wire, we’re going position by position to break down where Chicago stands entering the 2022 offseason. We’re wrapping things up with special teams, which could look different this year.

Bears are working out LS Mitch Fraboni

What’s going on with Patrick Scales?

Is there something going on with Chicago Bears long snapper Patrick Scales?

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Bears are working out long snapper Mitch Fraboni on Tuesday, which could be an indication that Scales might be banged up.

Fraboni, who went undrafted in 2018, spent time earlier this offseason with the Houston Texans.

Fraboni played college ball at Arizona State, where he played all 13 games and recorded a solo tackle. He earned Pac 12 all-academic honors with an honorable mention.

On Monday, the Bears hosted four running backs for a tryout, including former Texan Duke Johnson, TJ Logan, Chris Thompson and CJ Marable.

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Bears 2020 training camp preview: Special teams

The Bears have a much more stable unit than they did last year. Here’s how all key special teams contributors stack up heading into camp.

Special teams in the NFL can change the game for better or for worse. The Chicago Bears experienced the latter in grand fashion back in 2018 thanks to the “double doink” and worked to revamp their unit with one of the most highly-publicized kicking competitions ever and signing an All-Pro returner to kickstart the kickoff.

While the finished product certainly had room for improvement, particularly at the kicker position, it yielded quite a few positive results over the course of the season.

Now, one full year removed from the kicking fiasco, the Bears head into 2020 with a much more stable unit than they did last year at this time. Here’s how all key special teams contributors stack up heading into camp.

K Eddy Pineiro

Harrison Barden-USA TODAY Sports

The winner of the exhaustive Bears Bachelor-esque competition last summer, Pineiro held onto the job all year long after being traded from the then-Oakland Raiders and provided plenty of fireworks, both good and bad, as noted above.

For a while, it appeared the team had found its reliable kicker they had sought since the days of Robbie Gould when Pineiro converted 9-of-10 field goals in his first six games. Then the wheels came off, as he struggled to keep his consistency, going 3-of-7 in the middle of the season. Pineiro did rebound to close out 2019, nailing 11 consecutive kicks but questions still linger. His accuracy wasn’t consistent enough over an entire season and is his leg strong enough to hit deep field goals? Pineiro didn’t attempt a kick longer than 50 yards after his game-winning 53-yard field goal to win against the Broncos.

Going into the season, Pineiro is still the favorite to win the job, with far less competition breathing down his neck. Still, the kicker position is one of the most fluid in the NFL and if he endures another tough stretch, he probably won’t have the opportunity to rebound from it in Chicago.

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11 notable Bears who are unrestricted free agents after 2020 and whether they should be re-signed

Let’s take a look at 11 notable unrestricted free agents and whether the Bears should re-sign them, as well as the to-be-determined group.

We’re just a few months from the hopeful start of the 2020 season. But it’s never too early to take a look at what lies ahead in 2021. Particularly on the unrestricted free agent front.

Bears general manager Ryan Pace has some important decisions to make regarding some of his big-name free agents, some that will have to earn that next contract and others that are shoe-ins for another deal. (Looking at you, Allen Robinson.)

Let’s take a look at 11 notable unrestricted free agents and whether the Bears should re-sign them, as well as the to-be-determined group that features a slew of one-year prove-it deals.

*Contract details courtesy of Spotrac

WR Allen Robinson

2020 salary: $14M

Adam Bettcher/Getty Images

Allen Robinson has been the best thing about the Bears offense in his two short seasons in Chicago, and he’s proven to be the No. 1 receiver this team has been looking for. He’s managed to thrive in some pretty average or bad offenses in Chicago — even managing a 1,000-yard season in one of the league’s worst offenses — and it should be a no-brainer for Pace to lock up Robinson long-term.

Verdict: Re-sign

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Bears expected to re-sign LS Patrick Scales on 1-year deal

The Bears special teams won’t be changing in 2020. Chicago is re-signing long snapper Patrick Scales to a 1-year deal.

The Chicago Bears special teams won’t be changing in 2020.

Long snapper Patrick Scales is expected to re-sign with the Bears on a one-year deal, according to Chicago Tribune‘s Brad Biggs.

Scales has served as Chicago’s long snapper for 53 games over the past five seasons. He missed the 2015 season with an ACL injury suffered during the preseason.

The Bears’ special teams will look the same with placekicker Eddy Pineiro, punter Pat O’Donnell and Scales.

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Bears met with a kicker, punter and long snapper at Senior Bowl

The Bears did their due diligence with special teamers during the Senior Bowl last week, meeting with some well-known prospects.

The Bears did their due diligence with special teamers during the Senior Bowl last week, where they met with some prospects that could be future Bears.

The Bears met with Georgia kicker Rodrigo Blankenship, Texas A&M punter Braden Mann and LSU long snapper Blake Ferguson at the Senior Bowl.

While Bears kicker Eddy Pineiro had a solid rookie season — where he connected on 23-of-28 field goals (82.1%) — it looks like the Bears are still looking at kickers.

And in terms of great college kickers, Blakenship is one of the best. He went 66-for-79 for 83.5% on field goals in his career, including 6-for-8 on kicks from 50 and longer. He also made all 174 extra points in college.

Bears punter Pat O’Donnell signed a two-year extension last March, which leaves him under contract through 2021. O’Donnell averaged 44.8 yards per punt, which ranked 26th in the NFL, including a long of 75 yards. O’Donnell also had 26 punts inside the 20-yard line, which ranked 16th in the league.

If the Bears were looking for a replacement for O’Donnell, Mann is a good prospect to watch. In his career with Texas A&M, Mann averaged 49.1 yards per punt, including a career-long of 82 yards.

Chicago has a decision to make at the long snapper position. Patrick Scales is a pending free agent, which means Ferguson could wind up being the most likely target of the three special teamers they met with last week.

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