Tag: Taylor Gabriel

NFL Combine: Bears have met with WRs Van Jefferson, Gabriel Davis

While receiver doesn’t rank high on the list of priorities for the Bears this offseason, they’d do well to target a receiver in the draft.

While receiver doesn’t rank high on the list of priorities for the Bears this offseason, they’d do well to target a receiver in the NFL Draft.

With the departure of Taylor Gabriel, who was one of the first cap-casualties of the offseason, the Bears should look to the draft to bring in a speedy young talent.

There are no shortage of explosive playmakers in this receivers class, and luckily for Chicago, it’s a good year to need a pass catcher.

The Bears have met with Florida receiver Van Jefferson and UCF receiver Gabriel Davis at the NFL Scouting Combine this week, according to Zack Pearson.

Davis excels at route running and ball skills, and he’s a speedy receiver that would help the Bears. Davis ran a 4.54 in the 40-yard dash during Thursday’s workout. He also had a 35-inch vertical jump and 124-inch broad jump.

Unfortunately for Jefferson, he wasn’t able to showcase his skills. He’ll be sidelined for the next few weeks after being diagnosed with a Jones fracture in his right foot by doctors at the NFL Combine, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Jefferson will undergo surgery next week, which is expected to sideline him for six to eight weeks. Obviously, that means Jefferson won’t be able to participate in the Scouting Combine or Florida’s Pro Day, which usually happens in late March. Jefferson really raised his draft stock at the Senior Bowl, but he didn’t have a chance to further that.

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5 free agents targets who perfectly fit Adam Gase’s offense

The Jets need players who fit in Adam Gase’s offensive scheme and these five free agents fit the bill.

To say Adam Gase’s offense didn’t perform well in 2019 would be an insult to mediocrity.

The Jets didn’t just underperform this past season, they outright stunk. New York finished 31st in points and 32nd in yards, and the only reason they won seven games was thanks to Gregg Williams’ defense. Now, some of these failures can be attributed to Sam Darnold’s three-game absence and Mike Maccagnan’s decision to neglect the offensive line and overspend in free agency, but Gase still couldn’t put together a good offense and the Jets suffered mightily because of it.

Now that Maccagnan is gone, Darnold literally can’t get mono again and the Jets should have close to $80 million to play with his offseason, Gase and GM Joe Douglas could add some great players to the offense that fit in Gase’s scheme and give Darnold more weapons to work with for the 2020 season. The Jets leaned heavily on short passes in 2019 and will likely do so again with Jamison Crowder and Le’Veon Bell (for now) still on the team. Those two accounted for 200 of the 521 passing attempts in 2019 and should be in line for even more work if Darnold stays healthy. 

There are some solid possible players in free agency for Gase and Douglas to target that fit that offense, though. Here are five of the top options for the Jets and Gase’s scheme.

(Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)

WR Emmanuel Sanders

Sanders will be 33 in March but would still thrive in Gase’s offense. He’s one of the best tacticians anywhere he lines up on the field and rarely drops passes. When Gase coached Sanders on the Broncos in 2014, Sanders finished the season with 101 receptions on 141 targets for 1,404 yards and nine touchdowns, all career-highs.

Those days are long gone for Sanders, but he still proved to be one of the 25 most valuable wide receivers in 2019. He caught 66 balls for 869 yards and five touchdowns for two teams in and only dropped one pass. The Jets had the seventh-highest drop rate in the NFL and could use a player with hands like Sanders.

Despite his age, Sanders fits the bill as the quintessential Gase player because he thrives out wide and in the slot. He’d be a great veteran leader for the Jets offense and would likely come cheaper than a lot of the other riskier wide receivers on the market.

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Panthers 2020 potential free agent target profile: WR Taylor Gabriel

Our next potential 2020 free agent target profile is the underrated Taylor Gabriel, who was just released by the Bears.

The Panthers have an excellent one-two punch at wide receiver with D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady used a lot of four and five receiver sets at LSU though and the team could use a boost to the bottom end of the depth chart.

This year’s draft class is deep at wide receiver, so expect them to pick up a prospect there. Carolina might also consider signing a veteran who could qualify as a steal. Our next potential 2020 free agent target profile is the underrated Taylor Gabriel, who was just released by the Bears.

Career stats

Gabriel went undrafted after playing his college career at Abilene Christian. Since coming into the NFL, he’s spent two years each with the Browns, Falcons and Bears. In 83 games, he has totaled 228 catches, 2,860 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns.

Pros

When the speedy Gabriel has worked with a solid quarterback and offensive coordinator (namely Matt Ryan and Kyle Shanahan) he’s produced. His best year came in 2016 when he caught a career-high six touchdowns. Gabriel has an excellent catch rate for a deep threat and rarely drops passes. Adding him to the mix would give Brady another weapon to stretch the field. He’s also a legitimate special teams contributor and has some experience as a kick returner, totaling 96 yards on four attempts.

Cons

Gabriel just turned 29 years old a week ago and he missed half of the 2019 season for Chicago due to injuries. His relatively small frame for a pro receiver (5-foot-7, 168 pounds) is a bit of a concern. This will be his seventh year in the league and he only has 31 starts to his name.

Probability: Medium

Cleveland, Atlanta, Green Bay and San Francisco all have connections with Gabriel. However, the market for his services probably won’t be too active given the upcoming deep WR draft class and his age. If Carolina can sign him at a reasonable price, it would be an excellent under-the-radar kind of move.

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5 takeaways from Bears’ release of Prince Amukamara, Taylor Gabriel

The Bears parted ways with CB Prince Amukamara and WR Taylor Gabriel in order to free up some much-needed salary cap space this offseason.

The Bears parted ways with cornerback Prince Amukamara and receiver Taylor Gabriel on Friday, in order to free up some much-needed salary cap space this offseason.

It was the choice for general manager Ryan Pace, who recognizes that there’s a lot of work to do on the offensive side of the ball. Still, the Bears lost two solid players and high-character guys that will be missed. They also have holes to fill at cornerback and speedy receiver.

Here are five takeaways from Amukamara and Gabriel’s release:

1. The Bears cleared up salary cap space

Kamil Krzaczynski/Chicago Tribune via AP

When all is said and done, Amukamara and Gabriel were both solid free agent pickups for Ryan Pace. But with that said, cutting ties with them was something that Pace had to do.

The Bears had just $5 million in salary cap space for the 2020 season before making the decision to release Amukamara and Gabriel. Those cuts freed up an additional $13.5 million in cap space that will help the Bears this offseason.

While Amukamara was a solid player on Chicago’s defense, the Bears couldn’t justify the $9 million cap-hit he would’ve had in 2020. With the influx of young receivers the Bears have on their roster, parting ways with Gabriel made sense, especially as it saved Chicago an addition $4.5 million in cap space.

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49ers make sense as destination for WR Taylor Gabriel

Taylor Gabriel is the kind of free agent the 49ers should target in the offseason.

The Chicago Bears are set to release wide receiver Taylor Gabriel and cornerback Prince Amukamara according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. With a relatively unproven receiving corps going into the 2020 offseason, Gabriel is the kind of free agent the 49ers could target in a year where they have some holes to fill and not a ton of money to spend.

The speedy wide receiver played only nine games last season while battling injuries, but prior to that had put together a few productive years in the NFL. He got his start in the pros as an undrafted free agent with the Browns in 2014 when 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was the offensive coordinator in Cleveland.

Gabriel had a strong rookie campaign in Shanahan’s offense with 36 catches for 621 yards and one touchdown. His 17.3 yards per reception was the highest mark of his career.

He didn’t see that same success in 2015, the year Shanahan left Cleveland to become the Falcons’ offensive coordinator. Gabriel caught 28 balls for 241 yards and no touchdowns in 13 games. He revitalized his career the following season by reuniting with Shanahan when the Falcons claimed Gabriel off waiver from Cleveland. In 2016, Gabriel had 35 catches for 579 yards and a career-high six touchdowns. His production again fell off the next year when Shanahan left to become the 49ers’ head coach.

Through his first four seasons, Gabriel had 71 catches for 1200 yards and seven touchdowns in two years with Shanahan, and 61 catches for 619 yards and one touchdown without him.

The Bears signed Gabriel in 2018 to a four-year deal worth $28 million. Head coach Matt Nagy got big-time production from Gabriel in their first season together. The receiver set career highs with 67 receptions and 688 yards. Injuries last season limited him to just 29 catches for 353 yards, but he did score four touchdowns in nine games.

Chicago is only working with about $18 million in cap space going into the offseason according to Over the Cap, and releasing Gabriel saved the Bears about $4.5 million in cap space.

He was due $6.5 million this season, which is in the range where the 49ers might be able to afford to add a productive receiver to their roster, assuming he commanded that same type of deal on the open market. San Francisco can clear some of that space if they release Marquise Goodwin at a savings of $3.6 million.

Gabriel offers the speed element that stretches defenses vertically, but he’s also shifty enough to create space in the short and intermediate areas of the passing game. The 49ers badly need an additional speed element in their receiving corps, and Goodwin’s last two seasons haven’t been consistent enough to rely on him for a significant role in the passing game. Gabriel’s history in Shanahan’s offense, and his strong 2018 season, provide optimism that he can step in right away and make the 49ers’ receiving corps better.

The 49ers won’t have a ton of cash to go out and spend in free agency, but smaller, prudent moves to tweak the roster are necessary, and Gabriel certainly fits that mold.

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2020 NFL free agency: Titans should target Taylor Gabriel

With the Chicago Bears reportedly set to release Taylor Gabriel, the wide receiver should be on the Tennessee Titans’ radar.

With the Tennessee Titans in the market for a speedy wide receiver this offseason, wide receiver Taylor Gabriel could be a perfect fit.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Chicago Bears are going to release Gabriel, who signed a four-year, $26 million contract with the team in 2018.

The 29-year-old receiver battled two concussions in 2019 and played in just nine games, totaling 29 catches for 353 yards and four touchdowns. He did, however, compile 12.2 yards per reception, his highest mark since 2016.

Gabriel really made a name for himself during his time with the Atlanta Falcons, but his best season came with the Bears in 2018 when he finished with career-highs in receptions (67) and yards (688).

The undrafted Abilene Christian product is best known for his blazing speed (he ran a 4.27 40-yard dash) and ability as a deep threat, and he has the versatility to line up anywhere on the field.

The Titans already have a solid stable of wideouts going into 2020 and have bigger needs to concentrate their money on, so any move to sign a burner would have to come at the right price.

Seeing as how Gabriel is coming off a down year because of his injuries, Tennessee might be able to get him at a cheaper price than he would otherwise command under normal circumstances.

The Titans will also have the option of adding a receiver in the 2020 NFL Draft, but such a move wouldn’t guarantee an immediate impact. As long as he’s healthy, Gabriel could provide just the boost the Titans need.

Bears release WR Taylor Gabriel and CB Prince Amukamara

The Bears have dealt their first salary cap-casualties of the offseason with the release of WR Taylor Gabriel and CB Prince Amukamara.

The Chicago Bears have dealt their first salary cap-casualties of the offseason.

The Bears are releasing receiver Taylor Gabriel and cornerback Prince Amukamara, the team announced Friday.

The release of Gabriel and Amukamara doesn’t really come as a surprise, considering both were discussed as potential cap-casualties throughout the offseason — and that the Bears have a ton of cap space they needed to clear.

Chicago will free up about $13.5 million in salary cap space ($9 million for Amukamara and $4.5 million for Gabriel) and there was only $3 million in dead money.

The Bears are currently around $27.1M in 2020 cap space, according to Over The Cap.

With the release of Amukamara, the Bears now have a big hole at cornerback opposite Kyle Fuller. While there are some players that could replace Amukamara currently on the roster in Kevin Toliver and newly-acquired Tre Roberson, it’s still likely that Chicago targets a cornerback this offseason.

Gabriel’s release leaves the Bears looking to add a speedy receiver through free agency or the NFL Draft, although they have a ton of young talent on their roster including Anthony Miller, Javon Wims and Riley Ridley.

Amukamara spent three seasons with the Bears (2017-19), where he had 29 pass breakups and 3 interceptions.

In Gabriel’s two seasons with Chicago (2018-19), he had 96 catches for 1,041 yards and six touchdowns in 25 games. But he also had two concussions last year, which shortened his season.

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1 pending free agent Chargers should target: NFC North Edition

Chargers Wire lists one pending free agent on each team in the NFC North that the Los Angeles Chargers could target.

The Los Angeles Chargers are set to enter free agency with the most salary cap available since Tom Telesco took over as general manager in 2013.

Even though the franchise has some in-house players that will need to get paid, there’s a great chance that Telesco and company will be aggressive in signing other soon-to-be free agents to bolster an already talented roster, with the hopes of making a quick turnaround after finishing 5-11 in 2019.

With that being said, we are going to list one pending free agent from each team in the NFL that could be a realistic target for L.A. Next up is the NFC North.

Green Bay Packers – OT Bryan Bulaga

Bulaga is a proven right tackle that would give the line a much-needed boost. In each of his full seasons since 2014, Bulaga has ranked among the 10 best right tackles in Pro Football Focus’ pass-blocking grade, with three ranking in the top three.

Bulaga, 30, is coming off a five-year, $33 million contract, but his new deal is expected to cost more annually. He could command a little north of $10 million per year, which calculates the market value of his next contract to be three years and about $30.4 million, per Spotrac.

It may seem like a decent amount of money, but given how much of a need it is to fulfill the position, giving one of the league’s best right tackles that type of paycheck could pay huge dividends for the Bolts.

Minnesota Vikings – CB Trae Waynes

Waynes has tallied 42 passes defensed and seven total interceptions in 53 starts for the Vikings. Since he was drafted in 2015, he produced a mixed bag of results in coverage, but his game has progressed every year. Waynes was also one of Minnesota’s top run defenders on the outside, amassing 247 tackles. He’s also been durable, starting 44 of 48 games since he became a starter in 2017. Another plus is that he’s only 27 years old. The former Michigan State product would be the ideal compliment to Casey Hayward on the perimeter.

Detroit Lions – OL Graham Glasgow

Glasgow started at left guard in 2017, center in 2018 and right guard in 2019. The versatility alone should be very intriguing for the Chargers, but his production for Detroit is what should buy Los Angeles in completely. This past season, Glasgow earned a 74.1 overall grade that ranked ninth out of 66 qualified guards. Glasgow, who is more superior in the run-blocking department, is still stout in pass protection. In 2019, he didn’t allow a sack and only committed three penalties.

Chicago Bears – WR Taylor Gabriel

Gabriel spent two seasons in Chicago after signing a four-year deal in 2018, catching 96 passes for 1,041 yards and six touchdowns over the two stints. His 2019 season was short-lived due to two concussions suffered during the year. If Gabriel stays healthy, he has the make-up to be a nice WR3 and much-needed vertical option for the Chargers as he wins with his natural speed and ease of movement to be a home run threat.

Note: Gabriel was released on Friday, so he can sign with teams prior to the free agency period opening up.

Grading the 2019 Bears by position: Wide receivers

Heading into the 2019 season, the Bears WRs looked to be one of the deepest position groups on the team. How’d they grade for the season?

Going into the 2019 season, the receiving corps of the Chicago Bears looked to be one of the deepest position groups on the team.

Boasting a fully healthy Allen Robinson and Anthony Miller, who appeared ready to become a deadly duo in the NFC North, as well as speedster Taylor Gabriel, rookie Riley Ridley, second-year receiver Javon Wims and free agent pickup Cordarrelle Patterson, the sky appeared to be the limit for this young group.

Instead, Robinson was the only one to take off, becoming the true number one option the team needed, with everyone else fell to the wayside. Here are the grades for each wide receiver on the Bears.

Allen Robinson: A

Dylan Buell/Getty Images

Undoubtedly the MVP of the offense, Allen Robinson was the bright spot on an otherwise disastrous unit. The Bears receiver has his best season since breaking out in 2015, catching 98 passes for 1,147 yards and seven touchdowns. He accounted for nearly one third of the Bears’ passing yards for the season and ascended to the go-to receiver the team believed they were getting when he was signed as a free agent in 2018.

Robinson made incredible catches throughout the entire season and became the key third-down target to continue drives. Whether it was a back-shoulder throw or an inside hitch route, Robinson did it all this season and produced at a high level. If there was one thing to knock, it would be a few drops, some of which came at inopportune times. But a few rough moments can’t overshadow the best season by a Bears wide receiver since 2014.

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4 Bears that could be on the chopping block this offseason

The Bears have needs this offseason and they don’t have a lot of cap space to make it happen. That means some players’ futures are in doubt.

The Chicago Bears have plenty of needs to address this offseason. Although, outside of the 2020 NFL Draft, it’s going to be difficult given their limited salary cap space. They currently have a little over $6 million in cap space for 2020, according to Over The Cap.

Although that’s never stopped general manager Ryan Pace before. Pace has already his work on the salary cap by restructuring cornerback Kyle Fuller’s contract to free up cap space.

But aside from that, there are players the Bears could part ways with this offseason to free up a good chunk of salary cap space, which would allow Pace to extend some players in-house or bring in some new faces through free agency.

Here are four players that could be on the chopping block this offseason:

1. RG Kyle Long

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Technically Kyle Long has already announced his hiatus/retirement from the NFL, which would free up the $8.1 million in salary cap space the Bears were set to free up by releasing the veteran right guard.

Long has struggled with injuries throughout his season, especially over the last four seasons where he’s finished each of those years on injured reserve. The Bears have are likely to turn to the NFL Draft for his replacement or look in-house with rookie offensive lineman Alex Bars.

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