Bears News: Schofield Signs, Roquan Holdout, Stadium Update
July 25, 2022, 4:11 PM CDT
A lot of Bears news has come out today, three major talking points in fact.
Schofield Signs: The first news of the day is that Michael Schofield, the veteran OG that the team worked out yesterday, has signed a one-year contract with the team. He provides stability to a position that was filled with question marks. Would it be Mustipher or one of the rookies starting at RG? Well, now it will be Schofield, who avoids penalties and was the 9th highest graded pass blocker in the league last year. A big improvement to the O-Line, as he now goes in as the favorite to be the starting RG for Justin Fields and the offense.
Roquan Holdout: Ian Rapoport reported just a little while ago that Roquan Smith would be holding out of practice as veterans report to Training Camp tomorrow. With him playing on his fifth year option, he is looking for an extension to remain a Bear for a while, and Rapoport said that Ro hasn't yet received and offer he'd remotely consider. Another thing to keep in mind is that Ro doesn't have an agent, so it makes negotiations a little more complicated. This isn't the first time this has happened, as he held out of camp back in 2018 when he was negotiating his rookie contract. Brad Biggs reported that Ro would be present at camp, but not practice, similar to what TJ Watt did last year. Either way, expect a big payday for Roquan.
Stadium Update: Lori Lightfoot unveiled plans for a dome to be added onto Soldier Field, and I won't lie, it looks good. However, major problems still haven't been solved. Go back to my article on why a dome won't fix anything, and none of those problems were solved. In fact, it may even be more of a pain to get into the stadium. So while the concept looks nice, the Bears are still moving to Arlington Heights, and a $2.2 billion dollar dome won't change that. Also Lori, fans WILL follow the team to Arlington, and don't even think about bringing another team to Chicago. You see what is going on with Chargers home games, it will happen with a new Chicago NFL teams games as well.
Michael Schofield
Well That Was Quick: Bears and Brisker Agree To 4 Year Deal
July 25, 2022, 10:44 PM CDT
After just a few days of this situation, Jaquan Brisker has signed a 4 year deal. Details are not yet known, however, I will update this article when the contract details come out. It's good this situation didn't drag on, as that could've delayed the beginning of his season. Now the Front Office can turn their attention towards extending Roquan. Keep in mind that Roquan doesn't have an agent, so it somewhat slows down the negotiation process. Either way, one contract situation down, one more to go.
Jaquan Brisker during offseason practices
Bears Sign Veteran Offensive Tackle Riley Reiff
July 26, 2022, 4:31 PM CDT
Ryan Poles has signed another OL. This time, it's an offensive tackle. Today, we locked up veteran tackle Riley Reiff to a one year, $12.5 million contract. The 23rd overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, Reiff started 12 games at right tackle last year with the Bengals, after previously spending time with the Vikings and team that drafted him, the Lions. His first four seasons were spent at left tackle before transitioning to right, so he provides a lot of flexibility. This is a good signing for Chicago, as it brings veteran experience to the team that can A, mentor the young guys, and B, let the young guys develop without being thrust immediately into action. Don't expect the team to be done either, as Poles has made it clear he will bring in talent to compete for starting spots. And for all of those who said Poles made the roster worse, well, he just made it better over the past 2 weeks. Also, Roquan and Quinn both reported to camp, so that is good news.
New OT Riley Reiff