Recapping The Bears Post-Draft Offseason Moves
August 12, 2023, 11:47 AM CDT
It's been a while since I've written about the Bears. For a while after the draft, the Bears were pretty quiet in terms of signings. They went almost two months without signing a player to the roster until they brought in former Dolphins wideout Isaiah Ford in for some depth. The likelihood he makes the team is probably low, but he's another body to have for preseason (which begins today for the Bears!). The other move they made during this beginning of camp period was bringing in former Steelers linebacker Buddy Johnson on a one-year deal, again to serve as depth on this roster. Two days after this, though, is when we got our first major Bears news since the draft. Ryan Poles and Tight End Cole Kmet agreed on a four-year, $50 million extension with $32.8 million guaranteed, plus the deal is frontloaded so we save more money in cap space in the last couple years of the deal. After not having the most productive first two seasons in terms of touchdowns (receiving yards were not an issue in year two), Kmet broke out in a big way last season with 7 touchdowns, becoming Justin Fields' favorite red zone target about midway through the season. A well-deserved extension as Kmet is on an expiring deal, and the Front Office believed in his potential and that he can be a big part of the Bears' core moving forward as he continues to get better. The next move came about a week later, as the Bears finally got the pass rusher they desired in Yannick Ngakoue on a one-year, $10.5 million deal. The Bears struggled to get to the QB last season, as the team's leading sacker was Safety Jaquan Brisker, who had four sacks last season. Not wanting the leader in sacks to be a member of the secondary, the Bears brought in Ngakoue, who had 9.5 sacks last season and hasn't had a full season with less than 8 sacks in his career. The only season he didn't reach 8 sacks was in 2020 when he had 5 sacks in just 6 games played. That was also the only season where he didn't play at least 15 games in his career, so past injuries shouldn't be a worry at all in Chicago. The last major signing the Bears made was bringing in veteran Tight End Marcedes Lewis in on a one-year deal. Along with signing Robert Tonyan early in the offseason, we basically stole the Packers' 2022 Tight End room, even if they are only backups to Cole Kmet. Lewis is mostly known for his blocking, though the 39-year-old still brings 5,084 receiving yards and 39 touchdowns of experience to the Tight End room. Should Lewis make the team (which is very likely), he will break a tie between himself, Jason Witten, and Tony Gonzalez for most seasons ever played by a Tight End, as he is entering year 18 of his career. He should serve as sort of a 6th Offensive Lineman whenever he is on the field, though he may get a chance to catch a touchdown or two as well.
The Bears kick off their preseason in a little over 10 minutes as they host the Tennessee Titans.
The Bears signed Cole Kmet to an extension over the offseason
Bears Begin Roster Trimming By Cutting 3 Players
August 27, 2023, 10:27 PM CDT
The Bears (and every other NFL team) need to trim their roster down from 90 to 53 players by Tuesday at 3 PM CDT. Coming into today, their roster sat at 87, but now it sits at 84 after the release of three players. QB PJ Walker was the first player announced to be released, a surprise after they signed him to a two-year deal worth $4 million this past offseason with $2 million guaranteed. However, Walker really struggled in camp and preseason, going 11/23 in preseason with 96 passing yards, a touchdown, and an interception. It seemed that rookie UDFA Tyson Bagent had passed him after just two weeks, as Bagent played most of the game against Buffalo ahead of Walker. With Bagent securing the QB2 job, there was no need to keep Walker on as a third QB, so he gets a shot to go somewhere else to be the backup. What the Bears will do with Nathan Peterman, who didn't play yesterday, is yet to be known. What is known is that the Bears released Offensive Lineman Alex Leatherwood today as well. Leatherwood was a first-round pick by the Raiders back in 2021, but he struggled in his rookie season and after a new regime took over in Vegas, they decided to cut ties after preseason last year and release him. The Bears claimed him off of waivers, which meant they took on his entire rookie contract. The hope was that Leatherwood could develop into a solid offensive lineman, as he was projected to be a project coming out of college but was rushed in by the Raiders 2021 regime. Unfortunately, he missed the first 7 weeks due to an illness. When he came back, he was mostly on the inactive list but finally got a chance to get some snaps after the late bye week. It wasn't a lot, but he had some flashes and the hope was he could continue to get better this offseason. Despite appearing to have improved in camp and in preseason, the Bears have cut ties, and will still be on the hook for the guaranteed money on his deal. Finally, the Bears released another Offensive Lineman, this time being UDFA Gabe Houy. Houy was signed out of Pitt after the draft, where he had flashed potential but struggled with injuries. Unfortunately, it was an injury that costed him a shot at a roster spot as he was carted off the field against Buffalo. He was waived/injured, so the Bears will likely hope he can clear waivers where they will get an opportunity to hold onto him and place him on IR, or they will release him with an injury settlement. I hope they hang onto him, he showed promise in camp, college, and preseason and maybe can get a shot again next year to make the team.
PJ Walker was surprisingly waived today after signing to be the backup in the offseason
Bears Swing Trade For Dolphins Offensive Lineman Dan Feeney
August 28, 2023, 10:45 PM CDT
The Bears have made a trade, their first since Day 3 of the NFL Draft. With the Interior Offensive Line being banged up at the moment with injuries to Teven Jenkins, Nate Davis, Cody Whitehair, Lucas Patrick, and Doug Kramer, the Bears decided to add Dolphins Offensive Lineman Dan Feeney to the ranks to provide depth on the interior. Feeney is a local kid, coming from Orland Park just like former Bears Offensive Lineman Michael Schofield. They are giving up a 2024 Sixth Round Pick to acquire the services of Feeney.
Feeney has played in 79 games in his career, which began in 2017 with the Chargers. He started 62 of those games, splitting time at both Guard and Center. He was a first-team All-American with Indiana in 2016 and was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team in 2017. He has spent the last two seasons with the Jets and now comes over from the Dolphins, whom he signed a one-year contract with back in March, to help us out with the injury bug that the Interior Offensive Line has caught during Training Camp and Preseason.
Dan Feeney with the Jets
Bears Finalize Depth Chart For Week 1 Against Green Bay
September 6, 2023, 11:00 PM CDT
Following all the roster cuts and waiver claims over the last week, the Bears have come down to a final 53-Man roster entering Week 1 against Green Bay. A couple of guys are on IR, but this should be the depth chart for the next few weeks barring any major injuries or terrible performances that would bump guys up and down the chart. So, let's get right into this thing.
QB: Justin Fields, Nathan Peterman, Tyson Bagent
The Bears initially released Nathan Peterman on roster cut day, however with extra spots after waiver claims and IR placements, they brought him back to serve as the primary backup to Justin Fields. Tyson Bagent, who shined in preseason, will serve as QB3, at least to begin the season.
RB: Khalil Herbert, D'Onta Foreman, Roschon Johnson, Travis Homer
I would expect Roschon to rise above Foreman at some point this season, however, Herbert and D'Onta will serve as the primary backs for now. Herbert will get most of the carries, but Foreman did rush for over 900 yards last year so we will likely see a good amount of him as well. Homer will serve primarily on special teams.
WR: DJ Moore, Darnell Mooney, Chase Claypool, Velus Jones Jr., Equanimeous St. Brown, Tyler Scott, Trent Taylor
The starting three receivers remain as expected, as well as the primary three backups. Trent Taylor will serve as the team's punt returner and could get in on certain trick plays. The same goes with Velus Jones Jr., and he will be the team's kick returner this season after he did pretty well there last year.
TE: Cole Kmet, Robert Tonyan, Marcedes Lewis
Again, no surprise here. Kmet and Tonyan will be pass-catching Tight Ends, while Marcedes Lewis will serve primarily as a blocker as he is probably the best-blocking Tight End in the league.
LT: Braxton Jones, Larry Borom
Braxton was able to maintain the Starting LT job that he had won in camp last season. Larry Borom will be a swing tackle as he is listed as the primary backup to both Braxton and RT Darnell Wright.
LG: Cody Whitehair, Dan Feeney/Ja'Tyre Carter
This would normally be where Teven Jenkins would play, but he is on IR with an injury and Whitehair is also dealing with an issue that has moved him from Center. Feeney and Carter can both play here if needed, with Feeney being listed as the primary backup on ESPN and Carter the primary guy on Bears.com.
C: Lucas Patrick, Dan Feeney
Again, with Teven hurt and Whitehair also dealing with something, Patrick will get the opportunity to start at Center, where he was originally signed to play last offseason. However, he got hurt before the year, started the first six games at Guard, and played about one drive in Week 7 as the Center before suffering a season-ending injury. Whitehair likely moves back here once Teven gets back. Feeney can also cover this spot if needed.
RG: Nate Davis, Ja'Tyre Carter
Davis was injured for a lot of camp and the preseason, but is good to go for Week One. If the injury bugs him during the game, however, Ja'Tyre Carter is listed as the primary backup. He did start at RG when Davis was hurt for Preseason Week One.
RT: Darnell Wright, Larry Borom
Sort of explained this earlier when talking about LT depth. Wright will start with a lot of expectations as the 10th overall pick in the draft, and Borom will serve as the swing tackle in case of injury.
DE: DeMarcus Walker, Dominique Robinson
Walker was brought in on a three-year deal to be the starter at Defensive End, with Defensive Tackle versatility as well. He was limited today in practice, so if he can't go for some reason, DomRob will fill in for him.
DT: Justin Jones, Gervon Dexter Sr.
Justin Jones returns as the 3-Tech for the second straight season. He went under-the-radar as a solid defensive lineman last year with the rest of the unit looking atrocious. Rookie second-round pick Gervon Dexter Sr. should get some playing time as well with him having gotten better each week of preseason.
DT: Andrew Billings, Zacch Pickens
Billings is a good run stuffer, something we desperately need after our run defense was terrible last year. Especially with the status of Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs in doubt for Week One, we need to be ready to face a heavy rushing attack from Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon. Zacch Pickens looked good in preseason and should also get playing time on Sunday.
DE: Yannick Ngakoue, Rasheem Green, Khalid Kareem
Ngakoue's run defense isn't great, but we need to get to the QB and he is very good at that. Sunday will be his first suiting up on Gameday as a Bear as he wasn't ready to play in the preseason. Rasheem Green struggled in the preseason but should hopefully be solid this season. Kareem is a waiver claim and hopefully, he will be a solid depth piece if he is needed to play.
WLB: T.J. Edwards
Edwards is covering the Will all by himself with no backup being listed (I'd assume it would be one of Dylan Cole, Noah Sewell, or a possible practice squad flex on Gameday). He's got a lot of expectations on him after being our first signing of Free Agency.
MLB: Tremaine Edmunds, Dylan Cole
Cole's status for Sunday is in doubt, as he has missed the last month with what turns out to be a hamstring injury (listed on today's injury report as a DNP). He was never going to pass up Edmunds though, who signed a lucrative four-year deal to be the MLB for us. He is the Quarterback of the defense, and he is a very, very good linebacker. Look for the Bears to bring up a Practice Squad LB to be on special teams on Sunday like Cole would've been (perhaps Micah Baskerville or DeMarquis Gates?).
SLB: Jack Sanborn, Noah Sewell
Sanborn is back from the injury he suffered last year and will serve as the Sam LB to start the year. Look for rookie Noah Sewell to get a couple of snaps as well, though he will primarily be on special teams for now.
CB: Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, Jaylon Jones
Johnson and Tyrique will serve as starters (as expected) with Jones playing on special teams and being a very quality backup as we saw towards the end of last year.
CB: Kyler Gordon, Terell Smith, Josh Blackwell
I'm expecting a lot out of Kyler this season, which would be leading the team in interceptions. He improved a lot last year every week and is going to be a turnover machine. Terell Smith will serve as the primary CB backup, and Josh Blackwell is similar to Jaylon Jones in that he will both be on special teams and will be a very quality backup.
FS: Eddie Jackson, Elijah Hicks
My favorite player (BoJack) returns from injury and is looking to build on the turnover-filled 12 games he had last year. He's finally getting interceptions again, and I feel he's getting his first touchdown since 2018 this year as well. Hicks will be a quality backup and special teamer.
SS: Jaquan Brisker, Quindell Johnson
Brisker's confidence is insanely high right now. We've heard it from him, we've heard it from his teammates. He's going to dominate with Eddie Jackson this year. Both will play Sunday despite both being limited in practice today. Jordan Love is going to have a nightmare trying to get past these guys. I don't know too much about Johnson, but I have heard he was a ball hawk in college and will likely contribute on special teams to start the year.
ST: Cairo Santos, Trenton Gill, Patrick Scales
Nothing was ever going to change about these guys unless one of them somehow got hurt.
The depth chart is set for Week One. Now the hope is that these guys can stay healthy in practice and be fully prepared to face the Packers on Sunday in what may be the most important Bears game since the 2018 Wild Cart contest against Philadelphia. Bear Down!
Preseason sensation Tyson Bagent enters as QB3 this season
Bears Defensive Coordinator Alan Williams Resigns
September 20, 2023, 3:31 PM CDT
Chicago Bears Defensive Coordinator Alan Williams resigned this morning from the team. This comes amidst a wild day at Halas Hall, and a lot of uncertainty surrounding Coach Williams including some wild allegations that are unconfirmed. There was even a report that Halas Hall was raided, which the team confirmed was untrue. In a statement, Williams said that he would be stepping back to focus on his health and family but he would be returning to coaching at some point, though it will likely not be with the Bears. There remains a lot of mystery surrounding his situation, and we will likely find out more about Coach Williams in the next couple of days.
Alan Williams is out as Bears Defensive Coordinator
Bears Trade Wide Receiver Chase Claypool To Dolphins
October 6, 2023, 3:31 PM CDT
The Chase Claypool experiment in Chicago has come to an end. The Bears have traded him and a 2025 7th Round Pick to the Dolphins in exchange for a 2025 6th Round Pick. If you ask me, I'm surprised they even got anything for him. Claypool's Bears tenure comes to an end after he played just 10 games with the team. After they traded for him, they didn't win another game until yesterday, after a week he was told to stay home from the team as they worked to get rid of him. Claypool's contributions to the Bears offense were minimal during his time in Chicago. He caught just 18 passes for 191 yards and one touchdown. In the three games he played this season, he only caught 4 passes for 51 yards and that one touchdown against Tampa Bay. He came under fire after Week 1 for basically showing no effort in that game, and while things improved slightly in Week 2, it got worse after that game and led to him telling reporters on the Friday before the Broncos game that he felt the team wasn't using him correctly. That is what led to him being benched and eventually traded.
The Bears have Sunday off thanks to playing yesterday but will be back at it next week when they host the Minnesota Vikings looking for their second straight win.
Chase Claypool in his final game with the Bears against the Chiefs
Bears Acquire Montez Sweat, Retain Jaylon Johnson
October 31, 2023, 10:32 PM CDT
As this year's trade deadline has come and gone, the Bears made just one move if you exclude trading Chase Claypool earlier in the month. But there was a whole lot of chaos surrounding it. In the late hours of last night, it was reported that star cornerback Jaylon Johnson had requested a trade out of Chicago as contract talks had stalled. With just 15 hours left before the deadline, Ryan Poles decided to permit him to seek a deal. Nothing ended up coming from this, however, despite reported interest from San Francisco, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh. The Bears did have offers, but the price was high. Jaylon is not expected to resume negotiations for the rest of the season, and my best guess is Ryan Poles places the transition tag on him to possibly match any offer he gets. Letting him seek a trade could also have given Jaylon a chance to gauge his value from other teams around the league, so maybe that can help negotiations with the Bears.
Despite no action being made on Jaylon, however, the Bears did make a move with the long-term in mind. Washington was selling off pieces on their D-Line, and the Bears pounced on Edge Rusher Montez Sweat, dealing a 2024 Second Round Pick for him. Some fans were a bit disgruntled that the Bears gave a second for Sweat, but the 49ers gave only a third for Chase Young. For one, Sweat is better than Young. Two, Young has a history of injuries. And three, Young was seen as a rental whereas dealing for Sweat means you are planning on extending him. Both players are in contract years, and I expect the Bears to try and get an extension done with Sweat soon. Premium edge rushers aren't everywhere in the league, especially not in Chicago. Sweat has 6.5 sacks this season, the same amount as our entire Defensive Line combined. Sweat is a guy who can make a huge impact on the team for years to come if we can work out a deal. If we can't extend him, this trade will turn into a disaster. So Poles, get to work on the Sweat and Jaylon extensions.
New Bears Edge Rusher Montez Sweat
Bears Give Defensive Tackle Billings Two Year Extension
November 2, 2023, 9:14 PM CDT
The Bears have extended a defensive player. Now, it's not Montez Sweat or Jaylon Johnson. It's Defensive Tackle Andrew Billings, who they gave a two-year deal worth $8.5 million with $6 million guaranteed. Billings came over on a one-year deal worth $1.4 million this offseason, and the team has already decided to keep him around after just 8 weeks. He's not the kind of Defensive Tackle that will get many sacks, but his run defense has been crucial this year. In terms of Rushing Yards per Carry allowed, the Bears defense actually leads the league with just 3.3 YPC allowed. Billings is a big part of that as he is always getting into the backfield and making plays. Keeping him around for two more years hopefully ensures the Bears keep a great run defender who will make an impact and, if they can improve their bottom-ranked pass rush (which adding Montez Sweat helps), the Bears defense can hopefully get back to where it was before Ryan Poles and co. began the rebuild.
Andrew Billings has been rewarded with a two-year contract extension
Bears Sign Montez Sweat To Massive Extension
November 4, 2023, 8:14 PM CDT
Just a few days after trading for Washington Edge Rusher Montez Sweat, Ryan Poles was able to get a contract extension done with his agents and lock up the edge rusher long-term. Sweat will remain with the Bears for the next four seasons, earning a massive $98 million over that time with $72.8 million guaranteed. Keep in mind that Sweat has yet to play a game for the Bears (which will change tomorrow against New Orleans), but it is clear that the front office made this move with the future in mind. Poles said they were working on a contract, and they were able to get it done in a matter of days. Sweat is playing in his fifth season since being a first-round selection out of Mississippi State back in 2019. He has racked up 35.5 career sacks and has forced 9 fumbles. He also plays great run defense, a bonus that not all premier edge rushers bring. Some people may view this deal as an overpay, but because the salary cap will continue to go up, and other edge rushers such as Brian Burns, Aidan Hutchinson, and Micah Parsons, will all be up for new deals soon, the contract will look better as it goes on. The Bears also still have $82 million in cap space to work with this offseason, so there isn't a worry that this will devastate the team salary-wise.
Sweat will make his Bears debut tomorrow as the team travels to New Orleans to take on the Saints.
The Bears have locked up Montez Sweat for the next four years
Justin Fields Set To Return Vs Lions
November 17, 2023, 7:42 PM CST
QB1 is finally back! Justin Fields has recovered from his thumb injury and was removed from the injury report today, and he will make his first start since Week 6 on Sunday as we head to Detroit to take on the 7-2 Lions. Fields has thrown for 1,201 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions this season while rushing for 237 yards and one touchdown. Over the final seven games of our season, Fields will need to show why he can be the franchise Quarterback because with our high draft pick from Carolina and two really good Quarterbacks in this year's class, he's going to need to ball out if he wants to remain the franchise guy. He started to turn things around against Denver and Washington, but a poor first half against Minnesota and then him getting hurt on the first drive of the second half have turned some fan's eyes toward Caleb Williams and Drake Maye. If the Bears have a 2022 Lions-type finish and get to 7 or 8 wins, they could stick with Fields. But it all has to start on Sunday. If he plays well, maybe the Bears have a chance of pulling off a shocking upset. Also returning on Sunday will be Right Guard Nate Davis, who also got hurt against Minnesota. With his return, the OLine is finally fully healthy for the first time all year. Khalil Herbert is also set to be activated from Injured Reserve tomorrow, and he will play for the first time since Week 5 against Washington. Finally, Rookie Cornerback Terell Smith has recovered from Mono and will play on Sunday as well.
Justin Fields is set to return on Sunday in Detroit
Ngakoue To Miss Remainder Of Season; Moore Out At Practice
December 12, 2023, 10:02 PM CST
Bears Edge Rusher Yannick Ngakoue will miss the remainder of the season after it was discovered that he broke his ankle on Sunday against Detroit, Coach Matt Eberflus said. Ngakoue played through the injury after suffering it late in the contest, hence why there was no injury designation during the game. The injury will require surgery.
The Bears signed Ngakoue to a one-year, $10.5 million contract in early August. In 13 games, he racked up 22 tackles, 4 sacks, and 6 TFL. His presence wasn't felt much early in the season on the DLine, but his production had gone up since the arrival of Montez Sweat following Week 8. He is set to hit the Free Agent market in the offseason once again.
In other Bears injury news, DJ Moore missed practice today with an ankle injury as well. While his injury is not expected to be serious, it would be a huge blow to not have him on Sunday. He far and away leads the team with 1,071 receiving yards and 8 total TDs. While I presume this is only a precaution as he did play after his ankle was rolled on Sunday, his absence would be a huge loss in a game as big as this one is for the season.
Equanimeous St. Brown missed practice with a pectoral injury. He missed the game on Sunday after suffering the injury in practice last week. Coach Eberflus described it as a week-to-week injury. Linebacker Dylan Cole missed practice due to a personal issue. Finally, Jaquan Brisker was limited with a groin injury. The Bears are hoping to get these guys back for Sunday's game in Cleveland.
Yannick Ngakoue will miss the final four games of the year after breaking his ankle vs Detroit
Bears Give Kicker Cairo Santos Four-Year Extension
December 23, 2023, 1:53 PM CST
When Cairo Santos was signed by the Bears in August of 2020, the original thought was that he'd only be here for a few games before Eddie Pinero could return from injury. Now, Santos is going to be with the Bears through the 2027 season, as he agreed to a four-year deal worth $16 million, $9.5 million of which is guaranteed.
Santos has gone 27-29 on Field Goal attempts this year, and 24-26 on extra points. Since 2020, he is 104-114 on Field Goal tries. Santos is the most accurate Bears kicker of all time, surpassing Robbie Gould with a 91.2% mark since 2020. Before his arrival, the Bears had struggled to find a reliable kicker after Gould left the team following the 2015 season. Now, Santos will wind up being here for eight years once this current deal is done. He was also with the Bears briefly in 2017 but got hurt after just two games where he went 1-2 on Field Goal attempts and 2-2 on extra points after being signed to replace Connor Barth.
Santos was originally set to be a free agent this year as his three-year, $9 million extension that Former Bears GM Ryan Pace signed him to after the 2020 season was set to expire after this year, though there was a team option available for another two years. But Ryan Poles decided that two more years was not enough and made sure to lock down the kicking position before we had to embark on another search for a reliable kicker.
The Bears take on the Cardinals tomorrow at Soldier Field. Santos has been perfect on Field Goal tries this month and looks to win another NFC Special Teams Player of the Month award after he won it in November.
Cairo Santos has broken records with the Bears
Bears Fire Luke Getsy, Other Offensive Staff Members
January 10, 2024, 9:34 PM CST
Earlier this morning, the Bears fired Offensive Coordinator Luke Getsy and many members of his offensive staff, including QB Coach Andrew Janocko, WR Coach Tyke Tolbert, RB Coach Omar Young, and Assistant TE Coach Tim Zetts. Remaining on the offensive side of the ball are TE Coach Jim Dray and OL Coach Chris Morgan. No defensive staff members have been relieved of their duties at this time, and Head Coach Matt Eberflus will remain with the team.
Getsy had come under fire many times this season for his poor playcalling on offense, not adjusting much in-game, and sticking to the game plan a little too much. This was especially evident in his heavy use of the screen pass which proved time after time to be ineffective against expecting defenses. In the game against Tampa, Bucs LB Lavonte David said after the game that they knew a screen was coming on a Shaq Barrett pick-six that secured the Buccaneers win. Getsy and his staff were also seen as the people responsible for failing to develop QB Justin Fields to his potential and, for lack of a better term, ruining the most talented QB the Bears have ever had.
The search now begins for a new Offensive Coordinator in Chicago. As I am writing this, the Bears requested to interview Seahawks OC Shane Waldron for the open position. Waldron was the Rams QB Coach when Jared Goff led them to the Super Bowl in 2018, and he is also credited with reviving Geno Smith's career last season. With Pete Carroll now out as Seahawks Head Coach, he was permitted to seek another job. The Bears will also search for a Defensive Coordinator, as Eberflus filled that role from Week 2 on this season after Alan Williams resigned. No candidates have been requested that we know of at the time of this piece.
Luke Getsy and members of the Offensive Staff have been relieved of their duties