Jaylon Johnson and the Bears Have Begun Extension Talks
February 9, 2023, 12:09 PM CST
In his first three years of his career, Bears CB Jaylon Johnson has been great, yet he doesn’t get the respect he deserves from the league. But inside Halas Hall, the Bears have seen a lot from him. Jaylon is in Arizona for the Super Bowl, and CHGO Sports caught up with him at the media center. They talked for a bit, and it was eventually brought up about whether Jaylon was hoping for an extension this season. He’s always wanted an extension after his third year of his rookie contract. After responding by saying he wanted to remain in Chicago, Adam Hoge said that he got the feeling those talks hadn’t started. But Jaylon clarified by saying those talks have started. He hopes to get it done before the season. To me, Poles needs to get this done. Jaylon has been one of the most underrated corners in the league the last three years, and he’s earned his money. He doesn’t have the interception numbers, but that’s a lot of times due to him not being targeted by quarterbacks. His numbers are inflated due to one game against Detroit in which he was dealing with an injury. Jaylon is the core of the cornerback room. The Bears should know this, and should compensate him accordingly with the nearly $100 million we have in cap space this offseason.
The Bears and Jaylon Johnson have begun extension talks with his contract expiring soon
The Bears Finalize Deal For Arlington Park Property
February 15, 2023, 4:44 PM CST
From horse racing to Super Bowl? Yep, that could very well be a possibility now. The Chicago Bears today finalized their deal to purchase the Arlington Park Racecourse property, an investment they've been working on for over a year and a half. In an open letter to the fans, the Bears said that they may not develop the property, but it is a very important step in their evaluation. The Bears explicitly mentioned they are looking to construct a "enclosed state-of-the-art stadium and multi-purpose entertainment district." The Bears also mentioned that they will not seek taxpayer funds for this project and will instead use a public-private partnership to make sure this is feasible. This is huge news for the team and fans. The Bears can now move out of the frankly underwhelming Soldier Field and into a new stadium that will be much better in terms of seating, environment, and entertainment with the new district they want to build. It may also be more accessible with the Metra train stop and highway nearby. The city of Chicago has said they plan to continue to negotiate with the Bears, though that now seems highly unlikely that anything will get done that will keep the team inside city limits.
The Bears have finalized the purchase of the Arlington Racecourse
Bears Make First Offseason Move, Release Al-Quadin Muhammad
February 17, 2023, 8:42 PM CST
Ryan Poles has made his first move of the offseason. In what seemed like a no-brainer to many fans, the Bears have released Defensive End Al-Quadin Muhammad.
The Bears brought Muhammad in last offseason to give support off the edge. He was coming off a career year in Indy, and followed Matt Eberflus to Chicago as he knew the defense. In fact, Flus can be credited for helping to develop Muhammad, as he took him from a practice squad player to a 6 sack lineman from 2018 to 2021. However, things did not go as planned in Chi-Town. Muhammad only had one sack and 11 solo tackles in 2022, a big drop-off from the 6/25 he had last year. His release saves us $4 million in cap space as we void the final season of the 2 year, $8 million contract he was given last offseason.
With Muhammad gone, this basically confirms the Bears will be in the edge market. His production won't be too hard to replace, a guy like Will Anderson could probably match that in the first week. Best of luck to Al-Quadin wherever he lands, but now its time to go find a replacement.
Al-Quadin Muhammad has been released
It Seems Like The Bears Are Close To Trading Pick One
March 6, 2023, 9:33 PM CST
The NFL combine has come and gone, and the Bears have had the chance to see the top talents in the country. Ryan Poles also did some talking over this time period. What have we learned? Well, it's basically a guarantee (as if it somehow wasn't before) that Justin Fields will be this teams starting QB next season. We've known that for a while, and I can't believe some people still doubted that would be the case. Today was a big day for chatter about Pick One. This morning, we learned from Ryan Poles that he spoke to three teams at the combine about trading Pick One to them. He even gave us info on a potential return, as there is at least one offer that includes first round picks in 2024 and 2025. This would likely be a team between picks 8-13, most likely Carolina with Derek Carr being off the board in the QB carousel. We also learned from Poles that there's a more than 50% chance of him trading the first pick, and he also views seven players that are worthy of being taken first overall. This is big news for Bears fans. The market for the first pick is heating up fast after the Combine, which Poles said on the podcast Pardon My Take. The Bears could be inclined to trade the pick before Free Agency, so teams will know what needs to fill in the draft and in free agency. It's going to be a very exciting two months for Bears fans, so buckle up. That trade is coming, and when it does, it will hopefully kick off a very successful offseason that sets us up for success in the long-run.
Could a trade of Pick One be imminent?
Bears Give Khari Blasingame A Two Year Extension
March 9, 2023, 12:06 PM CST
The Bears have given out their first multi-year deal this offseason. After give Equanimeous St. Brown and Dieter Eiselen one year deals, and tendering RFAs Anthony Brown and Josh Blackwell, the Bears have given Fullback Khari Blasingame a two year extension. Blasingame was signed by Poles and co. last offseason, giving the Bears their first true Fullback since Michael Burton in 2018. Blasingame, despite not being given a handoff this year, contributed a lot in the backfield with blocking. He technically had one target out of the backfield, but didn’t catch it. However, his blocking was pretty good and this contract rewards him. The money value is unknown yet, but his agency has said that it is a two year deal. This will give the Bears a key member of their backfield in the organization for at least another two years. The team is also running out if time to resign RB David Montgomery, as he is set to hit the open market in just under a week along with the rest of our pending FAs.
Khari Blasingame celebrating against the Texans
Bears Trade First Pick To Panthers For DJ Moore and Picks
March 10, 2023, 4:54 PM CST
The inevitable has happened.
The Bears have traded the first overall pick to the Carolina Panthers, who held the 9th overall pick. Now, a trade back from 1 to 9 comes at no low cost. Carolina would've had to pay up to get this pick. And pay up they did. Carolina gave us Pick 9, along with the 61st Pick, a 2024 1st, and a 2025 2nd. Oh yeah, the big ticket item they also gave up was WR DJ Moore, a true WR1 who gives this receiving game the final piece we need to be dominant. With Moore, Mooney, Claypool, and Kmet, there will be no "Justin Fields is a RB" talk this season, as Justin now will have three wideouts that are either WR1 or WR2 caliber players. And also Cole Kmet, who finally emerged as a red zone threat last year.
Moore comes to Chicago with five years of experience, after being a first round pick out of Maryland in 2018. Moore boasts 80 games of experience, playing in all but two games in his career. He caught 364 passes for 5,201 yards and 21 touchdowns over his time in Carolina. He immediately becomes the WR1 we needed, giving us two WR1 caliber players if Chase Claypool develops this season.
This marks the start of the massive offseason we are about to have. Poles made one other W earlier today by bringing Long Snapper Pat Scales back, the longest-tenured player in the organization. Now, he gets a haul for the first pick, setting us up very well for the future.
New Bears WR DJ Moore
Bears Kick Off Free Agency With TJ Edwards Signing
March 13, 2023, 12:07 PM CDT
The Bears have kicked off the legal tampering period of Free Agency by making a splash. In the first free agent move around the entire NFL, the Bears are giving former Eagles Linebacker TJ Edwards a 3 year, $19.5 million deal with $12 million guaranteed. The Lake Villa kid returns to the Chicagoland area on a steal of a contract.
Edwards will likely slot into the Mike LB spot, and he’ll be the replacement for Roquan while Jack Sanborn, who was teammates with Edwards at Wisconsin, will slide over to either Will or Sam. It’s a steal of a contract for Chicago (maybe a hometown discount). Edwards was projected to get somewhere around $14 million per year, but we got him for $6.5 AAV. We save $13.5 million one this deal rather than if we had paid Roquan $20 million per year. In fact, Edwards is getting less in three years than Roquan in one year. Edwards is coming off his best season in 2022 as a major staple of the Eagles defense that helped them to the Super Bowl. He put up 99 solo tackles this year, along with 2 sacks.
The Bears are far from done making deals today. Rumors are that they are working on a deal for Mike McGlinchey, though that deal isn’t done or confirmed yet.
New Bears LB TJ Edwards
Bears Make Another Splash At Linebacker, Add O-Lineman
March 13, 2023, 4:44 PM CDT
The Bears continue to use the large amount of money they had in salary cap space this offseason. After signing TJ Edwards, everyone thought the Bears were likely done at linebacker. Nope, Ryan Poles and co. decided to go out and give a big contract to former Bills LB Tremaine Edmunds. With this signing, the Bears have likely solidified their starting linebacker core for 2023 with Edmunds, Edwards, and Jack Sanborn.
Edmunds has played 5 years in the NFL already, despite being only 24 years old (25 by the beginning of the season). He was a popular mock selection to the Bears back in 2018 before we went with Roquan Smith instead. Edmunds gets 4 years, $72 million. This means the AAV for our linebacker room next year will be $24 million, while Roquan is getting paid $20 million as one LB in Baltimore. Edmunds has racked up 565 total tackles in his NFL career (359 solo) along with 6.5 sacks and 5 interceptions. Where he plays, between Mike, Will, or Sam, remains to be seen. But it's the splashy signing of the day for the Bears, barring they add anyone else tonight.
In addition to the signing of Edmunds, the Bears have bolstered the interior of the O-Line by signing former Titans Guard Nate Davis to a 3 year, $30 million deal. Despite struggling with injuries in the past, Davis has been a solid run blocker in his career, and his pass blocking took a step up last year. His overall PFF grade was a 70.6, getting a 69.8 in run blocking and 66.8 in pass blocking. Though he has only played Right Guard at the NFL level, expect the Bears to try him at Left Guard and possibly move on from Cody Whitehair. Or, the more unlikely route, they could put him at RG and move Teven Jenkins out to Right Tackle. Either way, a nice pickup in the trenches, one that is sure to help out our run game these next three seasons.
New Bears LB Tremaine Edmunds
Bears Improve D-Line, Sign DeMarcus Walker
March 13, 2023, 9:43 PM CDT
I'm sure when you guys first heard that the Bears signed DeMarcus Walker, most of you probably asked "who?" Well, I'm here to tell you who he is.
The Bears have added DE/DT DeMarcus Walker on a three year, $21 million deal. He will likely play 1-Tech/Nose, as I'm sure the team would like a bigger splash at 3-Tech. Even if he's just a Nose signing, Walker significantly improves the defense. As I mentioned before, many of you have probably never heard of him. Well, Walker had 7 sacks for the Titans last year, along with 16 QB Hits and has put up 30+ pressures in each of the last two seasons. All those stats would've led the Bears. In fact, those 16 QB Hits are just 4 less than the entire Bears D-Line put up last year. So yes, this is an improvement. After spending the earlier portion of the day spending on LBs and an O-Lineman, the Bears finally move to that Front 4 and address a necessary position on the D-Line. I would assume the Bears are done for the night, but they still need to add more talent on the line. Their top 3-Tech options in Javon Hargrave (49ers) and Dre'Mont Jones (Seahawks) are both off the board. But they still could use some Edge help, hopefully in the form of Yannick Ngakoue. But for now, Walker is a strong signing that will help bolster this Defensive Line as we prepare to make a push for the postseason next year.
New Bears D-Lineman DeMarcus Walker
Bears Sign RB Homer As Monty Runs Off To Detroit
March 14, 2023, 9:49 PM CDT
The Bears have signed a running back. Unfortunately, it’s not the one the fans were hoping for.
David Montgomery has left Chicago, signing a three year, $18 million deal with the division rival Detroit Lions. Monty was one of the most popular players on the team within the fanbase and did so much for the community as well. It’s heartbreaking to see him leave for a division rival and now we have to play him twice a year. The Bears wasted no time in signing a running back though, bringing in former Seahawks RB Travis Homer on a two year deal worth $4.5 million. It’s not the guys the fans wanted, but it’s someone. He will likely play a role on special teams, but not too much on offense. The Bears will rock with Khalil Herbert as RB1, but they should still be looking towards the draft, or possibly even explore a trade for Austin Ekeler, to get a partner for Herbert.
New Bears RB Travis Homer
Bears Add New Backup QB In PJ Walker
March 15, 2023, 10:22 PM CDT
It appears the Bears will have a new backup Quarterback next season. After not making any signings throughout the day (apart from all of the deals becoming official from Monday and Tuesday), the Bears are signing QB PJ Walker to a 2 year, $5 million deal. Walker joins the team from the Carolina Panthers, where he's started some games in the past. Walker joined Carolina after a stint in the second edition of the XFL in 2020 with the Houston Roughnecks, where he played very well. In three years serving as a backup/swing starter for the Panthers, Walker completed 57.5% of passes for 1,461 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Despite the numbers, Walker is actually one of the better backup QBs in the league, doing a decent job as a game manager when needed. Walker also had threw one of the best Hail Mary touchdowns we've seen in the last few years in Week 8 of 2022 against the Atlanta Falcons. Down 6 late, he threw a deep ball too, guess who, new Bears WR1 DJ Moore for a game-tying touchdown. Former Bear Eddie Piniero missed the PAT though, and the play essentially didn't matter in the end. Had Carolina won though, they would've made the playoffs thanks to that throw by Walker, and maybe we wouldn't have DJ Moore now. So I guess it worked out in the end for us. We got the QB and WR on that play, along with an extra first and two seconds. Maybe, if Justin goes down at some point, those two can work some magic again.
The addition of PJ Walker could also spell the end for last years backup QB Trevor Siemian, who has one year left on his current deal. Walker is the better fit and has better value on his deal than Siemian in my opinion.
New Bears QB PJ Walker
Bears Continue Free Agency Spending, Add Three
March 16, 2023, 9:09 PM CDT
Ryan Poles and co. continue to add talent to improve this team.
After just one signing in each of the past two days, the Bears made three signings today. First it began with DT Andrew Billings. Billings spent his time in Las Vegas last year, putting up 29 solo tackles and 2 sacks. His best ability is his run stuffing game though, with a 72.3 PFF Run Defense grade as compared to his 66.4 Pass Rush grade (76.4 Overall). He should be a solid Nose Tackle in our system. The next player the Bears signed was from our biggest rivals, the Green Bay Packers. We stole Robert Tonyan from them on a one year deal, reuniting him with OC Luke Getsy. Tonyan hasn't had the numbers the last two years, though he was coming off an ACL tear suffered in 2021. In 2020, he had 11 touchdowns and was Aaron Rodgers' favorite weapon. Now, he gives a nice 1-2 punch with Cole Kmet in Chicago, which should greatly help our Red Zone offense get into the end zone. Finally, the Bears continue to take players from the Panthers as we've signed RB D'Onta Foreman to a one year, $3 million deal. Foreman has bounced around the league a bit but is coming off his best year of his career last season. He rushed for 914 yards and 5 touchdowns on 203 carries. He isn't as much of a threat in the pass game as say a David Montgomery or now Travis Homer, but he should provide stability in the run game should Khalil Herbert suffer an injury.
In other news, the Bears have released QB Trevor Siemian after signing PJ Walker yesterday.
The Bears have stolen TE Robert Tonyan from the Packers
Bears Bring Back Dante Pettis On One Year Deal
April 17, 2023, 11:23 AM CDT
The Bears have resigned WR Dante Pettis to a one year deal.
Pettis played all 17 games with the team last year, with 18 catches for 245 yards and three touchdowns. The former 49ers Second Round Pick also became our Punt Returner after Velus Jones struggled in his first three games. Pettis had set an NCAA record in punt return touchdowns, so maybe he will be our punt returner again this year. It looks unlikely now that the Bears will even draft a receiver at all this year, with WR1, 2, and 3 being sorted along with three depth pieces in Velus, Equanimeous St. Brown, and now Pettis.
Sunce my last article, the Bears have made a good amount of minor signings. LB Dylan Cole was signed in late March, where he will likely be a contributor on special teams with out three linebacking spots set already. QB Nathan Peterman was brought back, where he should be in the same role (QB3) as last year. DE Rasheem Green was also brought in. He played for Houston last year, putting up solid numbers with 3.5 sacks last year following a breakout 2021 where he had 6.5 sacks with Seattle. The last signing was former Rutgers Punter Ryan Anderson, who will be competition for Trenton Gill.
The Bears have resigned Dante Pettis