Bears Bolster D-Line, Agree to Terms With Odeyingbo, Jarrett
March 10, 2025, 8:33 PM CDT
The Bears continued to bolster their trenches today, adding two new defensive lineman after agreeing to terms with Drew Dalman earlier.
Former Colts Defensive End Dayo Odeyingbo and former Falcons Defensive Tackle Grady Jarrett have agreed to terms with Chicago today. Both get three year deals, with Odeyingbo receiving $48 million ($32 million guaranteed) and Jarrett receives $43.5 million.
Odeyingbo, 25, comes over from the Colts following a down year after he emerged in 2023. He only had 3 sacks in 17 games in 2024, as opposed to his 8 in 2023 and 5 in 2022. He's still young and has a lot of athleticism and upside. The Bears are going to be hoping he can unlock that upside to get the most out of his contract.
Jarrett, 31, was released earlier in the day by the Falcons, but lands on his feet in Chicago quickly. Once regarded as one of the best Defensive Tackles in the game, he took a step back last year after returning from a torn ACL, posting just 2.5 sacks in 17 games (though sacks are not most important when evaluating a DT). The Bears will be hoping he still has enough left in the juice, and he'll provide much needed depth to an interior group that features the emerging Gervon Dexter and the returning Andrew Billings.
The team today also agreed to a one year extension with DB Tavarius Moore. Moore was a special teams standout last year, similar to Blackwell and Ogbongbemiga. He will return in 2025 and compete for a roster spot in camp.
The Bears certainly aren't done yet, and while I don't anticipate many more major acquisitions, you never know what can happen in the NFL.
Image Credit: The Falcoholic
Bears Agree to Deal With Top Free Agent Center Drew Dalman
March 10, 2025, 12:46 PM CDT
The Bears have made their first major signing of free agency and have completed their O-Line overhaul.
Chicago today agreed to terms on a three year, $42 million deal with Falcons free agent Center Drew Dalman, making him the second highest paid Center in the league. The deal comes with $28 million guaranteed.
After acquiring Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney in separate trades last week, all that was left for the Bears to add on their O-Line was a Center, and they landed the top guy on the market. Dalman last year posted a 78.8 overall PFF grade, with a 66.6 Pass Block grade and a 79.8 Run Block grade. It's a major improvement from the past few years, when Center play was pretty bad in the Windy City. These recent moves will help give Caleb Williams more protection and allow for more flexibility in the draft and other free agent additions.
This is only the first move of the tampering period for the Bears, but it certainly won't be the last. Though they missed out on bringing Khalil Mack home, I expect them to have interest in adding depth to the Defensive Line, as one injury could really hamper that unit as we saw with Billings last season.
Image Credit: Chicago Sun-Times
Bears Sign Smythe, Extend Blackwell, Ogbongbemiga
March 6, 2025, 6:08 PM CST
Before free agency has even officially begun, the Bears have already struck deals with three players.
Chicago has signed former Dolphins tight end Durham Smythe to a one-year deal. Smythe overlapped with Ben Johnson in Miami in 2018. He's best known for his blocking ability, as he only caught nine passes in 2024. He has 132 receptions in his seven NFL seasons, picking up 1,228 yards and 3 touchdowns over his career.
The team also re-signed two of their own free agents, DB Josh Blackwell and LB Amen Ogbongbemiga. The two are most known for their special teams ability, with Blackwell in particular showcasing his ability on a punt return touchdown in Week 18 against Green Bay. They are also solid backups at their respective positions, and each received a two-year deal.
Free agency will begin on Monday, when the legal tampering period opens at 11 AM central time.
Image Credit: Daily Herald
Bears Set to Trade for All-Pro Guard Joe Thuney from Chiefs
March 5, 2025, 10:39 AM CST
Less than 24 hours after acquiring Jonah Jackson from the Rams, the Bears have made another major addition to the interior of their offensive line.
Chicago is reportedly acquiring multi-time Pro Bowl and All-Pro Guard Joe Thuney from the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a fourth round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Thuney is entering the final year of a five year, $80 million contract he signed with the Chiefs in the 2021 offseason. He has made the Pro Bowl each of the last three years (though did not participate as the Chiefs made the Super Bowl) and was a first-team All-Pro each of the past two years. He also made second-team All-Pro in 2019 and 2022, the former being when he was a member of the Patriots.
Drafted in the third round in 2016, Thuney was instrumental in the final few seasons of the Patriots dynasty before joining another dynasty in Kansas City. Now, he joins the Bears, hoping to help begin their dynasty. I would expect the Bears to attempt to extend the 32 year old soon, as his deal is expiring and an extension can help free up more cap space.
Four of five starting offensive line positions have now been filled for the Bears, leaving only the Center remaining (or another guard if they prefer Jackson at Center, though I would prefer him more at Guard). This gives them flexibility in both free agency and the draft to focus more on other areas of the team, such as the defensive line and perhaps land a pretty good running back out of Boise State at pick 10.
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Bears to Acquire Jonah Jackson from Rams
March 4, 2025, 1:47 PM CST
The Bears have made their first major addition to the Offensive Line of the offseason.
The team today reportedly is acquiring Jonah Jackson from the Rams in exchange for a 2025 Sixth Round Pick. The pick was acquired by the Bears last season after they traded Justin Fields to the Steelers.
Jackson signed a three year, $51 million contract with the Rams last offseason, and was named their starting Center for Week 1 after having never playing the position before. He suffered an injury in Week 2 and missed a good chunk of the season. After falling out of the starting lineup, he was given permission to seek a trade and now reunites with Ben Johnson in Chicago.
Jackson previously played under Johnson while he was in Detroit from 2020-2023 (final two seasons with Johnson as OC). In the 2022 season, Johnson's first as Detroit's OC, Jackson made the Pro Bowl as the Lions Left Guard. It is easy to believe that Jackson will move back to his primary Left Guard spot with the Bears, who could look towards free agent Center Drew Dalman to fill that position.
The deal is only the first of what is certain to be many additions to fix the Bears offensive line this offseason. Also reported today is that the Bears will not be tendering a contract to restricted free agent Linebacker Jack Sanborn, though they could sign him back to a cheaper deal than the tender.
Image Credit: Los Angeles Times
Bears to Release Everett, Walker
February 21, 2025, 6:15 PM CST
The first two cap casualties of the offseason have happened for the Chicago Bears.
The team will reportedly be releasing Tight End Gerald Everett and Defensive Lineman DeMarcus Walker. The release of Everett will save the Bears $5.5 million in cap space, and the release of Walker will save $5.25 million.
Everett was signed to a two year deal last offseason worth $12 million, and he was expected to produce well in Shane Waldron's system that frequently utilized two tight ends. However, he had the worst year of his career as he caught only 8 passes for 36 yards and no touchdowns. His snaps kept decreasing week after week, especially after Waldron was let go midseason. He caught just one pass following the firing of Waldron, which came in Week 16 against Detroit.
Walker was signed in the 2023 offseason to a three year deal worth $21 million. Though listed as a defensive end, Walker played all across the defensive line. In his two years in Chicago, he played all 34 games and recorded 77 tackles and 7 sacks. He was a solid piece that I was a bit surprised got released, but with a new Defensive Coordinator, in hindsight it was a move we should've seen coming.
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Bears Owner Virginia McCaskey Passes Away at 102
February 6, 2025, 1:48 PM CST
Sad news out of Chicago this morning as the Bears announced that owner Virginia Halas McCaskey passed away today at the age of 102.
McCaskey, the daughter of Bears founder George Halas, inherited the team on October 31, 1983 following the passing of Halas. In her time as owner, the team won the Super Bowl in 1985 and made another appearance in 2006.
It is unknown who will have the majority stake in the team now, my speculation would be chairman George McCaskey will inherit the majority share, though his siblings will likely also have a big share in the team as well.
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Bears Set to Hire Allen, Doyle as New Coordinators
January 26, 2025, 7:46 PM CST
The Bears have found their new coordinators for the offense and the defense.
After what felt like days of being all but confirmed, it was officially reported today that the Bears would be hiring ex-Saints Head Coach Dennis Allen as their new Defensive Coordinator. In four of Allen's last five seasons, he led the Saints to a top 10 scoring defense. He was with the organization from 2006-2008 and 2015-2024, joining as a senior defensive assistant before being promoted to DC later in his first year back with the team, a position he held from 2015 up until he was promoted to Head Coach following Sean Payton's departure to Denver. After he left New Orleans in 2011, Allen became the DC in Denver for one year before the Raiders hired him as their Head Coach in 2012, a position he held until four games into the 2014 season.
Doyle has been a relatively unknown name in the NFL world. He is relatively young for a coordinator, being only 28 years old. He got his start in coaching in 2019, serving as an offensive assistant for the Saints up until 2023 when he followed Sean Payton to Denver to become the Broncos Tight End Coach. He now gets hired as the Bears OC, and will have a big role in developing Caleb Williams despite playcalling duties still belonging to Ben Johnson.
The Bears are also retaining Richard Hightower as Special Teams Coordinator, a position he's held since 2022. In addition to Allen and Doyle, Ben Johnson has made multiple other additions to his coaching staff. JT Barrett (QB Coach) and Antwaan Randle El (WR Coach/Assistant HC) followed Johnson from Detroit, and highly-regarded Cowboys DB Coach Al Harris has also joined the coaching staff as the Bears DB Coach and Defensive Pass Game Coordinator.
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