The Bears have agreed to a deal with tight end Dion Sims, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com. It’s a three-year, $18MM pact featuring $10MM in guarantees, Garafolo adds (Twitter links).
In Chicago, Sims will likely play an in-line tight end role, allowing Zach Miller to flex out from time to time. The Bears were also linked to other tight ends during the free agent process, and clearly wanted to upgrade the position. Miller is nearing 33 years old and missed six games in 2016 due to injury, so Chicago had tight end depth on its mind as a primary offseason goal.
Sims, 26, has never topped 30 receptions or 300 yards receiving during his four-year career, but the Dolphins reportedly wanted to retain him ever after acquiring Julius Thomas from the Jaguars. Not only is Sims a solid blocker (whereas Thomas is not), he would have provided the Dolphins with another tight end option in the event Thomas falls victim to injury, something he’s done multiple times during his NFL career.
Sims graded as PFR’s No. 6 free agent tight end.
Is this a suck for Luck type of year. They are signing nobody’s and passing on anything quality. Cant imagine Fox and Pace getting another year of the team gets even worse from 2016.
Sims, Demos, and Glennon are all solid NFL players and every team needs solid players. Not everyone is a pro-bowler or all-pro
Did you watch any Bears games last year? They have plenty of “Solid players” they loose because they have ZERO high end talent. No excuse not to get Gilmore or Bouye with the cap room they have. The team created 11 turnovers last year. That is beyond inexcusable
High end talent currently on the bears: Howard, Long, Sitton, Whitehair, and Goldman. The problem was youth and injuries, and obviously the secondary but even in secondary there is young talent.
If your big high end talent is guards, your going to be in trouble. Goldman is not high end, and Howard has played one season and a very volatile position, though he did look good.
Bears currently have no secondary what so ever, no receivers, tight end (miller is 33), etc.
Basically no skill player play makers, needs those to be competitive.
We are signing Anthony Fasano
The Bears are an embarrassment to the city of Chicago. They cut their all time leader in yards, TD’s, and passer rating, for a guy how hasn’t played in two years and has won five games in his career.
They have the four highest cap amount and have signed no one.
They are also about to loose Alshon Jeffery, who is easily a top 5 all time Bear WR.
Tresman was bad, but Pace and Fox have DESTROYED this team.
So your plan would’ve been to keep Cutler and Jeffery. Yup, you’re delusional.
Yeah, two players who have talent. Glennon got beat out by McCown, and is now the highest paid player on the team with a career record of 5-13 and couldn’t get on the field for Tampa Bay.
What’s your plan continue to take players with talent away from the team (Marshall, Olsen, Forte, Bennett, Cutler, Jeffery) and replace them with no bodies?
This team has gotten worse and worse under Pace and Fox. They continually say they are “Rebuilding”, but this isn’t the MLB or NBA where rebuilding takes 5 years. NFL teams can go worst to first in a season or two.
Pace put together a roster that had 11 take aways, tied for fewest in NFL HISTORY. That alone should get you fired.
This is going to be year three of crap with Pace and Fox.
Can’t keep Cutler. You just can’t. If Jeffrey walks, Pace will be on the hot seat. Fox already is.
Guarantee if Cutler gets a starting job his team has a better record than the Bears, and has better stats than Glennon. Pace is so far over his head its unreal.
He put together a defense that forced 11 takeaways, tied for worst all time. What is his answer to that, sign a 32 year old safety who is on his 5th team, most likely washed up.
No excuse to not get one of the top corners with four highest cap space available
I agree that they should have gone hard after Gilmore. It would have helped the defense a ton. Cutler hasn’t been able to stay on the field and I guarantee he lost the guys in the locker room. He just doesn’t care anymore. I’d rather Glennon, who is going to try to prove himself, and draft a young guy and see what you have. Glennon isn’t a long term answer, but neither was Cutler.
Cutler apologists sign like desperate women with loser boyfriends.
He had nearly a decade with pro-bowl players on offense and SUCKED. Get over it and move on. There are better QBs out there, the Bears just have to draft one like every other team. No more sloppy second! Glennnon for $15MM, damn really? 3 Years without renewing NFL Ticket and counting. Screw the NFL.
19 million is guaranteed. If he’s good or even serviceable, he will get two years. If he’s awful, they’ll cut him after one season and eat the 4 million cap hit.
It almost seemed as if the top tier free agents didn’t want to come to Chicago. Perhaps money alone wasn’t enough to get them to sign.
I do find it odd that Pace was so anti Jeffrey over injuries but signed Miller who has never played a 16 game season. He is also very high on White and McPhee, both of whom have been injured a lot. Throw In Grassu and to a fair extend Goldman, and Jeffrey is about the norm for a Bear.