Bears Notes: Trubisky, RB, Ginn
Mitchell Trubisky couldn’t have been happy about the Bears‘ decision to decline his fifth-year option, but he didn’t react poorly to the news. At least, that’s what GM Ryan Pace claimed in an interview on 670 The Score.
“We’ve always had the approach where we’re honest and we’re truthful with our players and with our staff, then we move on and we get to work,” Pace said. “That’s where it’s at. Mitch gets it. Everyone’s competing. Everyone’s focused on better results. That’s the entire team. We believe in Mitch. That doesn’t change. You can point to Kyle Fuller as a great example of a player who didn’t get his option exercised. I’d think we would say that worked out well for him and for us.”
The Bears could have extended quarterback’s deal through 2021 at cost of $24.8MM. Even though that sum would have only been guaranteed for injury, Pace turned down the option. Just three short years ago, the Bears traded up from No. 3 to No. 2 to get the UNC standout. However, he’s been inconsistent as a pro, and the success of Patrick Mahomes (the No. 10 pick in the 2017 draft) and Deshaun Watson (No. 12) have only underscored his struggles.
Of course, it hasn’t been all bad. In 2018, Trubisky finished with 24 touchdowns against 12 interceptions and a trip to the Pro Bowl as an alternate. In 2019, he regressed and finished 28th the bottom in QBR. This year, he’ll look to get his career back on track and inspire confidence in the Bears’ front office.
Here’s more out of Chicago:
- There’s been some talk about the Bears’ need for a veteran running back, but Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune isn’t too worked up about it, noting the continued availability of players like Carlos Hyde, who ran for over 1,000 yards last year. For now, they’ve got Tarik Cohen and David Montgomery leading the way with Ryan Nall and UDFAs Artavis Pierce and Napoleon Maxwell rounding out the group.
- New Bears wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. is entering his 14th season as a pro, but he says he still has a few tricks up his sleeve. “I can run. I can still run,” Ginn told reporters this week (via Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic). “That’s my attribute. I can run, I can catch, I can jump, I can do everything that I can possibly do to be a receiver.” Fishbain agrees and sees Ginn as a solution to one of the Bears’ biggest problems from last year. In 2019, the Bears averaged a league-low 5.67 yards per pass, down from a respectable 6.96 in 2018. With top-end speed, Ginn can give them a boost.
- Despite some previous rumblings, the Bears are not planning to pursue free agent guard Larry Warford. Warford will have to find work elsewhere as he seeks a deal worth $7MM per year.
Charges Dropped For RB Mark Walton
Running back Mark Walton‘s charge of aggravated battery of a pregnant woman has been dropped by the state of Florida, lawyer Micahel Gottlieb tells NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). However, the free agent is not out of the woods with the NFL. The league’s public relations department tells RapSheet that “the matter remains under review.” 
Per league rules, players can still be suspended, fined, or otherwise penalized for off-the-field matters, even when the legal system declines to pursue them in court. Currently without a team, Walton will likely have to wait for the NFL to render its verdict before receiving any offers. Even if he somehow avoids suspension, he’ll have a hard time finding work.
In November, Walton was arrested after allegedly punching a woman shortly after learning that she was pregnant with his child. This wasn’t Walton’s first run-in with the law, either. Earlier in 2019, he was arrested three times inside of just a few months. Then, this past February, Walton was cuffed following a verbal argument with that same woman. There was no physical contact, but the encounter violated the restraining order placed him.
The Dolphins cut Walton after his November arrest. Up until that point, the 23-year-old was averaging 3.8 yards per carry on the year and scored three receiving touchdowns.
LeSean McCoy “Could See” Himself With Eagles
This week, we learned that the Eagles are interested in Carlos Hyde. Could their search for a veteran running back lead them to old friend LeSean McCoy instead?
[RELATED: Eagles Interested In Carlos Hyde]
“I could see that,” McCoy told the NFL Network on Wednesday (h/t Reuben Frank of NBC Sports Philadelphia). “On another note, since I left, you haven’t seen the [No.] 25 active in green, so you never know. I’m going to keep my options open, though. I could see myself there in Philly. Like I said, that’s home, so you never know.”
Shady spent his first four seasons with the Eagles where he did some of his finest work. With the Birds, McCoy earned three trips to the Pro Bowl and twice earned First-Team All-Pro honors (2011, 2013). In 2013, he led the league with 1,607 yards on the ground – more than 100 yards per game. He also added 52 catches for 539 yards that year, just for good measure.
Last year, the Bills dropped McCoy just before the start of the season. Soon after, he was scooped up by Andy Reid‘s Chiefs on a one-year, $3MM deal. Before that, the Eagles, Patriots, and Chargers all touched base with the six-time Pro Bowler.
His Chiefs season ended with a Super Bowl, but the campaign was a weird one on the whole. Early on, he saw 10-plus touches in seven of the Chiefs’ first eight games. Later, he missed time, and he was hardly seen down the stretch. Still, McCoy averaged 4.6 yards per carry in 2019, after a career-worst 3.2 YPC figure with the Bills in 2018. He could be an interesting addition to the Eagles backfield, especially if they can’t strike a deal with Hyde.
Florida Allows Pro Sports To Resume
It’s open season for professional sports in Florida. On Wednesday, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that teams “are welcome here for practicing and for playing” (via Daisy Ruth of WFLA).
“What I would tell commissioners of leagues is, ‘If you have a team in an area where they just won’t let them operate, we’ll find a place for ya in the state of Florida. Because we think it’s important and we know that it can be done safely,’” DeSantis said.
DeSantis’ announcement comes on the heels of a similar one from the state of Arizona. On Wednesday, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey gave major sports leagues the green light to play in his state, effective Saturday. In early May, the NFL asked teams to get plans in place for May 15th, which is this coming Friday. But, earlier today, they extended their virtual OTA protocols through the end of the month.
On June 1st, the Jaguars, Dolphins, and Buccaneers may be permitted to conduct practices, though they won’t be able to have fans in attendance. Teams in states with stay-at-home orders could also explore Florida as an option. But, for at least the next two weeks, they’ll be limited to Zoom chats.
T.Y. Hilton Wants To Be With Colts “For Life”
On Wednesday, wide receiver T.Y. Hilton told reporters that he wants to “be a Colt for life,” (Twitter link via Zak Keefer of The Athletic). Still, as Hilton noted, it takes “two sides to get it done” and he has one non-guaranteed year left on his deal.
Hilton, who turns 31 in November, inked a five-year, $65MM extension with the Colts in 2015. It’s a sizable sum for sure, but the deal was estimated to have just $11MM in full guarantees at signing, plus another $28MM guaranteed for injury only (h/t Over The Cap). For now, Hilton is set to count for a $14.54MM cap hit in 2020, but the Colts could release or trade him without any fiscal penalty, if they wanted to.
Last year, a nagging calf injury limited Hilton to just ten games. He finished out the year with 45 catches for 501 yards – well below his usual production. Before 2019, he averaged 16 yards per catch with per-season averages of 72 catches, 1,157 yards, and ~6 touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Hilton says his next contract will be his last one. Whether he signs on for two years, three years, or four, “that’ll be it” for the veteran. “It’s up to Mr. Irsay and [GM] Chris [Ballard]. I wanna be here,” Hilton said (Twitter link). Hilton added that the two sides were in talks before the pandemic, so it stands to reason that they’ll get back in touch this summer. While he waits to hear from Mr. Irsay and Mr. Ballard, Hilton says he’s working out and preparing for a healthy season in the fall.
“I kind of let my teammates down last year being hurt, being injured, things you really can’t control,” Hilton said (via Mike Wells of ESPN.com). “It’s not like you’re playing Madden (on video games) and cutting injuries off. …I’m working out twice a day, so I don’t let my teammates down. My motivation is to getting back to where I was, and that’s getting back on top of the game.”
NFL Extends Virtual Offseason
The NFL’s virtual offseason has been extended through end of May, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The original plan called for V-OTAs through May 15th, but they’ll keep it remote through the end of the month to keep players safe and comply with government ordinances. 
[RELATED: COVID-19’s Financial Impact On NFL]
The virtual OTAs mean no on-field practices or gatherings of any sort at team facilities. The NFL’s memo extends to all 32 clubs, which means that teams won’t be permitted to have in-person offseason activities in any state, even the ones that are in the early phases of reopening. On Tuesday, the governor of Arizona announced that professional sports can resume, effective Saturday. Still, the Cardinals will not be allowed to conduct business at their facility. Ditto for the clubs that camp in California – the 49ers, Rams, Cowboys, and Chargers – who may explore out-of-state options.
The announcement does not come as a surprise. Testing is still sparse and the global situation remains as fluid as ever. The news also doesn’t have much bearing on the league’s scheduled 2020 regular season, one way or the other.
Earlier this month, the NFL asked teams to prepare for a reopening of facilities with a hopeful target date of 5/15. A “safe and phased reopening” is still on the radar, but it won’t happen earlier than June 1.
“It is impossible to project what the next few months will bring,” Goodell wrote. “Uninformed commentary that speculates on how individual clubs or the league will address a range of hypothetical contingencies serves to constructive purpose and instead confuses our fans and business partners, complicates the operations of other clubs, and distracts from the careful planning that is needed right now.”
Meanwhile, in Michigan, Governor Gretchen Whitmer says she expects limited attendance – or no attendance – at Lions games this fall.
Chargers’ Mike Pouncey Medically Cleared
Chargers center Mike Pouncey, who missed most of the 2019 season with a neck injury, has been medically cleared, as Pouncey himself told reporters this morning (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). In April, GM Tom Telesco provided a positive status report (Twitter link via Fernando Ramirez of NBC Sports), and Pouncey has now taken the last step in his recovery.
[RELATED: Chargers Interested In Jason Peters?]
Pouncey, a four-time Pro Bowler, suffered the neck injury in an early October game and was forced to undergo surgery. It was just one of several injuries for the Bolts in 2019, but this one was serious enough to have lifelong ramifications. Fortunately, Pouncey appears to have dodged a major bullet.
Pouncey spent his first seven NFL seasons with the Dolphins before his release in 2018. The Chargers gladly picked him up off the pile and he turned in a Pro Bowl performance for his new team. Then, before the start of last season, he inked a one-year, $9MM deal to extend his stay through 2020.
When Pouncey went down last year, the Chargers moved Dan Feeney from left guard to the middle to replace Pouncey, and plugged Forrest Lamp into Feeney’s spot. They also used 2018 fifth-round pick Scott Quessenberry to help fill the void. Of course, they will be much better off with the 30-year-old (31 in July) on the field.
The Bolts did not select an interior offensive lineman in this year’s draft, which is perhaps indicative of their faith in Pouncey’s successful return.
Giants May Move Training Camp
Add the Giants to the list of teams that may move their training camp site. Instead of New Jersey – one of the nation’s most hard-hit areas – head coach Joe Judge says the Giants could hold training camp at a different facility in another state (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan).
[RELATED: Arizona Gov.: Sports Can Resume On Saturday May 16]
Ideally, Judge says the Giants would keep things as-is, but they’re exploring all of their options and working on multiple plans. They’re far from alone in that: the Cowboys, 49ers, Chargers, and Rams are all set to run their practices in California, and they may have to pivot to another part of the country after Los Angeles County extended its sheltering orders for another three months.
“Our opps [operations] department is doing a great job right now mapping out a lot of different scenarios in terms of if, for some reason, we have to relocate,” Judge said. “They’re making connections around the area and around the country as to whatever we may need to do. We’re waiting on directions from the league in terms of making decisions on that,” Judge said (via Newsday).
Judge knew he’d be in for a completely new experience when he signed on to be the Giants’ head coach this year, but he couldn’t have anticipated a situation like this. As he eases into his new role, he’ll have help from offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, who spent nearly ten years running his own practices as the Cowboys’ head coach.
In other Giants news, Judge says the team is thinking about re-signing edge rusher Markus Golden. Previously, a reunion was viewed as unlikely at best.
Arizona Gov.: Sports Can Resume On Saturday May 16
Major sports leagues will be permitted to resume play in Arizona, effective this Saturday, Governor Doug Ducey announced (Twitter link via Anne Ryman of the Arizona Republic). In the short-term, this may bode well for baseball in 2020. If all goes well in Arizona, the NFL could lean heavily on the state as it gears up for its own 2020 season.
[RELATED: COVID-19’s Financial Impact On NFL]
“We have had discussions with leaders of some of these leagues and they all know they are welcome to operate, play and perform in the state of Arizona,” Ducey declared (via 98.7FM).
Earlier today, we learned that several NFL teams are exploring out-of-state options for training camp. The Rams, Chargers, 49ers, and Cowboys all have their camps in California; they’re probably all mulling new plans after Los Angeles County announced that stay-at-home orders will extend for at least another three months.
As our own Sam Robinson noted earlier today, clubs have more players on hand than ever during training camp. With 90-man rosters to go along with dozens of coaches, execs, and other personnel, teams in hotspot states may have a tough time moving ahead as planned in August. Meanwhile, “Arizona has hospital capacity, and Arizona is prepared” to deal with the impact of a gradual re-opening, Ducey says (Twitter link).
Raiders To Sign Prince Amukamara
The Raiders are set to sign cornerback Prince Amukamara, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). The financial terms are not yet known, but Garafolo hears that everything is in place for a deal. 
The former first-round pick has been looking for work since he was cut by the Bears in February. His career began with the Giants, where he spent the first five seasons of his career. After that, he spent a year with the Jaguars before signing yet another one-year pact – this time with the Bears – in 2017. In 2018, they gave him a three-year, $27MM re-up, but he did not get to see the last year of that deal.
Amukamara was a key player in the Bears’ secondary as he started alongside Kyle Fuller. Now, he’ll spend his age-31 season and ninth pro year in Las Vegas.
Last year, Amukamara graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 41 corner in the NFL – he fared better in 2018, when the Bears had the league’s best D. For his career, Amukamara has started in 99 of his 113 games – he’s more or less been first-string for every campaign except his rookie year. With the Raiders, he’ll fight for his place alongside Trayvon Mullen, Damon Arnette, slot/safety Lamarcus Joyner, Amik Robertson, Isaiah Johnson, and Nevin Lawson.
If the Amukamara deal should fall though for some reason, look for Las Vegas to pivot to Dre Kirkpatrick. The longtime Bengal, whom Cincinnati released at the end of March, is a fallback option for the Raiders, per NFL insider Adam Caplan (via Twitter). It sounds as if the Raiders will not pursue Kirkpatrick if the Amukamara deal is finalized, but Las Vegas could probably stand to add another veteran CB to its depth chart.