Saints To Sign Andy Dalton
Andy Dalton has found his next home in the NFL. The veteran is signing with the Saints on a one-year contract worth up to $6MM, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). The deal includes $3MM in guaranteed money. 
[RELATED: Bears Sign QB Siemian]
The 34-year-old has settled into life as a backup after nine years as the starter in Cincinnati. He held the No. 2 job in Dallas in 2020, though he made nine starts as a result of injuries to Dak Prescott. He went 4-5 in that stretch, tossing 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions. That was followed by another one-year contract, this time in Chicago.
Dalton was named the starter for the Bears last April, though the team drafted Justin Fields later that month. The former ended up making six starts in the Windy City, putting up almost identical passing stats to his time the year before. With Fields having taken over as the QB of the present and future by the end of the year, though, it became clear Dalton would be on his way out.
In New Orleans, the TCU alum will replace Trevor Siemian, who recently joined the Bears. The Saints have re-signed Jameis Winston as their starter, but his injury history could open the door to playing time for Dalton. If that ends up happening, it would continue his recent streak of getting notable snaps despite spending long stretches as a backup. At a minimum, the three-time Pro Bowler is in line to extend his career for one more season.
Bills To Match Ryan Bates Offer Sheet
After seeing restricted free agent Ryan Bates sign an offer sheet with the Bears, the Bills faced the decision of matching it or watching him leave for no compensation. Today, they have decided on the former course of action, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports that the contract is worth $17MM over four years (Twitter link). He adds that the first two years (valued at just under $9MM) are guaranteed. 
[RELATED: Bates Signing Bears’ Offer Sheet]
Bates took over as the Bills’ starting left guard in Week 15 of this season, and held that role through to the end of the year and the playoffs. It was the most significant playing time of his three years in the NFL. Despite the limited workload he’s handled to date, his play down the stretch generated plenty of interest. The Bills tendered him at a rate of just over $2.4MM, leaving the door open to an offer sheet coming into play.
Bates visited with the Vikings, Patriots and Bears before ultimately signing an offer sheet with the latter. Chicago was looking to add to the interior of their line, having lost guard James Daniels to the Steelers earlier this offseason. Now, they will continue to search for a replacement in the second and third waves of the free agent market.
The Bills, meanwhile, are indeed able to retain one of their breakout players from last year. Some felt they should have tendered Bates at the second-round level to assure themselves of draft compensation, but now they have him under contract for the medium-term future.
Latest On Nick Foles
Given the current quarterback situation in Chicago, it seems inevitable Nick Foles will be on the move soon. It comes as no surprise, then, that NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports that the Bears “have explored trades” involving the veteran (Twitter link). 
[RELATED: Bears To Sign Siemian]
Foles, 33, has been with the Bears for the past two years. He started seven games in 2020, posting a 2-5 record while throwing 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Last offseason, the team signed Andy Dalton and drafted Justin Fields, setting them up for the short- and long-term future. That left Foles on the sidelines for all but one game in 2021.
The former Super Bowl winner was thought to be a trade candidate even though Dalton only signed a one-year contract, and he will remain one with the addition of Trevor Siemian on a two-year pact. A deal has recently become more manageable, though, which could accelerate the process of Foles finding a new home.
As Garafolo notes, a $4MM roster bonus Foles was due last week has been paid out. That, coupled with the fact that only $1MM of his remaining compensation is guaranteed, would make it easy for a team to add him from a financial perspective. A trade would save the Bears $8MM in cap space, while creating a dead money charge of $2.67MM.
While most teams are settled with regards to their starting signal-caller, Foles could still be an effective backup on any number of teams. The question of where he lands next could soon be answered.
Bears To Sign QB Trevor Siemian
Trevor Siemian is heading to Chicago. The veteran quarterback is signing with the Bears, according to representative Mike McCartney on Twitter (and passed along by Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press on Twitter). Siemian got a two-year deal worth $4MM with upside of $5MM, tweets NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
We learned earlier this week that the veteran was meeting with Chicago. With Andy Dalton a free agent and Nick Foles potentially on his way out, the Bears were seeking a veteran quarterback to serve as a backup to Justin Fields. Siemian will be joining a depth chart that also features Ryan Willis.
The 30-year-old ended up getting four starts this past season with the Saints, his most starting nods since he was a full-timer with the Broncos in 2017. New Orleans went 0-4 in Siemian’s four starts in 2021, with the quarterback completing 57.4 percent of his passes for 1,154 yards, 11 touchdowns, and only three interceptions.
Siemian was 13-11 as a starter during his time in Denver, tossing 30 touchdowns vs. 24 interceptions. He was a seventh-round pick by the Broncos in 2015.
Ryan Bates Signing Offer Sheet From Bears
After his impressive performance with the Bills down the stretch this past season, guard Ryan Bates was thought to be one of the most sought-after restricted free agents. It’s not surprising, then, that Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune reports (on Twitter) that he “intends to sign an offer sheet” from the Bears.
Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson tweets that Bates is indeed signing with Chicago. As a result, the Bills now have five days to decide whether or not they will match the Bears’ offer. Bates, 25 was given an original-round tender of $2.433MM by Buffalo. Because he was a UDFA, however, the Bills would not receive any draft pick compensation should they decline to match (as opposed to, for instance, the second-round pick they would be in line for had they tendered him at just under $4MM).
Bates took over the starting left guard spot in Week 15 of the 2021 campaign, and held on to it for the remainder of the season. While his time as a starter was limited to that stretch, his play generated plenty of interest. It was reported last week that Chicago was among three teams – the others being the Vikings and Patriots – who met with the Penn State alum. It became clear early on in that process that an offer sheet was a distinct possibility.
Now, the Bills face a decision which wouldn’t have seemed likely after Bates’ first two (start-less) seasons in the NFL. Much of their next move will, of course, depend on the specifics of Chicago’s offer. In any event, this will remain a key storyline for both teams for the next few days.
Bears Sign OL Dakota Dozier
Dakota Dozier is switching NFC North teams. The Bears are signing the offensive lineman, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (on Twitter).
[RELATED: Bears To Sign OL Lucas Patrick]
Dozier spent the past three seasons with the Vikings, including a 2020 campaign where he started all 16 games without missing an offensive snap. Despite his role, he was cut following the 2021 preseason. He ended up spending the majority of last season on Minnesota’s practice squad, with his six appearances all coming on special teams. The Vikings told the lineman after the season that they wouldn’t be re-signing him, per Tomasson.
The former fourth-round pick spent the beginning of his career with the Jets, starting seven of his 38 games in four years with the organization.
In Chicago, Dozier will likely compete for a backup role on the offensive line. Chicago added fellow lineman Lucas Patrick on a two-year deal last week.
QB Trevor Siemian Visits Bears
The Bears are eyeing some reinforcement at quarterback. Veteran QB Trevor Siemian worked out for the Bears today, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter).
The 30-year-old ended up getting four starts this past season with the Saints, his most starting nods since he was a full-timer with the Broncos in 2017. New Orleans went 0-4 in Siemian’s four starts, with the quarterback completing 57.4 percent of his passes for 1,154 yards, 11 touchdowns, and only three interceptions.
Siemian was 13-11 as a starter during his time in Denver, tossing 30 touchdowns vs. 24 interceptions. He was a seventh-round pick by the Broncos in 2015.
Speaking of Bears QBs, Nick Foles received his $4MM roster bonus the other day. The bonus was fully guaranteed, so it’s not a surprise that the veteran is still on the roster. However, as ESPN’s Courtney Cronin tweets, teams could have some interest in the veteran in-season considering half of his 2022 earnings have already been paid.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/22/22
Here are today’s minor moves around the NFL:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: FB Khari Blasingame
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived: OT Fred Johnson
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: CB Luq Barcoo, OLB Elijah Lee
Minnesota Vikings
- Re-Signed: QB Sean Mannion
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Re-Signed: DT Montravius Adams
Contract Details: Jackson, Muhammad, Nwosu
Rounding up a few contract details from recent deals:
- Donte Jackson, CB (Panthers): Three-year, $35.18MM. The contract, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network, has a guaranteed amount of $16.76MM consisting of an $11MM signing bonus and the first two years’ base salary of $1.04MM in 2022 and $4.72MM in 2023. On the third league day of the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Jackson would be due $4MM roster bonuses. The deal also includes a per game active bonus of $100,000 that can earn him up to $1.7MM per season.
- Al-Quadin Muhammad, DE (Bears): Two-year, $8MM. The contract has a guaranteed amount of $3.3MM consisting of a $1MM signing bonus, the first year’s base salary of $1.5MM, and the first year’s roster bonus of $800,000. Muhammad would be due an identical roster bonus on the third league day of 2023. He also has a per game active bonus of $35,294 for a potential season total of $600,000.
- Uchenna Nwosu, DE (Seahawks): Two-year, $19.06MM. The contract has a guaranteed amount of $10.54MM consisting of a signing bonus of $9.5MM and the first year’s base salary of $1.04 MM. The second year’s base salary jumps to $7.5MM. The deal includes a per game active bonus of $30,000 for a potential season total of $510,000.