Bears Sign Four More Draft Picks
The Bears have inked the majority of their draft class to contracts. The team announced that they’ve signed fifth-round tackle Larry Borom, sixth-round running back Khalil Herbert, sixth-round receiver Dazz Newsome, and sixth-round cornerback Thomas Graham Jr.. We passed along the signing of seventh-round nose tackle Khyiris Tonga earlier today.
Borom is the most notable name on the list, as the Missouri product started 19 of his 33 games over the past three seasons. He’ll likely serve as a backup to Elijah Wilkinson on the right side, although he has the versatility to play all over the offensive line. Herbert was also a notable pick after collecting 2,918 rushing yards in 46 college games, including 1,183 yards in 11 games for Virginia Tech last year. He’ll compete for a spot as backup to David Montgomery and Tarik Cohen.
While Newsome got his first NFL contract today, it’s not all good news for the rookie. We learned earlier today that the rookie wideout broke his collarbone in practice on Tuesday. Fortunately, it was a clean break for the sixth-rounder, meaning Newsome should be good to go by the start of training camp.
With the signing, the Bears now only have a pair of unsigned draft picks: first-round quarterback Justin Fields and second-round tackle Teven Jenkins.
Broken Collarbone For Bears’ Dazz Newsome
Bears rookie wide receiver Dazz Newsome broke his collarbone in practice on Tuesday (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). That means surgery for the sixth-round pick, but Pelissero hears that it was a clean break. Essentially, the youngster is looking at an eight-week recovery that should allow him to participate in training camp.
Many expected the Bears to target a wideout in Round 1. Instead, they pushed their chips towards Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields and addressed the need later on with Newsome. The Bears see him as a strong slot option, thanks to his lightning-quick speed. Other teams agreed, especially after seeing the UNC product notch 126 grabs for 1,702 yards and 16 touchdowns across his last two seasons on campus.
If he stays on track, Newsome has a good chance of sticking somewhere behind Allen Robinson and Damiere Byrd. But, if he’s not able to prove himself between now and the end of August, the Bears might have a tough time sneaking him through waivers.
NFL Draft Signings: 6/2/21
We’ll keep track of today’s late-round signings here:
Chicago Bears
- DT Khyiris Tonga (seventh-round, BYU)
Cincinnati Bengals
- DE Joseph Ossai (third-round, Texas) (story)
Bears, Jets Meet With Morgan Moses
Morgan Moses is a busy man. On Wednesday, the former Washington tackle will meet with the Bears, as ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. Meanwhile, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link) hears that he also visited the Jets last week. 
There could be even more visits on the docket for Moses, who stands as one of the best offensive lineman left on the market. Washington gave Moses permission to seek trades earlier this month, but there were no takers. Ultimately, they released him to save $7.74MM against the 2021 salary cap.
Moses was re-upped by WFT in 2017 and went six straight seasons without missing a game. He’s durable, but not a world-beater, so Washington revamped their tackle group by drafting Samuel Cosmi in the second round and signing longtime Bears left tackle Charles Leno.
For what it’s worth, Pro Football Focus graded Moses as a top-20 tackle last season. But, previous to that, the advanced metrics framed him as a middle-of-the-road tackle from 2017 through 2019.
The Jets are set at left tackle with second-year pro Mekhi Becton, but their right tackle spot is still up in the air. For now, George Fant and Chuma Edoga stand as their top RT options. Meanwhile, the Bears could slot Moses ahead of Germain Ifedi on the right side with second-round rookie Teven Jenkins on the left.
Vikings Wanted Justin Fields At No. 8
Recently, the Panthers shared a behind-the-scenes look at the 2021 NFL Draft, which showed the Vikings calling on their No. 8 overall pick. Ultimately, the offer wasn’t up to snuff. But, had the Panthers said yes, the Vikings would have selected Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields (via PFT). 
The Vikings were connected to Fields in the weeks leading up to the draft, hoping that he’d fall to No. 14 overall. Now, we know that they were proactive in trying to land him. It’s an interesting footnote, especially given the presence of Kirk Cousins. Cousins has two years and $56MM to go on his deal; Fields could have prompted them to trade the veteran sometime between now and the end of the pact.
The Vikings offered up their No. 14 pick, their third-round choice at No. 90, and a fourth-round pick to jump to No. 8. Panthers GM Scott Fitterer wanted a 2022 first-round pick in order to move down, so the talks didn’t progress from there. Instead, the Vikings moved down to No. 23, tapped Virginia Tech tackle Christian Darrisaw, and added to their third-round stockpile. That’s where they selected Texas A&M QB Kellen Mond, who could be groomed as an eventual successor to Cousins.
“Kirk Cousins is our quarterback,” GM Rick Spielman said in March. “I know there’s a lot of rumors floating around out there, but Kirk Cousins is our quarterback. We felt that he played very well, probably the best that he’s ever played down that stretch last year. Kirk is our quarterback going forward, and I look forward to him (having) another year in this system.”
Cousins is indeed the Vikings quarterback, but it’s worth nothing that his contract no longer includes a no-trade clause. Meanwhile, the Vikings will see Fields twice per year when they face the Bears.
This Date In Transactions History: Bears Sign Victor Cruz
On this date in 2017, Victor Cruz joined the Bears on a one-year deal. With that, the longtime Giants wide receiver was set to start his next chapter. Unfortunately, things didn’t pan out as expected. 
Cruz was a logical fit for the Bears after they lost Alshon Jeffery in free agency. With their WR1 gone, they were left with Cameron Meredith, the injury-prone Kevin White, veteran Kendall Wright, Daniel Braverman, and Markus Wheaton as their top targets. Cruz was not a one-for-one replacement for Jeffery at this stage of his career, but there was a clear path to the 53-man roster. Then, in the preseason, he suffered a knee injury that took him out of the equation.
From 2011 through 2013, Cruz averaged 80 receptions, 1,209 yards, and eight end zone salsas per season for the Giants. Cruz, a former undrafted free agent out of UMass, came out of nowhere and captivated the NFL . Later, the Giants locked Cruz down with a five-year extension worth up to $43MM. Cruz could have gambled by staying on track for free agency after the 2013 season. With hindsight, Cruz was pretty happy about his decision, which yielded nearly $16MM in guaranteed cash.
Things started to come apart in 2014, thanks to a torn patellar tendon, followed by a calf injury. By ’18, Cruz was still just 31, but also years removed from live action. So, after unsuccessfully lobbying the Giants to bring him back, Cruz called it a career. His final NFL contract came from the Bears, but he left the game having only played for the G-Men.
Bears Interested In Bashaud Breeland
After two seasons with the Chiefs, Bashaud Breeland has resided on the free agent market for more than two months. A landing spot appears to have emerged for the longtime starter, however.
The Bears are interested in the seven-year veteran, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Chicago cut both Kyle Fuller and Buster Skrine this offseason and could potentially use another experienced cover man, having not addressed the position in the draft until Round 6.
Varying messages have come out of Bears headquarters about their cornerback position. They have been linked to interest in fellow ex-Chief Steven Nelson, who played with Kansas City during Matt Nagy‘s time there, while new DC Sean Desai said the team would not necessarily need to add any additional help at the position. With multiple corners on the radar, however, it does appear the Bears are looking for more coverage aid.
A former Washington second-round pick, Breeland started for both the Chiefs’ AFC champion teams. He played 16 games in 2019 and returned from a September suspension to reclaim his starting role last season. The 29-year-old corner has intercepted two passes in each of the past three seasons; he spent 2018 in Green Bay.
Despite being first eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2018, Breeland has yet to land a long-term deal. He agreed to terms with the Panthers on a three-year deal in 2018, but a failed physical led Carolina to nix the pact. But Breeland has remained a first-stringer on this year-to-year career track, having started 88 career games. Pro Football Focus graded the veteran as a midlevel corner in 2020, slotting him 57th at the position.
Chicago did add Desmond Trufant this offseason, but the former Atlanta No. 1 corner has missed 17 games over the past two seasons. Breeland would profile as competition and a potential upgrade opposite Jaylon Johnson. The Bears would need to free up some cap room, perhaps via the restructure route, to sign Breeland. The team has barely $200K in cap space and has not completed its draft class signings.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/19/21
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Claimed off waivers (from Cowboys): OT William Sweet
Chicago Bears
- Signed: G/C Adam Redmond
- Waived: G Gage Cervenka
New England Patriots
- Signed: LS Wes Farnsworth
Bears Sign LB Austin Calitro
Austin Calitro is heading to Chicago. The free agent linebacker is signing with the Bears, the organization announced this evening (via the team’s Twitter).
Calitro bounced around the NFL a bit to begin his career; the 2017 undrafted free agent out of Villanova spent his rookie campaign with four different teams (Jets, 49ers, Seahawks, and Browns). Seattle gave the linebacker another chance in 2018, and Calitro established himself as a legitimate NFL linebacker. He appeared in all 16 games during that 2018 season (with five starts), compiling 45 tackles, 0.5 sacks, and three tackles for loss.
He got into 13 games with the Jaguars in 2019, finishing with 40 tackles and one sack. He caught on with Denver for the 2020 season, and while he appeared in 13 total games, he finished with only three tackles while playing exclusively on special teams.
The Bears will likely turn to Calitro on special teams, but the 27-year-old also has an opportunity to play on defense. Roquan Smith, Danny Trevathan, and backup Christian Jones seem set atop the depth chart, but Calitro will compete with the likes of Joel Iyiegbuniwe, Josh Woods, and Caleb Johnson for backup reps.
To make room on the roster, the Bears waived wideout Reggie Davis (via the team’s website). The Georgia product spent most of the 2020 campaign on Chicago’s practice squad.
Bears Scrap Some OTAs
- The Bears announced a significant change to their offseason program on Sunday night. Chicago revealed they will “no longer hold” previously scheduled OTAs from May 25th-27th. They’ll now begin OTAs on June 1st. Since only two sets had been planned, this means the OTAs are getting cut in half. This could be a sort of compromise between the players and the team to ensure that the second set has “strong participation,” Brad Briggs of the Chicago Tribune suggests in a tweet. As you’re surely aware by now, there’s been widespread opposition among players to many of these voluntary workouts, so it’s not surprising to see teams adapting and making gestures like this.