Saints Release Larry Warford
The Saints released guard Larry Warford on Friday in a move that cleared $7MM+ from the salary cap. As expected, the multiple-time Pro Bowler is already drawing interest from teams. The Texans are one club that’s already considering Larry Warford, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. Same goes for the Bears, who would offer considerably more upside than new pickup Germain Ifedi.
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Warford, 29 in June, has earned Pro Bowl nods in each of the last three seasons. However, the Pro Bowl selection process for offensive linemen tends to be less than scientific, and Sean Payton was less than thrilled with his performance in 2019. The Saints made that crystal clear late last month when they drafted interior lineman Cesar Ruiz in the first round. Ditto for their re-signing of Andrus Peat on a five-year, $57.5MM deal in March. Ruiz will now battle with Erik McCoy – a center, by trade – for a starting guard spot on the line.
Before the release, Warford was set to play out the final season of the four-year, $34MM deal he inked as a free agent in 2017. Now released, Warford will count for $5.125MM in dead money against the cap, but they’ll save $7.75MM in cap dollars.
Warford scored that deal off of the strength of his play in Detroit. As a third-round pick of the Lions, he went on to start in all 57 of his games and he ranked as Pro Football Focus’ 20th-best guard in his walk year.
The Texans could use a guy like Warford, who could supplant Zach Fulton as their top right guard.
North Notes: Griffen, Robinson, Bengals
Everson Griffen is one of the top two pass rushers still on the market, and we heard last month that he would probably not re-sign with the Vikings. However, Minnesota did not do much to add to its pass rushing corps in the draft, with South Carolina DE D.J. Wonnum representing the most notable addition. And while GM Rick Spielman acknowledged that his team’s cap space makes it difficult to bring Griffen back, he did not rule it out.
“It is hard to say right now where everything is at and where we are at, [but] until things become more normalized I will never say never on a player,” Spielman recently said on the #PFTPM podcast (via PFT’s Mike Florio). “[Y]our roster is never set.”
Griffen has expressed an interest in joining the Seahawks, but Seattle is still open to bringing back Jadeveon Clowney. If Clowney returns to the ‘Hawks, perhaps Griffen will settle for a one-year deal on a Minnesota defense that he will not have to learn on the fly.
Now for more from the league’s north divisions:
- Of the three OTs the Vikings added in this year’s draft, only second-rounder Ezra Cleveland profiles as an immediate threat to incumbent LT Riley Reiff. The team could again entertain the notion of kicking Reiff inside to LG, but that’s only if Cleveland proves himself ready for starting left tackle duties, which would be a tall order given the COVID-19 restrictions. So as Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune suggests, Reiff will likely stay at LT for the time being, and 2019 fourth-rounder Dru Samia will compete with Pat Elflein for the starting LG slot. The team could also target a free agent for that role, including Josh Kline, whom the Vikings released in a cost-cutting move in March.
- Bears WR Allen Robinson said towards the end of last season that he is interested in an extension with Chicago, but the two sides do not appear to be close to a new deal, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Robinson is ticketed for free agency after the 2020 campaign, and Biggs suggests that the franchise tag could be in play if there is no extension in place by the second month of the season.
- Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic says both A.J. Green and the Bengals have interest in getting a long-term deal done, but it’s unclear exactly how much interest. He expects that nothing will come together prior to the July 15 deadline, which means Green will have to play out the 2020 season on his franchise tender. While there’s a better chance Cincinnati comes to terms with RB Joe Mixon on a new contract, that will not happen before a decision on Green is made. The Bengals are reportedly bracing themselves for a Mixon holdout.
- In the same piece linked above, Dehner says the Bengals are unlikely to make any free agent additions to the O-line at this point. In a separate piece, he notes that Cincinnati made a free agent splash on cornerbacks in free agency because it did not like this year’s CB draft class. The team did not take a defensive back with any of its seven selections.
Bears To Decline Mitchell Trubisky’s Fifth-Year Option
The Bears will not exercise Mitchell Trubisky‘s fifth-year option, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter).
This will put the scrutinized former No. 2 overall pick in a contract year. Chicago acquired Nick Foles from Jacksonville this offseason. Although the Bears have liked Trubisky’s attitude since Foles’ arrival and are set to make this an open competition, per Pelissero, they are passing on extending his contract through 2021. This was the expected course of action, and the Bears are following through with it.
Because Trubisky was a top-10 pick, his option would have come in at $24.8MM. Based on the fourth-year quarterback’s track record, that price is quite lofty. While the Buccaneers and Titans respectively picked up Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota‘s options last year, the Bears are passing on their respective top-three draftee.
GM Ryan Pace pulled the trigger on a one-spot trade-up for Trubisky, climbing from No. 3 to No. 2 in 2017. At that point, Trubisky was viewed as a top-caliber prospect. But the one-year North Carolina starter has not lived up to expectations. The fact that Patrick Mahomes (pick No. 10) and Deshaun Watson (No. 12) have lapped the Bears starter has opened the door for endless scrutiny. Because Watson was picked 12th, his fifth-year option will come in at $17.5MM.
Trubisky regressed last season, finishing 28th in QBR. This prompted the Bears to bring in competition. They were close to an Andy Dalton trade before acquiring Foles later in March. The former Super Bowl LII MVP is viewed as the favorite to be Chicago’s starter this coming season. That would torpedo Trubisky’s value in free agency.
In 2018, Trubisky posted a 95.4 quarterback rating and threw for 24 touchdowns against 12 interceptions en route to a Pro Bowl nod (as an alternate). Last year, however, marked a step back. Trubisky threw 17 touchdown passes against 10 interceptions, and the Bears’ talented defense couldn’t make up for the offense’s shortcomings. The Bears went 8-7 in Trubisky’s 15 starts and finished .500 on the season, leaving them short of the postseason. Trubisky also battled hip and shoulder injuries, the latter requiring surgery.
Myles Garrett is the only member of 2017’s top five to see his fifth-year option exercised. Trubisky, 49ers defensive lineman Solomon Thomas, Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette and Titans wideout Corey Davis are now on track for 2021 free agency.
Latest On QB Andy Dalton, Bengals
Before he was released earlier this week, there was some optimism that Andy Dalton would land in Chicago. As Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic writes, the Bengals “were very close” to trading the veteran quarterback to the Bears back in March, and Dalton himself believed that’d be his ultimate landing spot.
Instead, Chicago shifted focus to Nick Foles, sending a fourth-rounder to the Jaguars for the former Super Bowl MVP. When the Bengals/Bears trade broke down, Cincy’s front office quickly discovered that they didn’t have any trade options for Dalton. As Dehner writes, two potential suitors, the Colts and Buccaneers, solved their quarterback issues via free agency, and rival front offices soon realized that the Bengals weren’t going to retain Dalton’s pricey cap hit.
Dalton believes the waiting game ended up hurting his chances of finding an ideal landing spot.
“There were several different factors,” Dalton told Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “This year there were a good amount of quarterbacks that were available. I think it would have worked out differently if I had been a free agent when the new league year started. I was still under contact and that hurt me. I’m sure teams knew they were going to take a quarterback No. 1 and they would release me and there was no reason to rush into anything.”
With the Bengals zeroing in on LSU’s Joe Burrow with the first-overall pick, Dalton recently approached president Mike Brown, director of player personnel Duke Tobin, and head coach Zac Taylor for clarity. Ultimately, the organization decided to simply release the 32-year-old.
While Dalton opines that the waiting game impacted his ability to find a new team, it sounds like he may still have some options. We heard earlier this week that the Jaguars and Patriots could be among the teams interested in the veteran quarterback.
Former Dolphins, Bears TE Dion Sims Retires From NFL
Dion Sims is calling it a career. On Friday, the former Bears and Dolphins tight end announced his retirement from the NFL. 
“Decided to hang my cleats up after 20 years of playing American football,” Sims tweeted. “God is good and I’m grateful!!!!!”
Sims spent six of those football playing years in the NFL – four with Miami and two with Chicago. We haven’t seen him on the field since 2018, however, so his retirement doesn’t come as a shock.
Sims, who turned 29 in February, never topped 30 receptions or 300 yards receiving during his six-year run. However, he was a solid blocker for most of his career. He also earned some solid money in his playing days: $11MM+ in total, with the bulk of it coming from the Bears.
The Bears gave Sims a three-year, $18MM deal in 2017, a solid payday at the time. That free agent class also featured TEs Vernon Davis, Jared Cook, Martellus Bennett, Jack Doyle, and Luke Willson.
Sims exits the sport with 91 receptions for 888 yards and nine touchdowns.
Bears To Sign S Tashaun Gipson
Tashaun Gipson did not spend much time in free agency. Three days after his Texans release, the veteran safety agreed to a deal with the Bears, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports.
The former Browns, Jaguars and Texans safety agreed to a one-year Bears contract. Chicago did not re-sign Ha Ha Clinton-Dix this offseason, with the now-well-traveled defender opting to sign with Dallas. And the Bears did not draft a safety, opening the door for Gipson to crack another team’s starting lineup.
In All-Pro Eddie Jackson, the Bears employ one of the game’s best safeties. They have fifth-year player Deon Bush, former Chief Jordan Lucas and ex-Packer Kentrell Brice as well. Gipson is more accomplished than all of Chicago’s non-Jackson safeties, having made 104 starts in eight seasons.
This will be Gipson’s age-30 season. The former Browns UDFA spent just one season with the Texans. He was with the Jaguars for three years and played a key role on two dominant defenses. Last season in Houston, Gipson intercepted three passes and took one back for a touchdown. He has 23 career INTs.
Gipson graded outside Pro Football Focus’ top 60 at the position, however, so his Bears deal is unlikely to approach the three-year, $22.5MM deal he inked with the Texans.
Bears To Sign Ted Ginn Jr.
The Bears have agreed to a one-year deal with veteran wideout Ted Ginn Jr., according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Ginn, 35, indicated earlier this month that he didn’t plan to retire. A return to New Orleans never seemed likely after the Saints signed Emmanuel Sanders, but Ginn has now landed in Chicago where the Bears were in need of another pass-catcher.
While the Bears have Allen Robinson at one outside receiver position, and Anthony Miller in the slot, they were looking for a speed option to compete with Javon Wims for their third receiver role. Ginn has played between 55-65% of his club’s offensive snaps in recent seasons, and he figures to settle in at that rate Chicago in 2020.
Last season, Ginn caught 30 passes for 421 yards and two touchdowns. While he was once a prolific return man, Ginn hasn’t played a special teams role in the past few years. That shouldn’t be an issue in Chicago, where the Bears already employ Cordarrelle Patterson.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/29/20
Today’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: LB Bryan Cox Jr.
Chicago Bears
- Signed: WR Trevor Davis
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: LB Daniel Bituli
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: G Zac Kerin
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/28/20
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: DT John Jenkins
Denver Broncos
- Waived: OT Ka’John Armstrong
Kansas City Chiefs
- Waived: DE Anthony Lanier, RB Marcus Marshall
New York Giants
- Claimed off waivers (Dolphins): S Montre Hartage
- Waived: DB Derrick Baity, TE C.J. Conrad, LS Colin Holba, LS Drew Scott, P Sean Smith, C Tanner Volson
Philadelphia Eagles
- Claimed off waivers (Lions): G Casey Tucker
Seattle Seahawks
- Claimed off waivers (Jaguars): DB Jayson Stanley
Jenkins, 30, spent the 2017 season with the Bears before spending time with the Giants and Dolphins. In Miami last year, he started five times and appeared in all 16 games. He finished out the year with 34 total tackles and his first sack since 2015. The deal also reunites him with old colleague Ryan Pace, the Bears GM who worked in the Saints’ front office when Jenkins was drafted back in 2013.
Bears Agree To Terms With 11 UDFAs
The Bears announced this morning that they’ve agreed to terms with 11 undrafted free agents, including the brother of one of their star players:
- Lee Autry, DT (Mississippi State)
- Dieter Eiselen, OG (Yale)
- Keandre Jones, LB (Maryland)
- LaCale London, LB (Western Illinois)
- Ledarius Mack, LB (Buffalo)
- Napoleon Maxwell, RB (Florida International)
- Trevor McSwain, DT (Duke)
- Artavis Pierce, RB (Oregon State)
- Rashad Smith, LB (Florida Atlantic)
- Badara Traore, OT (LSU)
- Ahmad Wagner, WR (Kentucky)
Mack is the most notable name on the list, as he’s the younger brother of Bears Pro Bowler Khalil Mack. The Buffalo product finished his senior season with seven sacks and 11 tackles for loss. The younger Mack is one of four linebackers signed by Chicago, and that’s after the organization added a linebacker (Trevis Gipson) in the fifth round of the draft.
Autry also has some NFL pedigree, as his brother, cornerback Denico Autry, plays for the Colts.
Wagner is perhaps the most interesting prospect in the group. The six-foot-five receiver spent three seasons playing basketball at Iowa before transferring to Kentucky to play football. He hauled in 15 receptions for 254 yards and two scores during his lone season with the Wildcats.