Could Bob Stoops Be A Candidate To Replace Fox?
- Bob Stoops suddenly announced his retirement as the head coach of the University of Oklahoma, shocking the NCAA. Miller notes that the 56-year-old could be in line to replace John Fox if the Bears decide to look for another coach next offseason, although the writer notes that Jeff Fisher could be another candidate.
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Bears DL Akiem Hicks Seeking New Agent
On the verge of an important year, Akiem Hicks is looking to make a change in representation. The Bears defensive lineman has parted ways with agent Frank Murtha and is currently in the process of interviewing new potential agents, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes. 
“I am a free agent that is almost a free agent,” said Hicks, who is entering a contract year. “You get it?”
Hicks joined the Bears on a two-year, $10MM free agent deal after spending time with the Saints and Patriots in 2015. He’s set to earn $5MM this season and is hoping to land another lucrative deal for 2018 and beyond.
In his last go-round through free agency, Hicks chose a shorter deal with Chicago over a longer pact offered by the Patriots. His gamble has paid off and he is now eager to cash in.
“I know it’s not always the best way to think of it with this being a business, but I want to get what I deserve or get what I have earned,” he said, while adding that he would like to stay in Chicago. “If I earned a new contract, that’s what I earned. If I don’t, that’s the case. It’s really not up to me. I get to put my stuff on the field and show them what I can do, but I can’t make them go upstairs and sign me to a different piece of paper.”
Hicks had a career-high 71 total tackles last season plus five tackles for a loss and seven sacks. He also played in a career-high 931 snaps, proving his durability. At a time when top defensive lineman are getting big dollars, the 27-year-old (28 in November) could be looking at a monster deal in the spring.
Bears Auditioning OL Tre’ Jackson
The Bears are working out free agent offensive lineman Tre’ Jackson during their minicamp, tweets Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun Times.
Jackson, 24, was a fourth-round pick in 2015, and played a significant amount of snaps during his rookie campaign as he started nine games for New England. According to Pro Football Focus, Jackson was roughly average in 2015, grading as the NFL’s No. 47 guard. Knee injuries knocked Jackson out at the end of that season, however, and forced him to spend the entire 2016 campaign on the PUP list.
Jackson has already had a busy offseason, as he was waived by the Patriots in April. Claimed off waivers the following day by the Rams, Jackson never got a chance in Los Angeles after failing his physical. The Rams placed him back on the free agent market, and Jackson hasn’t drawn any known interest since.
If he signs with the Bears, Jackson would join the roster as a clear backup. Chicago already boasts one of the league’s best guard pairings in Kyle Long and Josh Sitton, while center Cody Whitehair was also excellent during his rookie season in 2016. Jackson would conceivably compete with Eric Kush, Hroniss Grasu, and rookie Jordan Morgan for a reserve role.
Jay Cutler, Jets Couldn’t Line Up Visit
Jay Cutler is going from the field to the broadcast booth this year, but before announcing his retirement, Cutler explored his options. The Jets were among the clubs to reach out to Cutler after he was released by the Bears, but timing was ultimately an issue and the two sides never wound up meeting, the quarterback tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (audio link). 
[RELATED: Jets Notes: Eric Decker, Robby Anderson]
“The stars didn’t really align for me to get out there,” Cutler said (transcript via PFT). “By the time I was scheduled to get out there, my buddy Josh ]McCown] had taken a visit and they worked something out with him. It all worked out. I’m happy for him.”
When the Jets reached out to Cutler, the quarterback was up front with the team and said that he wasn’t sure if he wanted to continue playing. While Cutler was on the fence, the Jets shifted focus to McCown. Reading between the lines, it sounds like Cutler might have continued playing in 2017 had things timed out better between him and Gang Green.
Cutler reportedly also had “strong” interest in joining the Texans, but things didn’t work out on that front either. For now, Cutler’s playing days are in the rear view mirror as he gears up for his new career with FOX, but it’s clear that the QB still has some desire to play. If the right opportunity comes along for Cutler in the next year or two, it seems possible that he’ll listen.
Bears Hope To Extend Charles Leno
- While the Bears “would like nothing more” than to extend left tackle Charles Leno, it’s unclear if Chicago plans to open contract talks before the season gets underway, as Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes. Leno, 25, is certainly a success story, as the former seventh-round pick has started 32 games for the Bears over the past two seasons. He’s steadily improved, as well, and last year graded as the No. 41 tackle among 78 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. Chicago will get a relative bargain on Leno in 2017, as he’s due a base salary of only $1.797MM. A long-term deal could easily take Leno over the $10MM per year barrier, if not higher.
Bears Notes: Meredith, Cruz
- Bears wide receiver Cameron Meredith suffered a thumb ligament injury Thursday that will keep him out until training camp, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. He’s the second OTA casualty for Chicago, joining quarterback Mark Sanchez, who suffered a knee injury earlier this week. Meredith is clearly the more important player for the Bears, having posted 66 receptions, 888 yards and four touchdowns as a second-year man in 2016.
- The Bears’ newest receiver, Victor Cruz, can earn up $4MM on his one-year contract, relays Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Cruz’s deal includes a $500K signing bonus, $500K in per-game roster bonuses and a chance to rake in $2MM in incentives.
Bears Claim FB Michael Burton Off Waivers
Michael Burton will remain employed by an NFC North franchise after the Bears claimed him on waivers, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The Lions waived Burton on Tuesday to make room for Matt Asiata.
This NFC North carousel concludes with two running backs changing teams within the division. Burton will join a Bears team that has a fullback vacancy after the team made the decision to waive Paul Lasike earlier this month.
Burton started seven games for the Lions as a rookie in 2015, but once Jim Bob Cooter took over the offensive reins midway through that season, a fullback was no longer a necessity. Burton played only 95 snaps last season and did not touch the ball on offense. The Bears figure to use him on special teams as well. They didn’t feature much work from an official fullback themselves in 2016.
The 25-year-old Rutgers product is under team control for two more years, per the terms of his rookie contract that the Bears are picking up.
Bears Release Jhajuan Seales
- The Bears have released wide receiver Jhajuan Seales, reports Alex Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). The Oklahoma State product finished his senior season with 37 receptions for 615 yards and four touchdowns. He signed as an undrafted free agent earlier this month.
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Bears Reverse Course, Won’t Waive QB Connor Shaw
The Bears announced earlier today that they had waived quarterback Connor Shaw in order to create a roster spot for wide receiver Victor Cruz. However, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that fellow quarterback Mark Sanchez suffered a knee injury today, and the team subsequently rescinded the waiver.
Chicago, of course, has revamped its quarterback room this offseason: not only did the Bears sign two free agent signal-callers in Mike Glennon and Sanchez, but they moved up in the draft to select North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky at No. 2 overall. With Glennon and Trubisky set to take most of the practice reps over the next few months, the Bears likely didn’t see the need to carry a fourth quarterback on the roster.
The Bears originally acquired the 25-year-old Shaw off waivers from the Browns last summer. Shaw, who has one career start under his belt, subsequently broke his leg during the preseason and spent the entire 2016 campaign on injured reserve.
Shaw will now see third-string reps during OTAs as Sanchez recovers from his injury. Sanchez has only appeared in 15 games over the past three seasons, including a pair of appearances with the Cowboys in 2016. Over that span, the 30-year-old veteran has completed almost 64-percent of his passes for 3,127 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions. Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun Times reports (via Twitter) that Sanchez is expected to be ready for training camp.
Poll: Highest-Impact Rookie Quarterback?
Of the 15 quarterbacks selected in last year’s draft, seven ended up starting at least one regular-season game in 2016. The Rams’ Jared Goff and the Eagles’ Carson Wentz comprised the top two picks of the draft, but it was Cowboys fourth-round signal-caller Dak Prescott, the 135th overall choice, who ultimately emerged as the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and the face of a 13-3 team.
When the Cowboys drafted Prescott, there was little expectation he’d garner significant playing time right away, let alone thrive from the get-go, with Tony Romo on the roster. But debilitating summer injuries to Romo and backup Kellen Moore opened the door for Prescott, who’s now firmly entrenched under center in Dallas. Romo, realizing he wasn’t going to start again for the Cowboys, is now working for CBS.
While it’s hard to imagine any rookie quarterback from this year’s 10-man class bursting on the scene in Prescott-like fashion, it stands to reason at least some will get opportunities to do so. Like last year, three passers went in the first round of the 2017 draft, though immediate playing time isn’t a guarantee for any. For now, Mitch Trubisky (No. 2 overall, Bears), Patrick Mahomes (No. 10, Chiefs) and Deshaun Watson (No. 12, Texans) are in understudy roles.
Trubisky, a one-year starter at North Carolina for whom Chicago somewhat controversially traded up a spot to select, reportedly won’t see the field as a rookie unless free agent investment Mike Glennon flops. Considering Glennon previously held a starting job in Tampa Bay but didn’t do enough to keep it, he very well could struggle enough for Trubisky to grab the reins in 2017.
Watson might also take the helm sooner than later, as the ex-Clemson national championship winner whom the Texans traded up 13 spots to draft is behind a veteran, Tom Savage, who’s almost completely untested. Given that the Texans have sullied quality rosters with subpar quarterbacks in recent seasons, it could behoove them to plug in Watson if Savage, he of two career starts and zero touchdown passes, looks like another Brock Osweiler this year.
An early path to playing time appears less clear for Mahomes, even though Kansas City paid a high price to go up 17 places to secure him. At the moment, the ex-Texas Tech gunslinger looks like a good bet to red shirt 2017 behind Alex Smith as the Chiefs take at least one more kick at the Super Bowl can with the steady (albeit non-elite) veteran at the helm.
Perhaps more than any other QB in this year’s class, Browns second-rounder DeShone Kizer stands out as someone who looks destined to amass playing time as a rookie. The 52nd pick and former Notre Dame dual threat has impressed in the very early going in Cleveland. Moreover, his main competitors for the Browns’ open starting job, Osweiler and Cody Kessler, aren’t exactly Otto Graham and Bernie Kosar.
As Prescott and 2012 third-rounder Russell Wilson have shown in the past half-decade, a quarterback doesn’t necessarily have to come off the board at the top of the draft to star right away. That’s surely heartening to the Giants’ Davis Webb (third round, No. 87), the 49ers’ C.J. Beathard (third round, No. 104), the Steelers’ Joshua Dobbs (fourth round, No. 135), the Bills’ Nathan Peterman (fifth round, No. 171), the Lions’ Brad Kaaya (sixth round, No. 215) and the Broncos’ Chad Kelly (seventh round, No. 253). Barring injuries, though, Webb, Dobbs and Kaaya have virtually no chance to earn starting roles at any point in 2017, as each is behind an established veteran. On the other hand, there’s no Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger or Matthew Stafford on any of the rosters of the 49ers, Bills and Broncos, which could give Beathard, Peterman and Kelly a glimmer of hope. Still, for various reasons, all three look like major long shots to break out as rookies. Then again, the same could’ve been said about Prescott 12 months ago.
Photos via USA Today Sports Images and Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.