Extra Points: Bears, Cutler, Bills, Gilmore, Kendricks, Eagles
No surprise here, but the Bears tried to trade Jay Cutler before releasing him on Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. After his 2016 struggles, teams were not willing to take on his contract. He’s now a free agent.
Here’s more from around the NFL:.
- Bills brass decided well before the 2016 season they wouldn’t pay Stephon Gilmore anything close to the $14MM/year figure he’ll reportedly get from the Patriots, Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News tweets.
- There has been no movement on a potential Mychal Kendricks trade for the Eagles, a source tells Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter). He’ll see his $4.35MM salary guaranteed if he remains on the roster on Saturday.
- The Falcons had talks about defensive tackle Terrell McClain, according to source who spoke with Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter). However, McClain will be joining up with Washington on a multi-year deal.
- The Eagles have some interest in bringing back Stefen Wisniewski, Mike Kaye of First Coast News tweets. Wisniewski has the ability to play either guard or center and did well in starts at left guard last season.
Bears Release QB Jay Cutler
The Bears are releasing quarterback Jay Cutler, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Cutler asked for and was granted his release on Thursday morning. He is now a free agent and free to sign with any team. The Bears have since confirmed the move via press release.
Cutler’s release has been anticipated for some time now and it more or less solidified by the Bears’ free agent deal with Mike Glennon. Because Cutler was the one to ask for his deal to be terminated, it’s possible that the Bears asked him to serve as Glennon’s No. 2 quarterback. Cutler, who has been a longtime starter, presumably would have rejected such a proposal.
Right now, Cutler has to be considered one of the best free agent quarterback options out there along with Tony Romo. Cutler didn’t have such a hot 2016, but he is a starter with experience and teams in need of a short-term option under center will have interest. The Jets are already interested in Cutler, according to Schefter (Twitter link), and New York could conceivably add Cutler as something of a bridge quarterback while developing a younger option.
Cutler, 33, spent most of the 2016 campaign sidelined by injuries, and wasn’t effective when he was on the field. In five starts, Cutler tossed four touchdowns against five interceptions, and posted a Total Quarterback Rating of just 33.1. He’s been loosely to linked to a couple of clubs this offseason, but no team has expressed any known solid interest.
The Bears reportedly tried to trade Cutler earlier this year, but were rebuffed. Meanwhile, Cutler has apparently tossed out the idea of retirement, although that could simply be a negotiating ploy.
Bears To Sign Quintin Demps
The Bears have agreed to sign safety Quintin Demps to a three-year deal, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Demps will get $13.5MM with $5MM in his first year, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. 
Demps is entering his age-32 campaign, which theoretically could have depressed his value, but he’s started 26 games over the past two years and is coming off a season in which he graded as the league’s No. 12 safety, according to Pro Football Focus. After earning only $1.5MM in 2016, Demps should be in a for raise, but he’s not going to break the bank in a safety market that also included Eric Berry, Tony Jefferson, and T.J. McDonald.
The secondary was an obvious area of need for the Bears this offseason, and now Demps will pair with third-year pro Adrian Amos in the back end. Paired together, the duo isn’t spectacular, but Demps and Amos represent at least an average starting safety duo. Next up, Chicago will likely need further address it defensive backfield by tackling the corner position.
PFR had Demps as our No. 11 ranked safety heading into today, ahead of J.J. Wilcox, Mike Adams, Jairus Byrd, and Rashad Johnson.
Latest On Alshon Jeffery
While the Bears are still discussing a possible re-up with Alshon Jeffery‘s representatives, the market’s top wide receiver is drawing aggressive interest from elsewhere. Both the Colts and Eagles are making “strong pushes” to add the sixth-year wideout, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Rapoport notes (on Twitter) Jeffery continues to discuss a deal to stay in Chicago but is weighing multiple other offers.
The Eagles have been connected to just about every marquee receiver on the market but have watched DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, Kenny Stills and Kenny Britt agree to sign with other teams. A Jeffery addition would salvage what’s been a wideout-geared offseason for the Eagles thus far.
Indianapolis has more than $47MM in cap space, much more than Philadelphia, but doesn’t have as big of a need at wideout. T.Y. Hilton profiles as a different type of receiver than does Jeffery, but he still led the league in receiving in 2016. The Colts also employ solid No. 2 man Donte Moncrief and drafted Phillip Dorsett in the first round two years ago.
Some trepidation from teams regarding Jeffery’s availability history may be affecting his market, and Jeffery’s best two seasons came in 2013 and ’14 as a No. 2 wideout. But the previously franchise-tagged target figures to cash in, probably for more than $10MM per year based on this layered interest. The Bears, though, would be hit hard if Jeffery left, considering Kevin White has not proven to be reliable. The former first-round pick has missed almost every game during the first two years of his career.
Ravens Re-Sign Ryan Mallett
The Ravens have agreed to re-sign backup quarterback Ryan Mallett. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) first reported the news.
Mallett also had interest from the Jets, Bears, and 49ers and was mulling opportunities with all four clubs as recently as Wednesday night, according to Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter link) On Thursday, he reached a decision.
Next season will be the third campaign in Baltimore for Mallett, who first joined the team late in 2015. Mallett had previous stops in New England, which chose him in the third round of the 2011 draft, and Houston.
The ex-Arkansas star attempted only four passes as a member of the Patriots, with whom he backed up Tom Brady, before garnering more playing time as a Texan. The 6-foot-6, 240-pounder fared poorly in Houston, though, as he completed just 53.6 percent of passes, threw five touchdowns against six interceptions, and averaged only 5.3 yards per attempt across nine appearances and six starts. His tenure there ended shortly after he overslept and missed a team charter flight.
Now 28, Mallett hasn’t been particularly effective with the Ravens in six games and two starts (59.2 percent completion rate, two TDs against three picks, and 5.7 YPA), but the team is apparently comfortable with him in a reserve role behind Joe Flacco.
Bears, Mike Glennon Agree To $45MM Deal
It won’t be official until later today, but it sounds like Mike Glennon and the Bears have agreed to terms. When it’s all final, Glennon’s pact is expected to be a three-year deal at an average salary of $14.5MM per year, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears it will be a three-year, $45MM deal that includes $19MM guaranteed. 
The Bears paid a pretty penny to get their man and it’s not immediately clear who they were bidding against. The Jets reported interest in him, we learned, was apparently overstated, and the 49ers were not in the mix either. Regardless, talk of Glennon getting $14-$15MM per year has come to fruition. At the same time, the average annual salary puts him 23rd amongst quarterbacks, so it’s not that ludicrous of a paycheck if the Bears believe he can be their starter.
The length of the deal can also be advantageous for both sides. The Bears do not have to commit to Glennon beyond the 2019 season, and that’s probably the safe way to go considering that he has thrown just eleven passes in the last two seasons as Jameis Winston’s understudy. At the same time, Glennon will be able to hit the open market again before his age-30 season.
As a rookie in 2013, Glennon started 13 games, completing 59.4% of his passes for 2,608 yards, 19 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. All in all, he’s 5-13 as a starting quarterback, but one could hardly blame him for all of the Bucs’ problems in 2013 and 2014.
In addition to signing the former Bucs signal caller, Rapoport adds that the Bears still plan on drafting a quarterback in April. It’s not immediately clear whether that means taking a quarterback with their No. 3 overall pick. If that’s the case, top QB prospects like Mitch Trubisky, Deshaun Watson, and Patrick Mahomes could be in play. Other quarterbacks like DeShone Kizer, Brad Kaaya (who was once said to be a Chicago target), and Davis Webb could potentially be on the board beyond the first round.
Photo courtesy of PFR on Instagram.
Dolphins Re-Sign Kenny Stills
The Dolphins announced that they’ve re-signed their top impending free agent, wide receiver Kenny Stills. Stills will reportedly receive a four-year, $32MM pact with $20MM in guarantees.
Miami was among at least three teams – including the Bears, tweets Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times – in negotiations with Stills. A contract worth around $12MM per annum seemed like a possibility as of late February for Stills, but he’ll fall well short of that level.
Stills’ decision to eschew free agency in favor of a deal with the Dolphins has taken PFR’s third-ranked player off the board the night before the market opens. The 6-foot-1, 194-pounder earned that lofty position on the heels of a 42-catch, 726-yard, nine-touchdown season, his second with the Dolphins. Since entering the NFL as the Saints’ fifth-round pick in 2013, the field-stretching Stills has appeared in 63 of a possible 64 games, made 41 starts (including every Miami contest last year) and averaged 41 receptions, 685 yards and five scores per season.
Looking ahead to the 2017 campaign, Stills will join fellow receivers Jarvis Landry and DeVante Parker – and a prominent newcomer, tight end Julius Thomas – as Miami’s best weapons in the passing game. Landry’s scheduled to become a free agent in a year, so having Stills and Parker under control beyond then will give quarterback Ryan Tannehill and head coach Adam Gase at least two capable wideouts for the foreseeable future.
With Stills now off the board, Alshon Jeffery and Terrelle Pryor undoubtedly stand as the top two unsigned receivers entering free agency. Stills is third high-profile receiver who has left the list Thursday, as Pierre Garcon (49ers) and Brandon Marshall (Giants) previously agreed to deals.
Freelance reporter Rand Getlin (Twitter link) first reported Stills had re-signed with the Dolphins. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweeted the length and financials of the contract. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bills Interested In Brandon LaFell
With Tyrod Taylor seemingly returning to the Bills, the team is now looking to provide the quarterback with some weapons. According to Jim Owczarski of Cincinnati.com (via Twitter), the Bills have shown interest in free agent wideout Brandon LaFell. The writer notes that the veteran is a priority of the Bengals, and he adds that the Bears have also expressed interest.
The 30-year-old had one of the most productive seasons of his career in 2016. The wideout hauled in 64 catches for 862 yards and six touchdowns. LaFell hasn’t collected less than 500 yards since his rookie campaign. The veteran joined the Bengals last offseason following two years with the Patriots.
The Bills depth chart at wideout is currently looking a bit depleted behind Sammy Watkins. The team’s current depth consists of Dezmin Lewis, Walt Powell, Kolby Listenbee, and Marcus Easley.
LaFell was mentioned as an honorable mention in our rankings of the best free agent wideouts.
Latest On Stephon Gilmore
Cornerback Stephon Gilmore is using Janoris Jenkins‘ deal as a baseline to work from, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com hears (on Twitter). The Giants handed Jenkins a five-year, $62.5MM contract last offseason.
We learned yesterday that the Bears were making a strong push for Gilmore. The cornerback said in January that he’d like to stay with the Bills, but the team ultimately decided against slapping the player with the franchise tag.
The former first-rounder has started 66 games since entering the league in 2012. Despite finishing the 2016 season with a career-high five interceptions, Pro Football Focus ranked him only 61st among 112 qualifying corners.
Despite the apparent decline in performance, Gilmore still ranked as our third-best available free agent cornerback. Zach Links also predicted that Gilmore will receive the 10th-highest contract this offseason.
Latest On Bears, Mike Glennon
Mike Glennon cannot officially sign with teams until tomorrow, but the rest of the league already seems to think he’s spoken for. Other teams are operating as though he’s off the board and going to the Bears, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
Glennon’s suitors have been falling off one-by-one this week. The Jets reported interest in him was apparently overblown and the 49ers are not interested either. With that in mind, it will be interesting to see what kind of contract Glennon might get from the Bears. Last week, there were rumblings of Glennon getting $14-$15MM per year. If the Bears are effectively bidding against themselves, then that would be a particularly high price to pay.
For the majority of free agents, deals cannot be consummated until the start of the new league year at 3pm ET/2pm CT on Thursday.
Photo courtesy of PFR on Instagram.