Bears GM Discusses QBs, Free Agency
The Bears have seemingly been one of the busiest teams this offseason. The organization moved on from veteran quarterback Jay Cutler, replacing him with Mike Glennon and Mark Sanchez. The team also watched as wideout Alshon Jeffery left for the Eagles. Meanwhile, the team added a number of players on the defensive side of the ball, including cornerbacks Prince Amukamara and Marcus Cooper.
While attending the NFL owners’ meeting earlier this week, general manager Ryan Pace talked to reports about the Bears’ offseason. Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune compiled the executive’s sound bites, and we’ve passed along some of the more notable quotes below…
On where Mark Sanchez will slot into the team’s depth chart:
“So Mike Glennon is our starting quarterback, and Sanchez I see as a really good solid No. 2 quarterback. I like him in this role for a lot of reasons, and one of them is the experience that he has. He’s been through the highs and lows of our league. He has played in some big markets. He has dealt with challenges. He has dealt with success. I think he’s the kind of player that exudes confidence. I like that about him. He’s knowledgeable. He’s smart, and him and Mike have already kind of clicked. They’re together and they’re organizing workouts on their own, and those kinds of things are important.”
On why the team inked a backup quarterback prior to the draft as opposed to after the draft:
“Honestly, it was just kind of where the market was going. So I think if we waited much longer he wouldn’t have been available. We brought him in and visited with him. We had some important questions to kind of know where his mindset was because I’ve never met him personally like that. Over the course of that visit it became very evident that he would mesh well with Mike Glennon and fit really well in the room, so we’re excited about it.”
On the additions of cornerbacks Prince Amukamara and Marcus Cooper:
“In free agency in general, we’ve signed a lot of players. I think it’s either us or San Francisco, most signings in the league. I like that. Hey, honestly, we had a lot of needs. And I think by spreading (the money) out like this it’s kind of the shotgun approach I like to take sometimes instead of putting all of your eggs in just one basket. I kind of like what we’ve done, and there are different qualities I like with each one of these guys. As a free-agent class in general, I really like the makeup and the character and the intelligence and the intangibles of the class.”
On how the organization will look to fill the hole left by wideout Alshon Jeffery’s departure:
“I’m excited about Cam [Meredith]. I just feel like you just see him getting better and better. No different than how we talked about Marcus Cooper. Cam is a guy with a lot of upside, the path that he took. Just to see him mature over the last couple years. I hate to make comparisons, but I felt like I saw this happen with Colston a little bit. Cam just has a great attitude right now. He’s getting better. I love his skill set. I love his professionalism. I think we’re going to see him ascend.
And Kevin [White] — Kevin is going to have to step up and stay healthy. He knows that. He’s motivated. We’re excited about a handful of guys. We still have the draft ahead of us too.”
On cornerback Deiondre’ Hall‘s arrest last weekend:
“I talked to him. John [Fox] has talked to him. We’ve got other people working on it. He’s back in Lake Forest now. It’s just one of those deals you kind of want to make sure you are thorough gathering all the information before you jump to major conclusions. But the circumstances surrounding it are obviously disappointing.”
Bears Release DL Ego Ferguson
The Bears have released defensive lineman Ego Ferguson, according to a team announcement. He’ll now go through the waiver process. If every team passes on him, he’ll be a free agent early next week. 
Ferguson, a second-round pick of the old regime, played in only four games in 2015 due to injuries and a suspension. Then, he missed the entire 2016 season with a shoulder injury. In total, he appeared in only 20 games since being drafted in 2014. In that time, the 25-year-old (26 in September) has compiled 26 tackles, two sacks, and three passes defended.
The Bears shopped Ferguson in September 2016, but they were unable to find any takers. With some big name defensive linemen still on the board and the draft still on the horizon, it seems unlikely that he’ll get claimed.
Bears' Chairman On Free Agency
- The Bears swung and missed in attempts to reel in high-profile free agents earlier this month, but chairman George McCaskey is hardly holding that against general manager Ryan Pace. “I’ve been very impressed with [Pace] as a leader, as an evaluator of talent,” McCaskey told John Mullin of CSN Chicago. “And one of the things I’ve been most impressed by with him is the discipline he’s shown just as recently as this free agency period. He didn’t want to overpay guys. Too often, I think, you overpay guys who don’t come through for you and then you have a big hole in your salary cap and you’re behind the 8-ball. So I like the discipline he has shown, the restraint he has shown in free agency.”
Myles Garrett To Visit Bears
- Garrett has upcoming visits with the 49ers and Bears, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets. The Niners pick at No. 2 and the Bears are at No. 3, so it’s doubtful either will land Garrett. But it seems the 49ers would jump at the chance of selecting him, as 49ers general manager John Lynch said Thursday at Garrett’s pro day that he “checks all of the boxes” (via Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area).
Deiondre' Hall Arrested
- Bears cornerback Deiondre’ Hall and Packers corner Makinton Dorleant were arrested together Saturday night in Cedar Falls, Iowa, according to the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office (via KWWL). Hall is facing three misdemeanor charges – suspicion of interference, disorderly conduct and public intoxication – and was tasered, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Dorleant, meanwhile, was booked for suspicion of interference. Hall and Dorleant, who were college teammates at Northern Iowa, entered the pros last season. Hall, a fourth-round pick, appeared in eight games as a rookie and picked up five tackles as an interceptions. Dorleant went undrafted and then made one tackle in four games.
Bears Meet With Jonathan Allen
- Alabama defensive lineman Jonathan Allen says he’s only met with with the Bears thus far in the draft process, according to SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link). Allen, viewed as one this year’s best defensive prospects, could see his stock fall thanks to a shoulder injury. Some scouts believe Allen could drop into the No. 12-17 range after initially being projected as a top-five pick.
Mike Glennon's Deal Has Offsets
- Mike Glennon‘s contract contains offset language to help protect the Bears against the quarterback earning dual salaries in the future, in the event he doesn’t play out the deal in Chicago, Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com reports. Breer categorizes the three-year, $45MM deal as basically a one-year, $16MM commitment that includes team options for 2018 and ’19. Only $4.5MM in guaranteed money exists on the deal after this season.
Bears Sign Mark Sanchez For $2MM
- Mark Sanchez‘s one-year Bears deal is worth $2MM, with $1MM guaranteed, Tom Pelissero of USA Today reports (on Twitter). The journeyman backup can earn another $2MM in incentives.
Bears Meet With Patrick Mahomes
- Speaking of Mahomes, the rising Texas Tech quarterback had dinner with Bears brass recently, Rapoport tweets. Both Kizer and Mahomes also worked out for the Browns recently. While not a likely candidate for Chicago’s No. 3 pick, Mahomes could be in range when the Bears’ second-round selection comes up at No. 35.
Bears Sign Mark Sanchez
The Bears are finalizing a contract with free agent quarterback Mark Sanchez, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). It’ll be a one-year deal, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The team has confirmed the signing via press release.
Sanchez will be the second signal-caller to join the Bears since free agency opened earlier this month, though he’ll come at a much lower cost than expected starter Mike Glennon, who inked a three-year, $45MM deal with $19MM in guarantees. Chicago is the only team that publicly pursued Sanchez, who visited the club Thursday.
At 30 years old, Sanchez has achieved journeyman status since the Jets chose him fifth overall in the 2009 draft. The Bears will be the fifth NFL team for the ex-USC star. He spent the 2016 campaign in Dallas, where he backed up Dak Prescott and completed 10 of 18 passes for 93 yards and two interceptions.
Last season easily represented a career low in playing time for Sanchez, whose on-field action has declined significantly since his Jets tenure. As a member of Gang Green, Sanchez started in all 62 of his appearances in the first four years of his career. With the Eagles and Cowboys over the past three seasons, he picked up just 15 appearances and 10 starts. Sanchez also had a brief stint last year with the Broncos, but they cut him prior to the season.
While Sanchez was part of Jets teams that went to back-to-back AFC championship games in his first two years, their success came as a result of an elite defense and a top-notch running game. Sanchez has been mediocre to below average since entering the league, having thrown as many touchdowns as interceptions (86), completed just 56.7 percent of passes and posted a 73.9 quarterback rating. He did draw praise for his behind-the-scenes work with Prescott last year, though, and should give Chicago a passable backup behind Glennon. Of course, it’s not clear if the largely untested Glennon even has the chops to serve as a satisfactory starter.