Chicago Bears News & Rumors

Notable losses:

• Alan Ball, CB
• Jermon Bushrod, OL: Released
• Vlad Ducasse, G
• Matt Forte, RB
• Bruce Gaston, DL: Waived
• Jarvis Jenkins, DL
• Sherrod Martin, S
• Shea McClellin, LB
• Will Montgomery, C
• Ryan Mundy, S
• Patrick Omameh, G
• LaRoy Reynolds, LB
• Antrel Rolle, S: Released
• Matt Slauson, OL: Released
• D’Anthony Smith, DT: Waived

The Bears have a lengthy history of legendary running backs, as Walter Payton and Gale Sayers are among the most notable backs in the history of the NFL. But Matt Forte will be added to that list, as he ranks second in Chicago history in both rushing yards and receptions after finishing eight years with the club. Since his rookie season in 2008, Forte leads the league in yards from scrimmage, racking up 12,718 yards during that time. The former second-round pick was the perfect back for the modern NFL, as Forte also ranks first in receptions (487) since ’08. In 2014, his age-29 season, Forte finished fourth in receptions…not among running backs, but in the entire league, trailing only Antonio Brown, Demaryius Thomas, Julio Jones.

But for a club that’s in the middle of a semi-rebuild like the Bears, it simply doesn’t make financial sense to retain a running back who’s already over 30 years old. Chicago told Forte prior to the free agent period that it wouldn’t be re-signing him, and clubs like the Packers and Dolphins expressed early interest. Forte ultimately landed with the Jets, agreeing to a three-year deal worth $12MM — not an exorbitant total, but not a figure that the Bears should have matched.

Chicago’s other offensive losses were all up front, including interior option Matt Slauson, who, while he doesn’t have the name recognition of Forte, was quite critical to the Bears’ offense in both 2013 and 2015 (Slauson missed all but five contests in 2014 due to injury). Only 30 years old, Slauson was due $3.4MM during the upcoming season, and Chicago surprisingly didn’t even give him a chance to accept a pay cut. Versatile enough to handle every position on the interior offensive line, Slauson graded as the league’s fifth-best center in 2015 (per PFF), and that’s the spot he’ll handle in San Diego. The wiser move, from my vantage point, would have been to retain Slauson and let him start at center over Hroniss Grasu, who struggled in his rookie campaign.

Tackle Jermon Bushrod had lined up next to Slauson for the past several seasons, but after suffering a concussion and ceding his starting job to Charles Leno, Bushrod’s time in Chicago was clearly nearing its end. The Bears took on $4.4MM in dead money by releasing Bushrod, but it was the right move, as the veteran was never a top-level performer for the club. Journeyman center/guard options Vlad Ducasse (who actually started 11 games last season) and Will Montgomery also won’t return.

Moving to the defensive side of the ball, the Bears didn’t make a serious effort to re-sign former first-round pick Shea McClellin, who had bounced all around the front seven but failed to make an impact at any position. Chicago had already declined his fifth-year option, so he hit the open market and landed a nice deal with the Patriots. If McClellin is able to carve out a role in New England, it could be a bad look for Chicago’s coaching staff.

In the secondary, Alan Ball was signed to add a veteran presence to a young defensive backfield, but he only ended up playing about a quarter of Chicago’s snaps as his starting role was usurped by Tracy Porter. Now 31 years old, Ball’s time in the league could be coming to an end. Likewise, safety Ryan Mundy might not have much left, as although he started all 16 games in 2014, he missed all of last season with a hip injury, a devastating ailment for an athlete, and especially a back-end defender.

Along with McClellin, end Jarvis Jenkins was the only other Bears defensive loss who actually played a meaningful role last season, and like McClellin, Jenkins was similarly ineffective, ranking among the bottom-20 interior defenders in the NFL, according to PFF. Jenkins is probably more suited to a situational pass-rushing role, which is the part he’ll play with the Jets. On a macro level, it speaks to the level of Chicago’s revamp that none of their defensive defections will hurt.

Trades:

• Acquired a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 127) from the Patriots in exchange for TE Martellus Bennett and a 2016 sixth-round pick (No. 204).
• Acquired a 2016 first-round pick (No. 9) from the Buccaneers in exchange for a 2016 first-round pick (No. 11) and a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 106).
• Acquired a 2016 second-round pick (No. 49), a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 117), and a 2017 fourth-round pick from the Bills in exchange for a 2016 second-round pick (No. 41).
• Acquired a 2016 second-round pick (No. 56) and a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 124) from the Seahawks in exchange for a 2016 second-round pick (No. 49).
• Acquired a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 113) from the Rams in exchange for a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 117) and a 2016 sixth-round pick (No. 206).

The 2014 campaign was, without question, the best season of Martellus Bennett‘s career, as the veteran tight end hauled in 90 passes for 916 yards while scoring six touchdowns, earning a spot on the Pro Bowl roster for the first time. But trade rumors began floating around Bennett as early as April 2015, as the Bears were reportedly not willing to entertain Bennett’s request for a new deal.

Bennett continued to express displeasure with both his contract status and his role in Chicago’s offense throughout the 2015 season, and his disdain for his standing with the club became so public that Bennett’s agent was forced to publicly deny that any rift existed. However, after a season which saw Bennett land on injured reserve, it appeared that his time in the Windy City would soon come to an end, and it did, as he was shipped to the Patriots after the division rival Packers reportedly showed interest in signing Bennett were he to be released.

The Bears moved up roughly 80 spots in the draft by trading Bennett to New England, and they also acquired a good deal of draft capital through various deals made during the event itself. General manager Ryan Pace did very well for himself by pick-pocketing both the Bills and the Seahawks, picking up 167 cents on the dollar from Buffalo and 132 cents on the dollar from Seattle, according to Chase Stuart of Football Perspective. Meanwhile, Chicago gave up a much smaller haul (117 cents on the dollar, per Stuart) to swap first-rounders with the Buccaneers, leaping the Giants who were also though to be targeting edge rusher Leonard Floyd.

Draft picks:

• 1-9: Leonard Floyd, OLB (Georgia)
• 2-56: Cody Whitehair, G (Kansas State)
• 3-72: Jonathan Bullard, DE (Florida)
• 4-113: Nick Kwiatkoski, LB (West Virginia)
• 4-124: Deon Bush, DB (Miami)
• 4-127: Deiondre’ Hall, DB (Northern Iowa)
• 5-150: Jordan Howard, RB (Indiana)
• 6-185: DeAndre Houston-Carson, S (William & Mary)
• 7-230: Daniel Braverman, WR (Western Michigan)

By most accounts, the Bears wrangled one of the best draft classes of any club this year, as both Pro Football Focus and Mel Kiper of ESPN.com handed Chicago an “A-” grade for its efforts. First-rounder Leonard Floyd is the riskiest pick of the bunch, as the 6’6″ edge rusher needs to add weight and could be limited to sub packages during his rookie year. But he’s an excellent athlete, having graded as the second off-ball linebacker in SPARQ score, and the fact that he won’t be asked to do too much during his rookie season might actually Floyd, as he’ll play behind McPhee, Willie Young, and Lamarr Houston for the time being.

Cody Whitehair, on the other hand, figures to start immediately, as his only competition at left guard is Ted Larsen and Amini Silatolu, a pair that has — more often than not — been either been ineffective or hurt. Offensive line expert Lance Zierlein of NFL.com praised Whitehair’s work ethic during the pre-draft process, and noted he is “almost always in complete control of his body thanks to outstanding core strength and balance.” While noting that he could be susceptible to the bull rush, Zierlein named Whitehair a potential All Pro, and comped him to Cowboys guard Zack Martin.

In the third round, Chicago found a steal, selecting Florida end Jonathan Bullard, whom many analysts had projected to go in the first round. At 6’3″, 285 pounds, Bullard has the size to play end in Vic Fangio‘s 3-4 scheme, and he can help out on early downs given that he posted the best collegiate grade against the run last season, per PFF. Bullard will rotate with Mitch Unrein, Will Sutton, and others as he gets his footing, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if he earns more playing time as the season goes along.

While Deiondre’ Hall and DeAndre Houston-Carson will likely be relegated to special teams role during their rookie campaigns, defensive back Deon Bush is a strong candidate to start in 2016. The Bears released veteran Antrel Rolle earlier this year, opening up a spot at strong safety next to Adrian Amos. Bush’s main competition is Chris Prosinski, a career special teamer who is only guaranteed $80K this year.

A few later round picks, running back Jordan Howard and receiver Daniel Braverman, could see time on offense during the upcoming season. The Bears are expected to use a committee to replace Matt Forte, with Howard joining Jeremy Langford, Jacquizz Rodgers, and Ka’Deem Carey in an effort to rush the ball. Braverman, meanwhile, was a favorite of several draftiks, but he won’t get on the field unless Eddie Royal gets hurt, as both are strictly slot receivers. Royal missed seven games last season, however, so the opportunity could be there for Braverman.

Other:

• Promoted Dowell Loggains to offensive coordinator replace Adam Gase.
• Exercised 2017 fifth-year option for OL Kyle Long ($8.821MM).
• Signed TE Josh Hill to a three-year, $7.1MM RFA offer sheet, which the Saints matched.
• Claimed QB Connor Shaw off waivers.
• Learned WR Marquess Wilson could begin the season on the PUP list after breaking his foot.
• Signed, and then released, S Omar Bolden. Bears will carry $80K in dead money.
• Learned OL Nate Chandler would retire after signing a one-year, $675K contract.
• Learned OL Manny Ramirez would retire after signing a one-year, minimum salary benefit contract.
• Signed eight undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.

Adam Gase followed John Fox from Denver to Chicago after missing out on several head coaching opportunities, and helped rehabilitate the career of quarterback Jay Cutler. Now that Gase has moved onto Miami, Cutler has hand-picked the successor at offensive coordinator, as former QBs coach Dowell Loggains was promoted. Loggains does have previous play-calling experience with the Titans in 2012-13, and helped a Tennessee offense rank 16th in offensive DVOA with Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jake Locker under center (no small accomplishment). The Bears’ defense figures to improve in 2016, but the club’s offense needs to maintain its top-10 DVOA rating if it wants to seriously compete.

A key part of that offense will be offensive lineman Kyle Long, who figures to stay at right guard now that Chicago has signed tackle Bobby Massie. Long has made the Pro Bowl in each of his three NFL seasons, and although the rest of the Bears’ interior line could see some reshuffling this season, Long will stabilize the front five at right guard. Using Pro Football Reference’s approximate value metric, Long has been the second-most valuable member of the entire 2013 draft class, so Chicago’s decision to pick up his 2017 fifth-year option was an easy call. Extensions talks should begin soon, and Long could easily reset the market at right guard, which is currently topped by Brandon Brooks‘ $8MM per year.

The Bears added or re-signed quite a few tight ends this offseason after trading away Martellus Bennett, signing Zach Miller, Tony Moeaki, and Rob Housler, but the team also tried to bring in Saints restricted free agent Josh Hill. New Orleans had already inked free agent tight end Coby Fleener to a large contract, and given the Saints’ constant cap trouble, it seemed inconceivable that the club would be able to match any offer sheet. But they did, and because the specific structure of Chicago’s offer isn’t known, it’s fair to wonder if the Bears could have manipulated the deal in such a way to make it impossible for the Saints to counter.

Top 10 cap hits for 2016:

1. Jay Cutler, QB: $17,000,000
2. Alshon Jeffery, WR: $15,599,000
3. Pernell McPhee, LB: $7,675,000
4. Lamarr Houston, LB: $6,990,000
5. Danny Trevathan, LB: $6,350,000
6. Bobby Massie, T: $5,818,750
7. Eddie Royal, WR: $4,500,000
8. Akiem Hicks, DE: $4,500,000
9. Jermon Bushrod, OL: $4,400,000 (dead money)
10. Robbie Gould, K: $4,100,000

Aaron Schatz of ESPN.com recently posted Football Outsiders’ initial forecasts for the 2016 season, and the Bears are projected to finish last in the NFC North with seven wins. Chicago is certainly in a tough division, as both the Vikings and Packers should be considered favorites to return to the postseason once again. But I’d take the over on seven wins for the Bears, as the club’s defense has improved so much that that it shouldn’t struggle to reach a .500 record.

Information from Over the Cap, Spotrac, and Roster Resource was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.