Bears To Release Antrel Rolle
The Bears are releasing veteran safety Antrel Rolle, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). As a vested veteran, Rolle won’t need to pass through waivers, meaning he’ll become a free agent immediately.
Chicago spent three picks on defensive backs on Day 3 of the draft, picking up Miami’s Deon Bush, Northern Iowa’s Deiondre Hall, and William and Mary’s DeAndre Houston, which could have been an indication that Rolle’s roster spot was in danger. Additionally, there is no guaranteed money left on Rolle’s contract, which makes releasing him more palatable from a financial perspective. The Bears will save more than $2.7MM on their salary cap in 2016, and $3.25MM in 2017.
Rolle, now 33 years old, ends up spending just one season with the Bears after agreeing to a three-year deal worth more than $11MM prior to the 2015 season. The veteran defensive back played in only seven games, having injured his knee in a November practice. Rolle stayed on the active roster until mid-December, when he was placed on injured reserve.
An 11-year NFL veteran who has earned three Pro Bowl nods during his time with the Cardinals and Giants, Rolle was an average player in 2015, grading out as the No. 39 safety in the league among 89 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. While he didn’t post any interceptions during his seven contests with Chicago, Rolle did register 30 tackles while defensing one pass.
“I appreciate the Chicago Bears and the organization for the opportunity,” said Rolle (Twitter link). “Blessed as always. Looking forward to what is next!”
North Notes: Kessler, Browns, Harrison, Bears
The Browns reportedly did not promise a starting job to Robert Griffin III, and it sound as though rookie third-round pick Cody Kessler has a shot to win the quarterback job in Cleveland. “We truly believe in competition here,” Browns executive Sashi Brown said, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “We’re realistic about where our roster is at that slot and we want to find a long-term answer. I think it’s as critical for everything we’re going to do here.”
Here’s the latest from the North divisions…
- The Browns did not know cornerback Jamar Taylor would be available ahead of the draft, said Brown, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link). Cleveland acquired Taylor today for a seventh-round pick.
- Even if the Bears had drafted a quarterback today, they still would have signed backup quarterback Brian Hoyer, GM Ryan Pace told reporters, including Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun Times (Twitter link). Chicago wanted a veteran behind Jay Cutler, hence the signing of Hoyer to a one-year, $2MM deal.
- Steelers GM Kevin Colbert and head coach Mike Tomlin both expect James Harrison to return for the 2016, per Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazetter (Twitter links). “He’s working out awful hard for a ‘retired’ guy,” said Tomlin.
- Defensive tackle Vernon Butler contends the Lions told him they would draft him if he were available with the No. 16 pick, but Detroit ultimately chose offensive tackle Taylor Decker. Lions GM Bob Quinn denies that his club promised anything to Butler, who was chosen at No. 30 by the Panthers. Justin Rogers of MLive.com has the full details.
Bears To Sign Brian Hoyer
7:19pm: Hoyer’s one-year deal is worth $2MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
6:18pm: The Bears have agreed to sign quarterback Brian Hoyer, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). A report earlier this week indicated that Hoyer was likely to wait until after the draft to find a new home, and it appears he’s done just that, agreeing to terms with Chicago less than an hour after the conclusion of the draft. It’ll be a one-year pact for Hoyer, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
Hoyer didn’t want for suitors after he was released by the Texans earlier this month, as both the Broncos and Jets expressed interest in adding Hoyer to their respective quarterback rooms. Hoyer took visits with both clubs, but both Denver and New York drafted quarterbacks — Paxton Lynch and Christian Hackenberg, respectively — in the first two rounds of the draft. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (Twitter link), Hoyer and his camp were waiting for the Broncos’ and Jets’ QB situations to clear up before deciding where to sign. New York, in fact, was not in the mix for Hoyer as he neared a final decision, tweets Rich Cimini of ESPN.com.
The Bears signing of Hoyer doesn’t come completely out of left field, as a report earlier this month linked the 30-year-old signal-caller to Chicago. The Bears, in fact, were one of three clubs that had offers out to Hoyer, joining the Steelers and Cowboys as a team that had interest in adding Hoyer as a backup quarterback. Hoyer will head to Windy City to back up Jay Cutler, and he’ll reunite with Bears offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains, who was the Browns’ QB coach when Hoyer started 13 games in 2014.
Hoyer posted the best season of his career in 2015, completing 60% of his passes for more than 2,600 yards while throwing 19 touchdowns against just seven interceptions. After leading the Texans to a 5-4 record in his nine starts, Hoyer’s streak of good play ended in the first round of the playoffs, when he threw four interceptions as Houston was shut out by the Chiefs.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Draft Rumors: Tunsil, Ravens, Cardinals, Bears
As soon as the seventh round came to a close, NFL clubs immediately begin placing calls in attempts to sign undrafted free agents. While we will be sharing that information eventually, the sudden flurry of activity makes it difficult to track in real time. As such, we’ll wait until teams formally announce their UDFA signings before we post the news (along with accompanying signing bonuses).
Here’s the latest as the 2016 draft is in the rearview mirror…
- Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome denied a report that his club would have drafted Ole Miss offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil except for a social media posting that showed him smoking out of bong, tweets Jeff Zriebec of the Baltimore Sun. Baltimore selected fellow tackle Ronnie Stanley instead of Tunsil.
- Bruce Arians says the Cardinals had a grade on a quarterback in every round, but other teams picked the signal-callers in question before Arizona got the chance, as Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- The Steelers tried to trade back into the fifth round, says general manager Kevin Colbert, but no other clubs wanted to trade back, according to Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Twitter link).
- Having lost Brad Nortman to the Jaguars over the offseason, Panthers GM Dave Gettleman says his team would have selected a punter in the seventh round had a draft-worthy one been available, reports David Newton of ESPN.com. Gettleman also relayed that he declined offers to trade up because Carolina is already missing a 2017 seventh-rounder and didn’t want to give up more capital (Twitter link via Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer).
- The Bears plan to target tight ends in undrafted free agency, GM Ryan Pace told Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link).
Bears Acquire 113th Pick From Rams
The Bears have acquired the 113th pick from the Rams, tweets ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. In return, the Rams will receive picks No. 117 and 206, according to NFL Network. The Bears will use the pick to select WVU linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski.
Kwiatkoski finished last season with 11.5 tackles for a loss and four sacks. The 6-2, 235-pound defender is also listed as a defensive back, explaining his three interceptions and five passes defended. NFL.com ranked the senior defender as a fifth- or sixth-round value.
The pick has already switched hands twice this offseason. It was originally sent to the Titans in the DeMarco Murray trade. Tennessee later sent that pick to the Rams when they traded the first-overall pick (which ultimately turned into Jared Goff).
Draft Rumors: Browns, Pats, Rams, Bears
With the draft set to kick off in less than 3o minutes, let’s take a quick look at some draft rumors from around the NFL…
- ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that multiple teams are talking with the Browns about acquiring the first pick of the fourth round. Schefter believes these inquiring teams are targeting a quarterback with the pick.
- Entering the day with five sixth-round picks, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe says it’s “likely to quite likely” that the Patriots move up to the fourth or fifth round (Twitter link).
- With only five picks in this year’s draft, the Rams have been focusing in on potential undrafted free agents, tweets ESPN’s Nick Wagoner.
- Chargers general manager Tom Telesco is expected to use his fourth-round pick for the first time, tweets Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The team’s last fourth-round pick was Ladarius Green in 2012.
- The Bears will have seven selections on Saturday, and Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune writes that the organization is optimistic about their gameplan. “There’s a lot of good players in the draft tomorrow,” said general manager Ryan Pace. “And now we’ve got a lot of swings at those players.”
Draft Rumors: Jets, Cravens, Pats, Ravens
The Jets’ second-round selection of Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg won’t affect their pursuit of free agent Ryan Fitzpatrick, general manager Mike Maccagnan said Friday (Twitter link via Brian Costello of the New York Post). Maccagnan added that he wouldn’t rule out carrying four QBs if the team does re-sign Fitzpatrick, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Fitzpatrick, who reportedly hasn’t had meaningful contract discussions with the Jets in weeks, would be at the helm of a signal-calling corps that also includes Hackenberg, Geno Smith and Bryce Petty.
Here’s the latest on the draft with the second day in the books:
- USC linebacker Su’a Cravens said he was surprised to end up with Washington, which took him 53rd overall. He expected to land with the Patriots, who picked 60th (Twitter link via Tarik El-Bashir of CSN Mid-Atlantic).
- The Ravens tried unsuccessfully to get back into the second round after selecting Boise State edge defender Kamalei Correa at No. 42, GM Ozzie Newsome told reporters, including Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
- Had the Giants not taken Boise State safety Darian Thompson with the 71st pick, the Bears would’ve scooped him up at No. 72, per Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (on Twitter).
- The Eagles considered moving back from 79th overall – where they selected Oregon State center Isaac Seumalo – but they became uncomfortable as names were sliding off the board and decided to stay put, reports Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).
Seahawks Acquire No. 49 Pick From Bears
The Bears fans at the draft in Chicago will have to continue waiting for their team to make a pick. The Bears have moved down again, sending the No. 49 pick to the Seahawks, according to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link).
Chicago will move down to No. 56, and will acquire Seattle’s fourth-round pick (No. 124) as well, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. On the other side of the deal, the Seahawks have used their newly-acquired 49th overall pick to snag Alabama defensive tackle Jarran Reed.
Reed, one of the best run-stuffers in this year’s class, should help fill the void left when longtime Seahawk Brandon Mebane left for San Diego in free agency. He’ll join Ahtyba Rubin, Jordan Hill and fellow newcomer Sealver Siliga in the Seahawks’ D-tackle rotation.
Draft Rumors: Jack, Bills, Cowboys, Bears
Had the Jaguars traded down from No. 5 in the first round into the teens, they might have taken UCLA linebacker Myles Jack, according to general manager David Caldwell (Twitter link via John Oehser of Jaguars.com). The Jags stayed at fifth overall and selected Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey, and they still ended up with Jack in the second round (36th overall). Jack, who’s recovering from a knee injury, took out a pre-draft insurance policy on himself, though he won’t collect any money from it because it wasn’t scheduled to kick in until the 45th pick, reports Darren Rovell of ESPN (Twitter link via Schefter).
Here’s more of the latest from the draft:
- Bills general manager Doug Whaley contacted every team picking before Buffalo in the second round in an effort to trade up for Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland, he said (link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com). Whaley ultimately did move up and grab Ragland after sending the Bills’ second-rounder (No. 49) and a fourth-rounder in each of the next two drafts to the Bears for the 41st choice.
- Speaking of the Bears, they nearly had a deal to acquire the Cowboys’ second-rounder, No. 34 overall. Talks fell apart, though, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), and the Cowboys ended up using the pick on Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith.
- As a result of the knee injury he suffered in January, Smith took out on a $5MM insurance policy on himself before the draft and will now collect an estimated $900K in tax-free payment, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
- The Cowboys have fielded trade inquiries on veteran offensive lineman Ronald Leary, but they’re not inclined to give him away for an underwhelming return, said executive vice president Stephen Jones. The Cowboys would rather keep Leary, leave him inactive all year, and get a compensatory pick for him next year when he leaves in free agency (Twitter links via Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram). Leary, a four-year veteran, signed his second-round restricted free agent tender with the Cowboys on Thursday.
Bills Acquire 41st Pick From Bears
The Bills have acquired the 41st overall pick from the Bears, Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune tweets. In exchange, the Bears will receive three picks – second- and fourth-rounders (Nos. 49 and 117) this year and a fourth in 2017 – reports Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times (on Twitter). The Bills will select Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland with the pick.
Ragland, who slipped from potential first-round status, figures to lead a Bills linebacker corps that was unspectacular last season and has since lost Nigel Bradham in free agency. He’ll join Manny Lawson, Preston Brown and offseason signing Zach Brown as prominent members of the group. Along with Clemson edge rusher Shaq Lawson, Ragland is the second significant addition to the Bills’ defense in the first two rounds of this year’s draft.