Bears Offensive Line In Flux
- The Bears‘ mass signings to their offensive line signal uncertainty for the group, John Mullin of CSNChicago.com writes. Bobby Massie looks set at right tackle, but Kyle Long‘s move to right guard isn’t a lock, despite John Fox placing the Pro Bowler there in the meantime. Ted Larsen and Manny Ramirez could supplant Hroniss Grasu and Matt Slauson at center and left guard, respectively, per Mullin. Insiders inform Mullin the Dowell Loggains-led Bears will aim to run more than Adam Gase‘s group did, which was 47% of the time in 2015.
Bears To Meet With Roy Robertson-Harris
- UTEP defender Roy Robertson-Harris is drawing attention, having met with the 49ers and Panthers. He also has visits and/or workouts scheduled with the Raiders, Chiefs, Bears and Vikings.
Bears Watch Rees Odhiambo At Pro Day
- The Dolphins, Seahawks, Bears, and Steelers all had offensive line coaches on hand to watch Boise State offensive lineman Rees Odhiambo. Odhiambo met with the Colts on Wednesday and he’ll do an official visit with the Vikings.
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Bears To Sign Omar Bolden
The Bears and head coach John Fox have added yet another former Bronco to their roster, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post, who reports (via Twitter) that Chicago is signing defensive back and special-teamer Omar Bolden to a one-year, minimum salary contract.
Bolden is the latest in a series of former Broncos who played under Fox in Denver to join the head coach in Chicago. So far this offseason, the Bears have also signed linebacker Danny Trevathan, offensive lineman Manuel Ramirez, and long snapper Aaron Brewer.
A fourth-round pick out of Arizona State in 2012, Bolden never really played a major role on defense during his four years in Denver. However, he has been something of a jack-of-all-trades in Denver, contributing in the return game and in punt and kick coverage.
Bolden recorded his first career touchdown in 2015, returning a punt 83 yards for a score. In the postseason, the 27-year-old’s lone punt return, against the Steelers in the divisional round, went for 42 yards.
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Bears To Sign Ted Larsen
12:27pm: Larsen’s one-year deal with Chicago can max out at $2.4MM with playing-time bonuses, tweets Caplan.
THURSDAY, 11:51am: The Bears have officially agreed to terms with Larsen on a one-year deal, the team announced today (via Twitter).
WEDNESDAY, 6:52pm: The Bears are expected to sign interior lineman Ted Larsen, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
Larsen, 28, came into the league as a sixth-round pick of the Patriots in 2010. He did see the field with New England, but he hooked on with the Buccaneers in that season and went on to see significant playing time over the following four seasons. In 2014, he joined the Cardinals where he started in all 26 of his appearances between ’14 and ’15.
Before signing with Chicago, Larsen drew interest from teams around the league. Both the 49ers and Seahawks met with Larsen and, more recently, he flew to Atlanta for a powwow with the Falcons. While that visit with Atlanta was said to have gone well, Larsen did not sign that day.
The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus (subscription required) were not fond of Larsen’s work last season. Out of 81 qualified guards, Larsen was ranked No. 72 in the NFL for his work last season. PFF’s numbers claim that Larsen did a bad job of run blocking (372 snaps) and an even worse job of pass blocking (478 snaps).
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Dickerson: Bears Should Bolster QB Depth
- Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com suggests that the Bears ought to find a way to add some depth at quarterback behind Jay Cutler, pointing to the draft as one way the team could land a QB. Dickerson also wonders if ex-Bear Josh McCown might be a fit in Chicago if he’s released by the Browns.
Bears Like Alabama LB Reggie Ragland
- Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland told SiriusXM NFL Radio (on Twitter) that he has probably heard the most from the Bears, Falcons, Saints, and Dolphins. He also confirmed personal workouts with the Bears, Colts, Ravens, Jaguars, Vikings, Rams, and the Bills.
Bears Sign OL Manny Ramirez
The Bears have further fortified their offensive line, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, who tweets that the club has signed veteran offensive lineman Manny Ramirez to a one-year contract. Financial terms of the deal aren’t yet known.
Ramirez, who entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick in 2007, spent four seasons with the Broncos from 2011 to 2014, so Bears head coach John Fox is very familiar with him from his time in Denver. Ramirez saw his most extensive action as a starter in those seasons, making a total of 43 regular-season starts for the Broncos at center and right guard.
Having joined the Lions for the 2015 campaign, Ramirez played well when he saw the field, and showed a little versatility too. His seven starts for the club last season came at three different positions — center, left guard, and right guard.
For the Bears, it’s possible Ramirez will continue to play that role as the first lineman off the bench at center and guard, contributing when he’s needed. However, the 33-year-old should also have an opportunity to compete for a starting job, with interior linemen Patrick Omameh, Vlad Ducasse, and Will Montgomery all eligible for free agency.
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Manny Ramirez To Visit Bears
Free agent offensive lineman Manny Ramirez will visit with the Bears, according to Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune. Ramirez was traded from the Broncos to the Lions during last year’s draft in a deal that allowed Denver to move up and select Missouri pass rusher Shane Ray, but it was revealed last month that Ramirez would not return to the Lions for the upcoming season. Ramirez saw time in all 16 games this for Detroit in 2015, but he started only seven of those games as he was relegated to the bench in favor of younger interior linemen. He did, however, grade out as the league’s fourth-best center per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), so there’s reason to believe that the 33-year-old could still have something left in the tank.
As Biggs observes, the Bears are seeking competition for second-year center Hroniss Grasu, whom Chicago selected in the third round of last year’s draft. Ramirez has also seen time at the left and right guard spots over the course of his career, so he could provide valuable depth along the interior of the Bears’ O-line even if he is unable to beat out Grasu for the starting center job.
Ramirez, who was actually drafted by the Lions in the fourth round of the 2007 draft, signed with the Broncos in 2011 and spent four years in Denver under head coach John Fox, the current head coach of the Bears. Ramirez’s visit with Chicago appears to be his first of the offseason, and I would imagine any contract he signs at this point in his career would be a modest, one- or two-year pact.
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John Fox Seeks Swing Lineman For Bears
- John Fox acknowledged to media (including Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com) the Bears are in need of a swing lineman and will look to sign one during the latter stages of free agency. Second- and third-year players with limited experience pack the Bears’ tackle depth chart, but Fox clearly seeks someone with more seasoning. Chicago cut Jermon Bushrod in February before he signed with the Dolphins. Khalif Barnes, Jake Long and Nate Chandler are some of the players who could fit here that remain on the market. Dickerson also mentions Will Beatty in this group. Beatty remains in search of a job after the Giants cut the former well-paid left tackle starter along with Schwartz. But Beatty would profile more as a left tackle starter, with the Bears not exactly having an untouchable cog there in Charles Leno.