Minor NFL Transactions: 3/23/23
Thursday’s minor moves around the league:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Josh Woods
Chicago Bears
- Signed: LB Dylan Cole
Denver Broncos
- Signed: RB Tony Jones Jr.
New Orleans Saints
- Re-signed: CB Isaac Yiadom
New York Giants
- Signed: TE Tommy Sweeney
Washington Commanders
- Signed: T Trent Scott
Woods and Cole both served as special teams contributors to start their careers. The former is making his first move outside the NFC North, having previously played for the Bears and Lions. Likewise, the latter is set for his first stint with a non-AFC South squad, after beginning his career with the Texans and Titans. They each bring considerable third phase experience to their new teams.
Sweeny, 27, is making the New York-to-Buffalo trek several have made before him recently. He will reunite with Giants head coach Brian Daboll, who served as the Bills’ offensive coordinator during their time together in Buffalo. Sweeny served in a backup role during each of his three heathy seasons to start his career, making a total of 18 catches for 165 yards and a touchdown. He will look to continue operating as a secondary option at the position in New York under Daboll as the Giants incorporate Pro Bowler Darren Waller into their new-look offense.
Bears Pursued Mike McGlinchey; Latest On Cody Whitehair, Teven Jenkins
Even after acquiring D.J. Moore, the Bears entered free agency with the NFL’s most cap space. But they stood down when it came to the top offensive linemen available.
Jawaan Taylor, Mike McGlinchey and Orlando Brown Jr. each signed for at least $16MM per year last week. The Bears could have obviously competed with the Chiefs, Broncos and Bengals for these blockers, but Ryan Poles‘ club did not. The team did try to land McGlinchey, however, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, with The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain confirming it was in on the new Broncos right tackle (subscription required).
As expected, McGlinchey landed a deal on Day 1 of the legal tampering period. The Broncos convinced the five-year 49ers right tackle to sign a five-year deal worth $87.5MM deal (fourth among right tackles), but McGlinchey did well to essentially secure three guaranteed years. His 2025 salary becomes fully guaranteed shortly after the 2024 league year begins, virtually locking in $52.5MM at signing. The Bears were not willing to go there, and the Broncos came from a place of desperation considering their track record at right tackle. Barring injury, McGlinchey will be Denver’s 11th Week 1 right tackle starter in 11 seasons.
Chicago pivoted from Larry Borom to Riley Reiff last season, but Reiff has since joined the Patriots on a one-year, $5MM deal. Reiff’s Pats pact includes $4.15MM guaranteed, per AtoZSports.com’s Doug Kyed (on Twitter). The deal includes up to $4MM in play-time incentives, Kyed adds. Borom would again be projected to start at right tackle, but the Bears will be connected to right-side options in the first round, The Athletic’s Adam Jahns adds.
This year’s draft includes top-10 tackle options Peter Skoronski, from nearby Northwestern, and Paris Johnson (Ohio State). The Bears have not drafted a tackle in Round 1 since Gabe Carimi in 2011, but Poles was with the Chiefs when they used the No. 1 overall pick on Eric Fisher two years later. With right tackle looking like the weak spot for Chicago up front, the team could use its No. 9 overall pick on one or trade down (again) to nab one of the other three first-round tackle prospects (Georgia’s Broderick Jones, Tennessee’s Darnell Wright, Oklahoma’s Anton Harrison). Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest mock sends Johnson to Chicago.
On the interior, the Bears may be prepared to move Cody Whitehair to solve the guard logjam they created by Nate Davis‘ three-year, $30MM deal. Poles said Whitehair will be an option to move back to center, citing the seven-year veteran’s nearly 4,000 snaps at the position. Whitehair played center primarily to start his career, working as Chicago’s snapper over his first three seasons before moving to guard in 2019 to accommodate a James Daniels position switch.
Whitehair shifting to center would allow the Bears to have he, Davis and Teven Jenkins as interior starters. While Davis played right guard with the Titans, the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs predicts Jenkins will stay at that position after showing considerable promise in 2022. Pro Football Focus rated Jenkins, whom the Bears tried at both tackle spots and dangled in trades last year, as the league’s No. 3 overall guard.
Bears To Sign LB Tremaine Edmunds
Mar 17: According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Edmunds’s new deal has a guaranteed amount of $36.8MM at signing that is composed of a $9.75MM signing bonus, his 2023 base salary of $2.4MM, his 2024 base salary of $14.9MM, and a 2023 roster bonus of $9.75MM. The remaining $13.2MM of guaranteed money is composed of $8.2MM of his $14.9MM 2025 base salary that will be due on the third league day of 2024 and a $5MM roster bonus due on the fifth league day of 2024.
Mar 13: The top off-ball linebacker is off the board. The Bears have entered the mix and will sign Tremaine Edmunds, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
After passing on a monster Roquan Smith extension, GM Ryan Poles will pay up big for Edmunds. The ex-Bills linebacker scored a four-year, $72MM deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. He secured $50MM guaranteed, Schefter adds, noting this is the biggest four-year deal given to an off-ball ‘backer.
This contract checks in just behind Smith’s in Baltimore but also falls just below — AAV-wise, that is — the pacts given to Shaquille Leonard and Fred Warner in 2021. For guarantees, however, Edmunds will only trail Smith, who secured $60MM in total guarantees from the Ravens.
Edmunds, a 2018 first-round pick, spent the first five seasons of his career in Buffalo, compiling at least 100 tackles in each of those campaigns and earning a pair of Pro Bowl nods. He continued being productive in 2022, finishing with 102 tackles in 13 games while finishing as Pro Football Focus’ fifth-best linebacker among 81 qualifiers. He also earned the best coverage score at his position.
Despite his production, it didn’t sound like Edmunds was long for Buffalo. While the organization obviously made an attempt to re-sign the linebacker, it sounds like they’re confident pairing a cheaper off-ball linebacker to play alongside strongside LB Matt Milano, including in-house options like Tyrel Dodson and/or Terrel Bernard. Plus, it sounds like both the Bills and Edmunds were anticipating a deal that would ultimately be too pricey for the organization. Edmunds was far and away the best available free agent at his position, joining a grouping that includes Zach Cunningham, Lavonte David, Deion Jones, Denzel Perryman, and Germaine Pratt. Edmunds indicated that he was a flight risk when he discussed his impending free agency last month.
“I’m gonna let the process take shape,” Edmunds said in February. “Like, you know, they’ve been good to me, so I definitely say ‘thank you’ to the Bills for everything that they’ve done for me these last five years, but like I said, man, I’m…in the backseat.”
The Bears were willing to pony up, with the front office stealing another headline following a busy start to the offseason. Besides trading the number-one pick for a haul that included a pair of firsts and wideout D.J. Moore, the organization also signed linebacker T.J. Edwards to a three-year pact worth $19.5MM and guard Nate Davis to a three-year, $30MM deal.
Bears Release QB Trevor Siemian
The Bears’ recent decision to add P.J. Walker to their quarterback room has resulted in a corresponding move. Per the transaction wire, Chicago has released Trevor Siemian. 
The 31-year-old had one year remaining on the deal he signed last offseason, which brought him to his fourth career NFL home. Siemian’s pact gave him his latest backup opportunity, having previously served in the No. 2 role with the Jets and Saints. His career has seen him bounce around since his tenure as the Broncos’ starter came to an end in 2017.
Siemian joined a Bears team which had affirmed Justin Fields as the undisputed starter heading into the season, so it came as little surprise that he was limited to just one start and two appearances. The veteran completed 57% of his passes and complied a passer rating of 76.4 in that time. That performance left his roster status in question entering the offseason.
No guaranteed money was due in 2023 for the former seventh-rounder, making this release an easy one on the Bears’ part. Cutting Siemian will result in $1.965MM in savings while generating a dead money charge of $500K. Turning to Walker will give the team a younger option in the No. 2 spot, though likely not much more in the way of upside.
Now a member of the free agent pool, Siemian faces a shrinking number of potential suitors. The past few days have seen a slew of backup quarterback moves, as teams shake-up their depth charts under center ahead of the draft. That could leave Siemian waiting a while for his next opportunity in the NFL, as he looks to catch on with a fifth career team in the near future.
Bears, RB D’Onta Foreman Agree To Deal
The Bears have lost their starting running back from the past few seasons, but they have moved quickly to find a new member of their backfield. Chicago is signing running back D’Onta Foreman to a one-year, $3MM deal (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). 
David Montgomery is set for a move within the NFC North, having agreed to a lucrative deal with the Lions earlier in free agency. His departure from the Windy City was expected, given his production, the Bears’ many needs elsewhere on the roster and the availability of several other capable backs in this year’s free agent class. Now, Chicago has found a low-cost replacement.
Foreman, 26, made his first foray outside the AFC South last year by joining the Panthers following two-year stints with the Texans and Titans, respectively. His play as Derrick Henry‘s backup led to the expectation that he could put up noteworthy production in the event he were to be given the opportunity to serve as a No. 1 in his new home.
That seemed unlikely while the Panthers had Christian McCaffrey at the top of their depth chart, but the team’s decision to trade him away before the deadline left Foreman with the chance to lead the team’s rushing attack. He totaled 914 yards on the ground in 2022; that represented by far the highest mark of his career. The fact that he also set a new personal mark with a yards per carry average of 4.5 pointed to his potential to remain efficient while taking on workhorse duties.
In the build-up to free agency, it was reported that the former third-rounder was expected to be a hot commodity on the open market. The Panthers’ decision to sign Miles Sanders proved that Foreman would need to head elsewhere to have a chance at remaining the lead back in his new home. This deal will give him the chance to do that, as he will compete with Khalil Herbert for the top spot on the Bears’ depth chart.
Bears Sign DT Andrew Billings
The Bears are adding to their defensive line. Chicago is signing defensive tackle Andrew Billings, according to agency SportsTrust Advisors (on Twitter).
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets that Billings will be getting a one-year deal worth $3.5MM. The contract includes $2.4MM in guaranteed money.
Billings opted out of the 2020 season and got into only six games with the Browns in 2021 before getting cut loose. He caught on with the Raiders last offseason and had his strongest showing since 2019. The defensive lineman ultimately started all 14 of his appearances, compiling 39 tackles and one sack. Pro Football Focus gave him high marks for his 2022 performance, ranking him 16th among 127 qualifying interior defenders.
The likes of Justin Jones, Mike Pennel, and Angelo Blackson didn’t rank nearly as high among interior defenders, so Billings should provide a temporary upgrade. The Bears have been busy adding to their defense this offseason, signing linebacker T.J. Edwards, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, and defensive lineman DeMarcus Walker.
Bears To Sign TE Robert Tonyan
After spending six seasons with the Packers, Robert Tonyan is moving to a division rival. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the tight end is signing with the Bears.
After not catching on with the Lions as an undrafted free agent, Tonyan joined the Packers in 2017. He didn’t play as a rookie and most appeared on special teams as a sophomore, but the tight end started to get some work on offense in 2019.
He had his breakout season in 2020, hauling in 52 receptions for 586 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was hit with a second-round tender (and a sizable pay raise) the following offseason, but he only got into eight games in 2021 before tearing his ACL. Tonyan managed to return and appear in all 17 games this past year, collecting a career-high 53 receptions for 470 yards and two touchdowns.
Pro Football Focus has never been a fan of Tonyan, but that’s partly due to his abysmal blocking score. He’ll probably be on the field for sets that call for a pair of tight ends, with the free agent acquisition pairing with 2022 starter Cole Kmet.
The Packers offense will look a whole lot different next season with Aaron Rodgers, Allen Lazard, and likely Randall Cobb out the door. Tight end Marcedes Lewis is also a free agent, potentially opening up snaps for former third-round pick Josiah Deguara.
Bears To Sign QB P.J. Walker
P.J. Walker is heading to Chicago. The Bears have reached an agreement with the free agent quarterback, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).
Walker was an impending restricted free agent but was ultimately non-tendered by the Panthers. Walker’s camp apparently moved quickly, with Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweeting that the QB is signing a two-year deal with Chicago. The deal has a max value of $5MM and includes a $1MM signing bonus.
The 2017 undrafted free agent out of Temple spent the past three seasons with the Panthers. The organization gave him a starting look each season, with the Panthers going 4-3 in those seven contests. In total, Walker has completed 57.5 percent of his pass attempts for 1,461 yards, five touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
Walker got an extended look this past season, starting five games for the Panthers. He finished the campaign having tossed three touchdowns vs. three interceptions. That long look partly convinced the Panthers to look elsewhere this offseason, and the writing was on the wall when the organization acquired the No. 1 pick (which will presumably be used on a QB) and signed veteran quarterback Andy Dalton.
So, Walker is off to Chicago, where he’ll presumably serve as Justin Fields‘ backup. The team is also still rostering Trevor Siemian, who inked a two-year deal with the team last offseason.
Raiders, Texans Discussed No. 1 Pick With Bears
Unsurprisingly, the Bears spoke with multiple teams about the No. 1 pick before trading the selection to the Panthers. Jeff Howe of The Athletic tweets that the Raiders called the Bears about the first-overall pick, while Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports (via Twitter) that the Texans also held discussions with the Bears.
The Texans are armed with a pair of first-round picks (No. 2 and No. 12), meaning the organization had more than enough ammo to pull off a trade. Presumably, the front office didn’t want to overpay to move up just one spot, and the Texans will now have to hope that the Panthers don’t land on their preferred quarterback. We previously heard that the Texans were very high on Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, and Houston may end up getting their way if Carolina opts for Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud.
Howe clarifies that the Raiders never got into serious negotiations with the Bears about the first-overall pick. However, the Raiders’ interest reinforces how the organization “explored every avenue” at the QB position (as Howe points out). Earlier today, Howe tweeted that the Raiders organization even reached out to the Packers about quarterback Aaron Rodgers as they evaluated their post-Derek Carr options. Ultimately, the Raiders landed on Jimmy Garoppolo.
The Panthers ultimately pulled off the trade for the first-overall pick, sending Chicago a pair of first-round picks, a pair of second-round picks, and wide receiver D.J. Moore.
Bears To Sign RB Travis Homer
Shortly after losing their starting running back, the Bears have added at the position. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that Chicago has agreed to a deal with running back Travis Homer. Homer got a two-year deal worth a maximum of $4.5MM, per Schefter.
[RELATED: Lions To Sign RB David Montgomery]
David Montgomery started 43 games for the Bears over the past three years, including 16 starts in 2022. However, the former third-round pick left for the Lions earlier this evening, opening up a significant spot on the depth chart.
Homer shouldn’t be expected to carry the load in Chicago, but he’ll provide the coaching staff with some dependable depth at the position. The former sixth-round pick has seen time in 49 games for Seattle over the past four seasons. He had his best season in 2021, finishing with 338 yards from scrimmage. He followed that up with a 2022 campaign that saw him compile 231 offensive yards and one touchdown.
The Bears probably aren’t done adding at the position, but it’s noteworthy that they didn’t look to immediately replace Montgomery with another big name. This bodes well for Khalil Herbert‘s ability to earn the starting gig in 2023. The former sixth-round pick has been productive in his three starts over the past two years, topping 100 yards from scrimmage in each of those contests.
In Seattle, the Seahawks will be eyeing a slightly different RB depth chart in 2023 with Homer gone and Rashaad Penny joining the Eagles. The Seahawks will surely be looking for some additional depth behind Kenneth Walker and DeeJay Dallas.