Bears To Decline Mitchell Trubisky’s Fifth-Year Option
The Bears will not exercise Mitchell Trubisky‘s fifth-year option, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter).
This will put the scrutinized former No. 2 overall pick in a contract year. Chicago acquired Nick Foles from Jacksonville this offseason. Although the Bears have liked Trubisky’s attitude since Foles’ arrival and are set to make this an open competition, per Pelissero, they are passing on extending his contract through 2021. This was the expected course of action, and the Bears are following through with it.
Because Trubisky was a top-10 pick, his option would have come in at $24.8MM. Based on the fourth-year quarterback’s track record, that price is quite lofty. While the Buccaneers and Titans respectively picked up Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota‘s options last year, the Bears are passing on their respective top-three draftee.
GM Ryan Pace pulled the trigger on a one-spot trade-up for Trubisky, climbing from No. 3 to No. 2 in 2017. At that point, Trubisky was viewed as a top-caliber prospect. But the one-year North Carolina starter has not lived up to expectations. The fact that Patrick Mahomes (pick No. 10) and Deshaun Watson (No. 12) have lapped the Bears starter has opened the door for endless scrutiny. Because Watson was picked 12th, his fifth-year option will come in at $17.5MM.
Trubisky regressed last season, finishing 28th in QBR. This prompted the Bears to bring in competition. They were close to an Andy Dalton trade before acquiring Foles later in March. The former Super Bowl LII MVP is viewed as the favorite to be Chicago’s starter this coming season. That would torpedo Trubisky’s value in free agency.
In 2018, Trubisky posted a 95.4 quarterback rating and threw for 24 touchdowns against 12 interceptions en route to a Pro Bowl nod (as an alternate). Last year, however, marked a step back. Trubisky threw 17 touchdown passes against 10 interceptions, and the Bears’ talented defense couldn’t make up for the offense’s shortcomings. The Bears went 8-7 in Trubisky’s 15 starts and finished .500 on the season, leaving them short of the postseason. Trubisky also battled hip and shoulder injuries, the latter requiring surgery.
Myles Garrett is the only member of 2017’s top five to see his fifth-year option exercised. Trubisky, 49ers defensive lineman Solomon Thomas, Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette and Titans wideout Corey Davis are now on track for 2021 free agency.
Dolphins To Trade Charles Harris To Falcons
The Dolphins have agreed to trade defensive end Charles Harris to the Falcons (Twitter link via Jason Butt of The Athletic). In exchange, Atlanta will send a 2021 seventh-round pick to Miami, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. 
[RELATED: Dolphins Release Taco Charlton]
The Dolphins have been doing some spring cleaning with former first-round picks this week. On Thursday, they released defensive lineman Taco Charlton. Today, they’re moving on from Harris, who was the No. 22 overall pick in the 2017 draft.
The 6’3″ edge rusher impressed in his final two seasons at Missouri, combining for 30.5 tackles for loss and 16 sacks. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to keep up the good work at the pro level. In three years, Harris has just 3.5 sacks to his credit. He’s also made just eight starts in his 41 games.
Now, with reduced expectations, he’ll try to get his career back on track with the Falcons. He’ll provide support behind Dante Fowler Jr., the former No. 3 overall pick who broke out just in the nick of time to find free agent riches. Harris, still only 25, is under contract for just $1.94M this season.
Without Harris, the Dolphins will forge ahead with Shaq Lawson and Emmanuel Ogbah as their top bookends. Ogbah inked a two-year, $15MM deal to take his talents to South Beach in March. Lawson, who notched a career-high 6.5 sacks with the Bills last year, agreed to a three-year, $30MM free agent contract.
Bears To Sign Ted Ginn Jr.
The Bears have agreed to a one-year deal with veteran wideout Ted Ginn Jr., according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Ginn, 35, indicated earlier this month that he didn’t plan to retire. A return to New Orleans never seemed likely after the Saints signed Emmanuel Sanders, but Ginn has now landed in Chicago where the Bears were in need of another pass-catcher.
While the Bears have Allen Robinson at one outside receiver position, and Anthony Miller in the slot, they were looking for a speed option to compete with Javon Wims for their third receiver role. Ginn has played between 55-65% of his club’s offensive snaps in recent seasons, and he figures to settle in at that rate Chicago in 2020.
Last season, Ginn caught 30 passes for 421 yards and two touchdowns. While he was once a prolific return man, Ginn hasn’t played a special teams role in the past few years. That shouldn’t be an issue in Chicago, where the Bears already employ Cordarrelle Patterson.
Bengals To Release Andy Dalton
The Bengals are releasing veteran quarterback Andy Dalton, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Dalton asked the Bengals to release him, tweets Tom Pelissero of NFL.com.
Dalton had been on the trade block for the entirety of the offseason, as Cincinnati knew it would be replacing the nine-year starter with No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow, whom the Bengals officially drafted last week. While the Bengals discussed a Dalton deal with the Bears in February (and may have spoken with other clubs), they were never able to unload the 32-year-old in exchange for draft capital.
Although Dalton indicated earlier this month that a “scenario” existed in which he’d return to Cincinnati, it never seemed likely that the Bengals would carry his $17.7MM salary for 2020. And that salary likely halted any potential trade talks, as well. The Bengals could have — and may — offered to pay down some of Dalton’s salary before trading him, but that may not have been enticing enough to other clubs to facilitate a deal.
Now that he’s on the free agent market, Dalton enters an NFL landscape without many starting quarterback jobs available. Looking around the league, the two teams that still may have somewhat open quarterback competitions are the Jaguars (who employ one of Dalton’s former offensive coordinators in Jay Gruden) and the Patriots. Of course, other veterans such as Cam Newton and Joe Flacco are also still available and could compete for those same roles.
A second-round pick in the 2011 draft, Dalton led the Bengals to five consecutive playoff appearances to begin his career. However, Cincinnati never won a postseason game in any of those five seasons, and the club hasn’t returned to the playoffs since. In 2015, Dalton was playing at a near-MVP level before fracturing his thumb in a December game against the Steelers, but he didn’t match that pace in any of the next four years.
For the Bengals, releasing Dalton not only affirms Burrow’s position as the club’s Week 1 starter, but gives them $17.7MM in additional cap space. The free agent market is largely picked over at this point, but Cincinnati now has extra cash on hand for extensions for A.J. Green and/or Joe Mixon.
Saints Extend Taysom Hill
The Saints have agreed to a two-year contract with quarterback Taysom Hill, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). According to Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports, the deal is worth $21MM and includes $16MM in guarantees (Twitter link). It replaces the one-year RFA tender worth $4.6MM that the Saints had placed on Hill earlier this offseason.
The move comes immediately after the Saints agreed to sign free agent signal-caller Jameis Winston. Prior to the Hill extension, both players would have been eligible for unrestricted free agency at the end of the 2020 campaign, meaning that New Orleans could take the entire season to evaluate them, to decide which one was best-suited to serve as Drew Brees‘ successor, and to move on from the loser of the battle at season’s end.
Now, however, that’s not necessarily the case. If Hill should prove himself worthy of the QB1 title in 2021, then the Saints will have him under contract at a very modest rate for starting quarterbacks and can bid Winston farewell. But if Winston should win out and if New Orleans should retain him, then the team will owe a ton of money to its QB2/gadget player, even by its standards of commitment to backup signal-callers. The whole affair could become even more complicated if Brees wants to return, and it suggests that the team really is committed to Hill — as it has stated for some time — and views Winston as a highly-experienced insurance policy in 2020 but not as a potential future option.
Per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, the Saints won’t officially sign Winston until after 3pm ET tomorrow in order to avoid having him against their 2021 compensatory pick formula (Twitter link).
Saints To Sign QB Jameis Winston
Jameis Winston is staying in the NFC South. Hours after the 2020 NFL Draft came to an end, the Saints agreed to sign the former Bucs passer, per Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, it will be a one-year deal for Winston, who had more lucrative offers elsewhere but who saw a better opportunity in New Orleans (Twitter link).
Indeed, Winston will now have the chance to further develop his game under one of the best to ever play, Drew Brees, who may be hanging up the cleats after the 2020 campaign. The Saints have long indicated that they expect Taysom Hill to take over when Brees does decide to retire, and they tendered Hill, a restricted free agent, at the first-round level this offseason.
On the other hand, Hill will be 30 in August and has thrown all of 13 passes in his professional career, so New Orleans’ commitment to him has drawn some public skepticism. But Hill is undeniably a valuable gadget player, and having Winston on board will allow the club to continue deploying Hill in various roles without worrying too much about an injury.
Robinson’s sources indicated that Winston will not be guaranteed the backup job behind Brees. After all, head coach Sean Payton said just last month that Hill had earned that opportunity, but he also said the Saints would add another QB to be active on game days so that Hill could continue contributing as a passer and receiver.
So it seems now that Winston and Hill may be battling not just to be the Saints’ QB2 in 2020, but to be the team’s quarterback of the future in 2021 and beyond. That will create an interesting dynamic in the locker room, as Hill said earlier this year that he is open to leaving New Orleans if the club does not view him as the long-term answer under center.
From the Saints’ perspective, adding Winston on a one-year pact puts both him and Hill on track to be unrestricted free agents in 2021. They will have the entire 2020 season to evaluate the viability of both players as Brees’ successor, and they can re-sign or tag the winner of the year-long battle, or they can go in a completely different direction.
Just yesterday, the club traded back into the seventh round of the draft to select Mississippi State quarterback Tommy Stevens, but Stevens clearly profiles as a taxi squad candidate at this point.
49ers’ Joe Staley To Retire From NFL
Now, the Trent Williams trade makes even more sense for the 49ers. Six-time Pro Bowler Joe Staley informed the club that he will retire due to “health concerns”, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) reports. Specifically, it was Staley’s neck injury that forced him to make the decision, as Matt Barrows of The Athletic tweets. The ailment become especially painful in San Francisco’s playoff run, and doctors informed him that it had become quite serious.
[RELATED: 49ers Trade For Trent Williams]
Staley, 35, has been one of the league’s best offensive tackles for years. And, out of loyalty to the team, he gave the Niners a quiet heads up on his plans so that they could replace him. 49ers GM John Lynch, in turn, swung a deal for seven-time Pro Bowler Trent Williams.
Staley has reportedly been pondering retirement for a while now, despite repeated denials. In January, Staley insisted that he would continue playing despite a slew of injuries, including a broken fibula suffered in Week 2 of the 2019 season.
“I don’t know why everyone’s been asking me that question,” Staley said. “Because I got injured, everyone’s like, ‘Oh, you’re going to be retiring now.’” He added,“I signed a contract here. I still love playing football. It’s like the ninth time someone’s asked me that, and I’m starting to wonder why.”
Staley first entered the league as the No. 28 overall pick in the 2007 draft. Despite the medical hiccups, he played hard right through the end. In the season finale against the Seahawks, he turned in his best performance of the year to help SF lock down the top seed in the NFC. And, with Staley up front, the 49ers reached the Super Bowl to cap the campaign.
Before all of that, Staley was able to stay relatively healthy and play through the pain. He missed just four games from 2011-18 and was named to five Pro Bowls in that span. Despite being in his 12th pro season in 2018, Staley graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 6 overall tackle – and that was actually a slight drop from his performances for most of the decade.
Staley leaves the sport after 181 games played, good for eleventh on the 49ers’ all-time list. As of last year, Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald was the only active non-quarterback to start more games for the team that drafted him than Staley.
Staley indicated he wants to remain in football in some capacity and has discussions with the 49ers in that regard (Twitter link via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com). He also has media options to consider, but he will spend 2020 with his family before entering the next chapter of his football life.
We here at PFR wish Staley the best in retirement.
Redskins Trade Trent Williams To 49ers
Trent Williams is heading to San Francisco. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Redskins are trading the lineman to the 49ers. Washington will receive a fifth-rounder in this year’s draft and a third-rounder in next year’s draft. ESPN’s Josina Anderson previously reported (via Twitter) that the Redskins had a “deal in place” for the lineman. 
Mike Garafolo of NFL Network notes (on Twitter) that a contract extension isn’t in place. Williams has been seeking a new contract that would make him one of the highest-paid lineman in the NFL. Those contract demands ended up influencing the Redskins’ return in a trade; while plenty of teams were reportedly interested in trading for Williams, they were wary of signing him to a long-term deal. Williams has one year and a $12.5MM base salary remaining on his current contract.
Interestingly, a new deal for Williams is not part of the deal with the Niners, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. Had Williams gone to the Vikings, he would have received a fresh pact to reposition the tackle market. The Vikes deal fell through, however, because Williams did not want to go to Minnesota, Rapoport hears. The Browns also were in the mix – and long believed to be the frontrunners – but the 49ers and Vikings were the last teams left in the sweepstakes (Twitter link).
The Buccaneers and Jets were also connected to Williams in recent weeks, but they opted for younger (and cheaper) offensive line help in the first round of the draft instead. At No. 11, the Jets landed Mekhi Becton, who shoves defensive linemen and trucks with ease. At No. 13, the Buccaneers got Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs, who offers four position potential and ridiculous athleticism for his size.
We heard earlier today that the 49ers could emerge as a suitor. For starters, it’s uncertain if Joe Staley will come back next year, as the veteran lineman has flirted with retirement. Furthermore, Williams has a relationship with 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, who was Washington’s offensive coordinator between 2010 and 2013. Considering the seven-time Pro Bowler’s familiarity with the system, he’s a logical fit for San Francisco.
Texans To Extend Laremy Tunsil
The Texans have reached an agreement on a three-year extension for left tackle Laremy Tunsil, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). It’s a monster number — $66MM — for the former first-round pick.
In addition to a $22MM salary, $57MM is guaranteed. The contract contains a $13MM signing bonus, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Tunsil will receive $40MM over the first two years of the deal, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
The numbers on Tunsil’s new money are, in a word, staggering. Tunsil confirmed earlier this month that he planned on becoming the NFL’s highest-paid offensive tackle, and he’s done so by a wide margin. Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson previously held that honor with an $18MM/year average, but Tunsil has now exceeded that figure by $4MM, a hefty increase.
This year, Tunsil will take home more than $27MM, with Wilson adding he will receive $16.85MM fully guaranteed in 2021. In 2022, $10MM of Tunsil’s $17.85MM base salary is guaranteed. His $18.5MM 2023 salary is non-guaranteed.
Tunsil’s $57MM in guarantees almost surely refers to injury guarantees, not full guarantees. The Raiders’ Trent Brown currently leads all offensive linemen $36.25MM in fully guaranteed money, so $57MM would represent an unprecedented jump. Johnson received $55.845MM in injury guarantees on his extension with Philadelphia, and Tunsil has now topped that as well.
Of course, Tunsil held all the leverage in talks with Houston and exerted that clout as best he could. The Texans made a stunning trade to acquire Tunsil last year, sending two first-round picks plus a second-rounder to Miami in order to land 25-year-old starter. Having made that move, there was simply no way Houston could allow Tunsil to leave via free agency, so the club had to give him a massive extension.
Tunsil, the 13th overall selection in the 2016 draft, had one year and $10.35MM remaining on his contract. While the Texans could have theoretically franchised him in both 2021 and 2022, Tunsil could have sat out or refused to sign the tag. The optics of such a maneuver wouldn’t have been great for Houston. Instead, a three-year extension will lock up Tunsil through the 2023 campaign.
In spite of his new annual salary, Tunsil remains a good — not great — left tackle. While he’s been a full-time starter in each of his four NFL seasons, he’s never made an All-Pro team and was given a Pro Bowl nod just once (2019). Pro Football Focus, meanwhile, graded Tunsil just outside the top-20 tackles in each of the past two years.
Tunsil, who fired his agent in March, negotiated this deal directly with Texans head coach/general manager Bill O’Brien, tweets Wilson. Tunsil received input from outside advisors, but he clearly did very well for himself in working out a new contract.
Dolphins Trade 26th Pick To Green Bay, Packers Take Jordan Love
The Packers are making a surprising splash. They’ve traded up with the Dolphins to get the 26th pick, and are using it on Utah State quarterback Jordan Love.
We’ve been waiting for some fireworks, and this certainly qualifies. Green Bay is setting up for the post-Aaron Rodgers era, and it’ll be very interesting to see what Rodgers thinks of this selection. The Packers gave up pick 136 in the fourth-round to move up four spots from 30. The Pack apparently “secretly coveted” Love in the pre-draft process, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets.
The Packers made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game last year, but it wasn’t Rodgers’ finest season statistically and he’ll turn 37 in December. Rodgers is under contract through the 2023 season, and he isn’t likely going to be too happy about a first-round rookie breathing down his neck.
It’s a bold move by GM Brian Gutekunst, and one that will take several years at least to be able to evaluate. Rodgers and others were hoping the team would draft a second receiver behind Davante Adams, but obviously that wasn’t the plan.
Love was a polarizing prospect, with many defenders and detractors in the analyst community. Viewed as a potential top pick after a dominant sophomore season where he averaged 8.6 yards per attempt with 32 touchdowns and six interceptions, he took a big step back in 2019.
In his junior campaign at Utah State, he averaged only 7.2 yards per attempt with 20 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. Clearly that wasn’t enough to scare off the Packers. There had been some talk that the Dolphins might take a tackle with their first pick and look to add Love later on, but obviously they ended up going with Tua Tagovailoa with the fifth pick. Love won’t be the Packers’ starter in 2020, but he’ll create a lot of drama and headlines right away. Buckle up in Green Bay.