Dion Sims is calling it a career. On Friday, the former Bears and Dolphins tight end announced his retirement from the NFL.
“Decided to hang my cleats up after 20 years of playing American football,” Sims tweeted. “God is good and I’m grateful!!!!!”
Sims spent six of those football playing years in the NFL – four with Miami and two with Chicago. We haven’t seen him on the field since 2018, however, so his retirement doesn’t come as a shock.
Sims, who turned 29 in February, never topped 30 receptions or 300 yards receiving during his six-year run. However, he was a solid blocker for most of his career. He also earned some solid money in his playing days: $11MM+ in total, with the bulk of it coming from the Bears.
February 20th, 2019 at 1:51pm CST by Zachary Links
The Bears are expected to release tight end Dion Sims, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Sims was due $6MM in 2019, but the Bears will cut him instead of carrying that cap number.
It’s not an ideal outcome for Sims but, on the plus side, the early release before the start of the league year will give him an early jump on free agency. Sims, 28, is known more for his blocking than his pass catching. In 2017, his first season with the Bears, he reeled in 15 catches for 180 yards and one touchdown. Last year, injuries limited him to just eight games (four starts), and he finished out with two catches for nine yards.
For what it’s worth, Sims’ blocking wasn’t all that exceptional according to the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus. His 68.6 pass blocking score was solid, but his 47.5 run blocking number leaves a bit to be desired. In any case, his 195 snaps were not enough to qualify for PFF’s positional rankings.
By discontinuing Sims’ three-year, $18MM deal a year early, the Bears will carry a dead cap charge of $333K in 2019.
Trey Burton will have a different backup tight end Sunday. The Bears will sub out Dion Sims for Adam Shaheen on their 53-man roster, activating the second-year tight end from IR and sending the 2017 free agent signing to the injured list, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).
Chicago designated Shaheen for an IR return last week and had three weeks to activate him. He will likely make his season debut Sunday night against the Vikings.
A concussion will send Sims to IR. The former Dolphins tight end played in eight Bears games during his second season with the franchise but only caught two passes, with first-year Bear Burton becoming the starter this season.
Shaheen came out of Division II Ashland as an athletic marvel but has yet to contribute much as a pro. Preseason ankle and foot injuries sidetracked the 6-foot-5, 270-pound target’s development. He caught 12 passes for 127 yards and three touchdowns last season and poses as an interesting weapon for Mitch Trubisky down the stretch.
Sims did well for himself in free agency last year, signing a three-year, $18MM deal. The $6MM-AAV pact handed to the former Miami backup was more than Austin Seferian-Jenkins or Jared Cook received from their respective teams. Sims, though, has 17 receptions as a Bear in his two-year Windy City run. Considering a 2019 cut would save the Bears $6MM, and with Burton and Shaheen under contract long-term, Sims will surely be a release candidate as the next league year approaches.
Defensive tackle Haloti Ngata inked a one-year, $2.6MM fully guaranteed deal ($3MM maximum value) with the Eagles this week, but he had the same offer on the table from the Lions, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com hears (video link). He chose the Eagles because he felt they were a better scheme fit for him. In Philadelphia’s two-gap system, Ngata is hoping to get back to his old form as he backs up Fletcher Cox and Timmy Jernigan.
The Giants restructured linebacker Alec Ogletree‘s contract to prorate the $7MM roster bonus he was due over the remaining four years of his contract, a source tells Dan Duggan of The Athletic (on Twitter). His cap hit will be reduced from $10MM to $4.75MM in 2018, according to ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan (on Twitter).
Bears tight end Dion Sims remained on the team’s roster today and now has $4MM of his $6MM base salary fully guaranteed for 2018, as Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter) notes.
A fourth-round selection in 2017, Pumphrey was expected to serve a large role in the team’s offense as Darren Sproles-like pass catcher out of the backfield. That didn’t happen, however, with the San Diego State star tearing his hamstring in the preseason and sitting out the rest of the season on IR.
Pumphrey has been working out for some time now and has upped his weight from 177 out of college to around 185 or 190 pounds now. With the added bulk, the record-breaking college back might be able to withstand a full season in the pros. He will have some work to do to make the roster with those proved backs ahead of him on the depth chart.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
Sticking with the Eagles, NJ.com’s Eliot Shorr-Parks ranked the Eagles top offseason needs for the Super Bowl champions. He listed linebackers as the No. 1 overall need, citing injury concerns (Jordan Hicks) and free agency (Nigel Bradham).
The Bears are likely to release TE Dion Sims, the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs writes. He notes: “It’s important to note that $4 million of that $10 million guarantee does not kick in until March 16, the third day of the league year. Sims has a base salary of $6 million for 2018 and two-thirds of that becomes fully guaranteed then. So a decision on Sims needs to be made in the next five weeks or so and it’s possible, I don’t know how likely, he winds up walking away with only $6 million from the 2017 season.”
March 11th, 2017 at 12:16pm CST by Dallas Robinson
Defensive lineman Lawrence Guy has completed his visit with the Patriots and will continue taking meetings with other clubs, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitterlinks). The Ravens, meanwhile, would still like to re-sign Guy, but their overall level of interest is unclear. PFR ranked Guy as the No. 12 interior defender heading into the free agent period.
Here’s more from the AFC:
The Bengals will host controversial Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon on a private visit, reports Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com. Cincinnati was one of four clubs — including Cleveland, Detroit, and New Orleans — that met with Dixon last week. Because Mixon was not invited to the combine, the Bengals want the opportunity to speak “extensively” with Mixon about his character, per Terrell.
Although the Dolphins made a “late attempt” to retain tight end Dion Sims, they offered roughly $2MM less per season than the Bears, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Chicago ultimately signed Sims to a three-year, $18MM deal that features $6MM in guarantees. Miami has since signed veteran Anthony Fasano to fill the void at tight end.
Three teams are interested in free agent wide receiver Kamar Aiken, tweets La Canfora (although he doesn’t identify the clubs). Aiken, 27, managed only 29 receptions for the Ravens in 2016 after putting up 75 catches the year prior.
Let’s take a look at the details of a few recently-signed NFC contracts:
Nick Fairley, DL (Saints): Four years, $28MM. $14MM guaranteed. $8MM signing bonus. Base salaries of $1MM, $4.25MM, $5.95MM, $5.95MM (Twitter link via Wilson). $500K available yearly in sack incentives (link via Mike Triplett of ESPN.com).
Captain Munnerlyn, CB (Panthers): Four years, $17MM. $8MM guaranteed. $6MM signing bonus. $1MM available via incentives (Twitter link via Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune).
Julius Peppers, DL (Panthers): One year, $3.5MM. $750K available via incentives (Twitter link via Josina Anderson of ESPN.com).
Riley Reiff, T (Vikings): Five years, $58.75MM. $26.3MM guaranteed. $11MM signing bonus (Twitterlinks via Ben Goessling of ESPN.com). Annual $500K Pro Bowl escalator clause (Twitter link via Wilson).
Mike Remmers, T (Vikings): Five years, $30MM. $10.5MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune).
Dion Sims, TE (Bears): Three years, $18MM. $6MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN.com).
Stefen Wisniewski, OL (Eagles): Three years, $9MM. $3.25MM guaranteed. $1.75MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer)
The Bears have agreed to a deal with tight end Dion Sims, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com. It’s a three-year, $18MM pact featuring $10MM in guarantees, Garafolo adds (Twitterlinks).
In Chicago, Sims will likely play an in-line tight end role, allowing Zach Miller to flex out from time to time. The Bears were also linked to other tight ends during the free agent process, and clearly wanted to upgrade the position. Miller is nearing 33 years old and missed six games in 2016 due to injury, so Chicago had tight end depth on its mind as a primary offseason goal.
Sims, 26, has never topped 30 receptions or 300 yards receiving during his four-year career, but the Dolphins reportedly wanted to retain him ever after acquiring Julius Thomas from the Jaguars. Not only is Sims a solid blocker (whereas Thomas is not), he would have provided the Dolphins with another tight end option in the event Thomas falls victim to injury, something he’s done multiple times during his NFL career.
NFL free agency is right around the corner! The legal tampering period starts on Tuesday and free agency officially starts on Thursday. The list of available free agents will change between now and then as players re-sign with teams or get cut loose, but we have a pretty good idea of who will be available right now. After looking at the top defensive players, we now shift our attention to the other side of the ball.
Here are our rankings for the top 15 free agents at each position. The rankings aren’t determined by earning power, they are simply the players we like the most at each position, with a combination of short- and long-term value taken into account. You won’t find restricted free agents or franchise tagged guys here since they are unlikely to go leave their current clubs.
Player evaluation is always subjective, so we encourage you to make your voices heard in the comments section in cases where you disagree with us.
Here’s our breakdown of the current top 15 free agents by offensive position for 2017:
Ryan Nassib is just outside of the top 15 here with EJ Manuel getting the final spot. Despite positive word about his play in practice, Nassib is unproven and the Giants’ apparent lack of interest in re-signing him says a lot. It’s also possible that he might not be 100% after ending the 2016 season on IR with an elbow injury. Manuel, for all his warts, has shown potential in small bursts.
As expected, the Vikings have cut Adrian Peterson loose and he is expected to garner interest from contending clubs this week. Some might peg Peterson as the most talented running back in this year’s free agent class, but it all comes down to how you weigh his age and injury history. Peterson has shocked the football world in the past with an incredible comeback, but I’m a little skeptical of his ability to do it again in his age-32 season. Eddie Lacy, who has injury question marks of his own, takes the top spot at the position.
Jamaal Charles has the most impressive resume of anyone on this list, with the exception of Peterson. However, no one knows exactly what he can do after playing eight games in the last two years. He’ll turn 31 in December and that’s usually not an indicator of success for running backs.
Kyle Juszczyk graded out as the best fullback in the NFL last year, according to Pro Football Focus. The Ravens would be wise to keep him, but if they don’t, he’ll draw interest from teams all over the league. Juszczyk earned his first career Pro Bowl nod as he caught 37 passes for 266 yards. His exceptional 92.1 pass blocking score from PFF led all other fullbacks by a wide margin.
Mike Tolbert is ranked lower than you might expect due to his age and diminished blocking skills. He’ll turn 32 in November and it’s not guaranteed that he’ll find another job after getting released by the Panthers, though the Jets are said to have interest in him. Gang Green could also look into signing Patrick DiMarco and Marcel Reece. If you ask me, they should target DiMarco if they want to truly emphasize the running game. DiMarco finished the year with the best run blocking score in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.
Brandon Marshall, welcome to the free agent pool. Marshall is just two years removed from a year in which he had 109 catches, 1,502 yards, and 14 touchdowns. However, his numbers dipped significantly last season as the entire Jets offense slumped. The veteran will get tons of interest this week and his suitors may include the Giants, Patriots, and Ravens.
Kenny Britt managed to put up big numbers in the midst of the Rams’ offensive quagmire last season. He now hits free agency at a great time and the WR-needy Eagles are the latest team to be connected to him. The South Jersey contingent of the Eagles fanbase will appreciate the homecoming of the Rutgers product. At the same time, they should hope he exhibits a better attitude than he did on the banks of the old Raritan.
The talent is definitely there with Markus Wheaton and the team that takes a chance on him could wind up very, very happy. Robert Woods, historically, thrived in games where Sammy Watkins was unavailable or limited. Woods doesn’t turn 25 in until April and there’s a case to be made that he should be higher on this list. Cordarrelle Patterson has turned out to be a very capable returner, but there are definitely ambitious coaches out there who think they can still mold him into a great receiver. Michael Floyd is now years removed from his best work in Arizona, so one has to wonder what he can contribute even if he has turned over a new leaf.
Victor Cruz is an exceptionally hard-worker and a team-first kind of guy. He’ll be a great addition to any locker room, but it’s anyone’s guess as to what he’ll do in 2017. We’ll say this: a return to the slot would greatly benefit him.
Anquan Boldinjust missed the top 15 and I don’t necessarily feel great about it. Brian Quickalso missed the cut and it was a toss-up between him and Cruz for that last spot.
Martellus Bennett is eager to cash in this month. There’s a “real possibility” he winds up elsewhere and he’ll get a monster deal if that happens. The Raiders and Jaguars are expected to be among the teams in pursuit. Filling in for Rob Gronkowski, Bennett caught 55 passes for 701 yards and seven touchdowns in 2016. You can never tell what the Patriots are thinking, but it sure feels like he’ll be leaving New England.
Anthony Fasano finds himself ranked higher than some bigger names due to his blocking ability. PFF gave Fasano an 88.1 score for run blocking, which was the best of any tight end last year. His 72.9 pass blocking score was fourth-best among TEs. The Titans will make a real effort to keep him.
Andrew Whitworth spent some time at guard last season but his best (and most profitable) position is on the outside. He’s 35, so he won’t lead all FA tackles in total money this year despite being our top-ranked free at the position.
That mantle, by all indications, will belong to Ricky Wagnerwho could reportedly fetch around $10MM/year. The former fifth-round pick put it all together this past season in Baltimore and he won’t turn 28 until October.
Russell Okung was thrust into the free agent market in February when the Broncos declined his option. This time around, it will be interesting to see whether he hires an agent. His previous deal was effectively a one-year pact with a club option for a four-year, $48MM deal with $20.5MM in guaranteed cash. After a so-so year, the Broncos wisely turned it down.
Austin Pasztor is listed as a tackle here, though it’s quite possible he reverts to the interior line in 2017. Mike Adams, a former second-round pick, makes the cut for his natural talent, even though he hasn’t shown much at the professional level. Will Beatty also found his way to the Top 15, but his market will be capped after two injury-ridden years.
Honorable mention: D.J. Fluker, A.Q. Shipley (C), Brian Schwenke (C)
Kevin Zeitler was the only offensive lineman to crack our Top 50 Free Agents list last week. Zeitler, 27 in March, was PFF’s No. 7 ranked guard in the NFL this year. After three consecutive strong seasons, he is going to get big bucks.
Ronald Leary, who once pushed for the Cowboys to trade him, recognizes that a return probably isn’t in the cards. The Cowboys will go with La’el Collins in 2017 and beyond, but don’t cry for Leary. After making 12 starts in Collins’ place and ranking No. 25 among Pro Football Focus’ 76 qualified guards, Leary will find an eager market this week.
J.C. Tretter graded out as a top 10 center last year, according to PFF, and he just turned 26. Stefen Wisniewski offers experience at both guard and center and there should be at least a few teams looking at him as a potential starter.
NFL free agency will get underway on Thursday, March 9th, and while the list of free agents will change between now and then, we do have some idea of who will be available when free agency kicks off. The frenzy is right around the corner and it’s time for us to break down the outlook for each position. We’ll start today on offense, before getting to defense and special teams later this week.
Listed below are our rankings for the top 15 free agents at each offensive position. The rankings aren’t necessarily determined by the value of the contracts that each player is expected to land in free agency, they are simply the players we like the most at each position, with both short- and long-term value taken into account. Restricted and exclusive-rights free agents are not listed here since they are unlikely to actually reach the open market.
We’ll almost certainly be higher or lower on some guys than you are, so we encourage you to make your voice heard in our comments section to let us know which free agents we’ve got wrong.
Here’s our breakdown of the current top 15 free agents by offensive position for 2017:
As of this writing, Kirk Cousins is far and away the best potential free agent quarterback in this year’s crop. By the time March gets here, we’re fully expecting Cousins to be spoken for. Ultimately, the Redskins could franchise tag him, work out a long-term deal with him, or swing some type of trade that nets them a massive haul of talent and picks. That will leave a crop of retread quarterbacks that would probably best serve as transitional options for QB-needy teams.
Mike Glennon hasn’t done much in his 18 career starts, but talent evaluators are still in love with his size and potential. The 6’7″ quarterback will get more money this spring than you might expect, particularly since there are no surefire QBs in this year’s draft.
Teams looking for stopgap QBs will find a plethora of experienced, though perhaps uninspiring, signal callers. Nick Foles, Brian Hoyer, and Ryan Fitzpatrick all have their best football behind them, but they could hold down the fort for a team in 2017 and maybe even find some success if the defense is strong enough. Of course, the ideal role for those guys would probably be as a backup to a better, younger quarterback.
Consider Le’Veon Bell‘s name written in Etch-A-Sketch, because he is very unlikely to get near the open market. That could leave Eddie Lacy as the best tailback available in March. Lacy has struggled with weight issues in recent years and he lost much of the 2016 season to injury. Still, he is a bruising back that could nicely complement a quicker ball carrier. Before he was shut down for the year, Lacy was averaging 5.07 yards per carry in five games for Green Bay.
In the last two years, LeGarrette Blount seems to have put his off-the-field troubles behind him. Whether that’s a sign of his maturity or a product of the Patriots’ culture remains to be seen. Teams can ignore his past indiscretions, but they will be wary of his age. Blount turns 31 in December.
Latavius Murray has shown glimpses of being a special running back, but he has been inconsistent and his 4.0 yards-per-carry average of the last two years isn’t overly impressive. Darren McFadden ran for more than 1,000 yards in 2015, but 2016 was pretty much a lost year for him. Jacquizz Rodgers seemed to break out last year, but he wound up succumbing to the same injury bug that took down a host of other Buccaneers running backs. Speaking of injuries, Rashad Jennings was initially brought to the Giants to be a workhorse back, but two of his three years in New York were marred by ailments. Everyone in this tier has the potential to make a difference, but none should be counted on as anyone’s main guy in 2017.
Kyle Juszczyk graded out as the best fullback in the NFL last year, according to Pro Football Focus. The Ravens would be wise to keep him, but if they don’t, he’ll draw interest from teams all over the league. Juszczyk earned his first career Pro Bowl nod as he caught 37 passes for 266 yards. His exceptional 92.1 pass blocking score from PFF led all other fullbacks by a wide margin.
Mike Tolbert is ranked lower than you might expect due to his age and diminished blocking skills. He’ll turn 32 in November and it’s not a given that he’ll find another NFL home after getting released by the Panthers.
Alshon Jeffery has had two down years (by his standards) but he is still the cream of the wide receiver crop. His weak production and PED suspension in 2016 probably killed his chances of getting Dez Bryant-money, but he could still get a multi-year deal with a nice amount of guaranteed cash given the dearth of WR1 types available. Jeffery hasn’t set the world on fire lately, but plenty of GMs will chalk that up to the Bears’ quarterback situation.
Few saw Terrelle Pryor‘s standout season coming. The former Buckeyes quarterback now stands as one of the best pending free agent receivers out there. We would be surprised if the Browns allow him to reach the open market, but if he does get there, he’ll get money thrown at him by teams looking for a No. 2 wide receiver.
Each player ranked No. 6 through No. 9 here offers potential and question marks in equal measure. Those around Kenny Britt have been questioning his work ethic and attitude since his Rutgers days, but his talent is undeniable. Markus Wheaton appeared destined for big things as the Steelers No. 2 wide receiver last year before an early season shoulder injury landed him on IR. Cordarrelle Patterson has all the physical tools to succeed and he put himself on the map last year as a kick returner. Will some team out there sign him to a multi-year pact and try to mold him into a receiver? Michael Floyd‘s rocky year ended with a Super Bowl ring, though he was not on the active roster in Houston. Floyd will be looking for a one-year, prove-it deal and there will be teams curious to see if he can reprise his 2013 season.
In his first season with the Packers, Jared Cook appeared in ten regular season games and caught 30 of 51 targets for 377 yards and a touchdown. In the Packers’ two-game playoff run, he really turned it on with a total of 13 receptions for 181 yards and two scores. Cook will be a priority for the Packers to re-sign, but it’s not clear if they’ll get a deal done between now and March 9.
Anthony Fasano finds himself ranked higher than some bigger names due to his blocking ability. PFF gave Fasano an 88.1 score for run blocking, which was the best of any tight end last year. His 72.9 pass blocking score was fourth-best among TEs.
Andrew Whitworth spent some time at guard last season but his best (and most profitable) position is on the outside. He’s 35, but he is our top-ranked free agent tackle after turning in another stellar year.
Russell Okung was thrust into the free agent market in February when the Broncos declined his option. This time around, it will be interesting to see whether he hires an agent. His previous deal was effectively a one-year pact with a club option for a four-year, $48MM deal with $20.5MM in guaranteed cash. After a so-so year, the Broncos wisely turned it down.
Austin Pasztor is listed as a tackle here, though it’s quite possible he reverts to the interior line in 2017. Mike Adams, a former second-round pick, makes the cut for his natural talent, even though he hasn’t shown much at the professional level. Will Beatty also found his way to the Top 15, but his market will be capped after two injury-ridden years.
Kevin Zeitler is the only offensive lineman to crack our Top 10 Free Agents list from late January. Zeitler, 27 in March, was PFF’s No. 7 ranked guard in the NFL this year. After three consecutive strong seasons, he is going to get big bucks.
Ronald Leary, who once pushed for the Cowboys to trade him, recognizes that a return probably isn’t in the cards. The Cowboys will go with La’el Collins in 2017 and beyond, but don’t cry for Leary. After making 12 starts in Collins’ place and ranking No. 25 among Pro Football Focus’ 76 qualified guards, Leary will find an eager market in March.
J.C. Tretter graded out as a top 10 center last year, according to PFF, and he just turned 26. Stefen Wisniewski offers experience at both guard and center and there should be at least a few teams looking at him as a potential starter.
