Chicago Bears free-agency tracker: Wide receiver Damiere Byrd signs 1-year deal after the best season of his career in 2020
The 2021 NFL offseason is far from over.
The Chicago Bears will remain active as they work to refurbish their roster and position themselves for improvement via signings, trades and cuts. The NFL draft was held April 29-May 1.
As developments materialize, the Tribune’s NFL coverage team will keep you up to speed with all the latest Bears transactions and insight into what it all means.
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May 4
The Bears signed wide receiver Damiere Byrd to a one-year contract, the team announced.
What it means: The Bears added depth to their wide receivers room with the addition of Byrd. He had the best season of his career in 2020 with the New England Patriots when he totaled 47 catches for 604 yards and a touchdown. Byrd, 28, was an undrafted free agent out of South Carolina and spent his first four years with the Carolina Panthers, during which he broke his arm in back-to-back seasons. He had 32 catches for 359 yards with the Arizona Cardinals in 2019 before starting 14 games for the Patriots last year. Byrd also has kick and punt return experience. He is the second wide receiver the Bears added to their room in four days after they drafted North Carolina’s Dazz Newsome in the sixth round Saturday. The newcomers add to the competition behind Allen Robinson and Darnell Mooney.
April 19
The Bears are bringing back safety Tashaun Gipson on a one-year deal.
What it means: Gipson, who will be 31 in August, fit well with the Bears on his one-year deal in 2020, starting all 16 games alongside Eddie Jackson. He had two interceptions, seven passes defended and 66 tackles in the regular season and added eight tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a pass defended in the playoff loss to the New Orleans Saints.
Gipson played his first eight seasons with the Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans. He has missed only two regular-season games over the last five seasons. His return for his 10th NFL season leaves the Bears with one fewer hole to fill with less than two weeks to go before the draft. The Bears previously re-signed safeties Deon Bush and DeAndre Houston-Carson to play backup and special teams roles.
Friday
Marquise Goodwin agreed to join the Bears on a one-year contract.
What it means: A day after Cordarrelle Patterson officially joined the Falcons, the Bears found a way to add speed and depth to their receiving corps with the signing of Goodwin. A third-round pick in 2013, Goodwin opted out of the 2020 season because of COVID-19 concerns. He was traded from the San Francisco 49ers to the Philadelphia Eagles last April. But after opting out, his contract reverted to the 49ers, who promptly released him last month.
Goodwin’s best season came in 2017, when he totaled 56 catches, 962 yards and two touchdowns for the 49ers. That’s the only season, however, in which he totaled more than 30 catches or 450 yards. So it remains to be seen just how significant of a role coach Matt Nagy envisions for Goodwin in the offense. Goodwin has minimal experience as a kickoff returner as well and could draw a look there whenever the Bears return to the practice field.
Thursday
Kickoff returner/running back Cordarrelle Patterson signs with the Atlanta Falcons.
What it means: It comes as no surprise that Patterson won’t be back with the Bears. Given the team’s salary-cap constraints and Patterson’s limited role beyond special teams, the Bears simply couldn’t afford to pay him his market value, viewing him as a luxury item they no longer had the resources to keep. Patterson spent two seasons in Chicago and was terrific on special teams as both a kickoff returner and a gunner on coverage teams. He averaged an NFL-best 29.5 yards per kickoff return in 2019, was selected to the Pro Bowl and was named a first-team All-Pro. He was named All-Pro again last season, the sixth time in his eight seasons he has earned that honor on special teams.
Offensively, though, Patterson never had the major impact the Bears envisioned when they signed him in 2019. As a wide receiver, he had 11 catches for 83 yards in his first season and added 17 carries for 103 yards. He made a full-time transition to the running backs room last season and contributed 64 rushes for 232 yards and one touchdown.
The Falcons are Patterson’s fifth team. Drafted in the first round in 2013, Patterson has spent time with the Vikings, Raiders, Patriots and Bears. For what it’s worth, none of those four organizations signed him to a second contract.
April 9
Cornerback Michael Joseph is returning on a one-year deal, the Bears announced.
What it means: Joseph signed on for his fourth season with the Bears after spending all of 2020 on injured reserve and the reserve/COVID-19 lists. The Oswego High School and University of Dubuque player was an undrafted free agent in 2018 and spent most of his first two seasons on the practice squad. He has not yet played in a game for the Bears.
In recent weeks, the Bears signed Desmond Trufant and Artie Burns to one-year deals to fill out their cornerbacks room.
March 26
The Bears announced they are bringing back cornerback Artie Burns on a one-year deal.
What it means: Burns signed a one-year deal with the Bears in 2020, but he tore his ACL in training camp and spent the season on injured reserve. He was a 2016 first-round pick and started 32 games over four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Burns, who will be 26 in May, has four career interceptions, 27 passes defended and 149 tackles, including five tackles for a loss. He joins a cornerbacks room that includes starter Jaylon Johnson, newcomer Desmond Trufant and 2020 backups Kindle Vildor and Duke Shelley. Trufant, an eight-year NFL veteran, said this week the Bears offered him a chance to compete at the position after they released two-time Pro Bowler Kyle Fuller, and the team also could add a cornerback in next month’s draft.
March 25
Veteran safety and special teamer DeAndre Houston-Carson is returning to the Bears on a one-year deal, the team announced.
What it means: Houston-Carson, a 2016 sixth-round pick, enters his sixth NFL season as a valuable special teams contributor. He played 82% of the Bears special teams plays, according to Pro Football Reference, and also played a career-high 9% of the defensive snaps. That added time on defense allowed Houston-Carson, who will be 28 in April, to total three passes defended and his first career interception. He also had a career-high 15 tackles and a fumble recovery.
The Bears previously re-signed backup safety Deon Bush.
March 24
Running back Damien Williams is joining the Bears, his agent tweeted Wednesday afternoon.
What it means: NFL Network reported Williams signed a one-year deal to play his seventh NFL season with the Bears after he opted out in 2020 because of COVID-19 concerns. He played his first four seasons with the Miami Dolphins, including the 2014-15 seasons with Bears offensive coordinator Bill Lazor.
Williams, who will be 29 next month, spent his previous two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. In 2019, he had a career-high 111 carries for 498 yards and five touchdowns and 30 catches for 213 yards and two touchdowns. In Super Bowl LIV, he had 17 carries for 104 yards and four catches for 29 yards, including a 5-yard touchdown catch from Patrick Mahomes and a 38-yard touchdown run in the final three minutes to seal a 31-20 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. The Chiefs released him March 16. He joins a Bears running backs room that includes David Montgomery and Tarik Cohen, who is recovering from a torn ACL.
March 23
The Bears announced the signing of inside linebacker Christian Jones.
What it means: After three seasons with the Detroit Lions, Jones is returning to where his NFL career began, agreeing to a new one-year deal. He was with the Bears from 2014-2017, playing one season for coach Marc Trestman and defensive coordinator Mel Tucker and three others under coach John Fox and coordinator Vic Fangio. Jones made 31 starts for the Bears and played a key role on special teams. He then became a full-time starter with the Lions for three seasons and recorded 177 tackles, including seven for a loss. Jones has familiarity with new defensive coordinator Sean Desai from his first stint in Chicago. It remains to be seen whether he will return in a reserve role or if he can compete for a starting job alongside Roquan Smith.
Offensive tackle Elijah Wilkinson has agreed to a one-year contract.
What it means: With the Bears seeking additional talent and depth on the offensive line, Wilkinson’s arrival will provide another option at tackle and could set up a competition for a starting role at right tackle with Germain Ifedi.
Wilkinson entered the league in 2017 as an undrafted rookie out of the University of Massachusetts and played four seasons with the Denver Broncos, making 25 starts. Last season, he was the Broncos’ opening-day starter at right tackle but wound up on injured reserve with a fractured shinbone early in the season. He returned from IR in late November and started the final four games.
Bobby Massie was the Bears’ Week 1 starter at right tackle the last five seasons but was let go earlier this month to clear salary-cap space for the opening of free agency. Ifedi held down the right tackle role for the final six games last season after sliding outside from guard. Wilkinson started 12 games at right tackle for the Broncos in 2019.
March 21
The Bears announced the signing of veteran linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu to a two-year contract.
What it means: Attaochu, who has 20½ career sacks in seven NFL seasons, will add depth at outside linebacker and factor in as a rotational pass rusher.
Furthermore, with Barkevious Mingo now a free agent, the addition of Attaochu might help the Bears fill a hole on special teams.
A second-round pick in 2014 out of Georgia Tech, the Nigerian-born Attaochu has played for the Chargers (2014-17), Jets (2018) and Broncos (2019-20), starting 23 of his 74 career games. He also spent time with the 49ers in 2018 and the Chiefs in 2019 but was released before the season. The Bears will be his fifth team in the last four seasons. Attaochu posted career highs of six sacks and 12 starts for the Chargers in 2015. He had five sacks in 13 games playing for Vic Fangio and the Broncos last year.
March 20
The Bears officially released cornerback Kyle Fuller.
What it means: Fuller, a first-round pick in 2014, officially was let go Saturday and found a new home immediately. The veteran cornerback agreed to a one-year, $9.5 million deal with the Denver Broncos that will reunite him with Vic Fangio, who was one of his biggest supporters during their four seasons together with the Bears.Fangio is the Broncos head coach, and the team’s defensive coordinator, Ed Donatell, was Fuller’s position coach for four seasons in Chicago.
The Bears cleared $11 million in salary-cap room by releasing Fuller and also announced the signing of Desmond Trufant, who is now expected to fill the starting role opposite fellow cornerback Jaylon Johnson.
Fuller was selected with the No. 14 pick in the 2014 draft. He played 96 games over his seven seasons with the Bears and was named to the Pro Bowl after the 2018 and 2019 seasons. He had a career-high seven interceptions in 2018 under Fangio. Fuller had 19 interceptions total in his seven seasons but recorded only one last season.
March 19
Former Detroit Lions cornerback Desmond Trufant is signing a one-year deal with the Bears.
What it means: Trufant is an eight-year NFL veteran who could help fill the hole left by the looming departure of veteran Kyle Fuller, whom the Bears plan to release to save money against the salary cap.
Trufant played his first seven seasons with the Atlanta Falcons before he joined the Lions last spring on a two-year, $21 million deal. The Lions released him earlier this month after he started six games for them in 2020 while battling hamstring injuries.
He has 14 interceptions, 83 passes defended, 349 tackles, 10 tackles for a loss and six sacks in his career, including one pick and four passes defended in 2020. He was a Pro Bowler in 2015 and had a career-high four interceptions in nine games in 2019. The Bears’ plan to clear $11 million in cap space by cutting Fuller, a 2018 All-Pro selection, came to light Thursday, opening an immediate need for a starter opposite Jaylon Johnson.
March 18
Wide receiver Allen Robinson has signed his franchise-tag tender with the Bears.
What it means: Nine days after the Bears placed the franchise tag on Robinson, he agreed to the tag that will pay him $18 million in 2021.
Robinson previously spoke publicly about being against the tag, wanting a more lucrative, long-term deal either with the Bears or on the free-agent market. The about-face comes after free-agent wide receiver Kenny Golladay visited the Bears on Wednesday night, according to ESPN. Robinson and the Bears still might work out an extension to keep the team’s best offensive player around beyond this season. Robinson, who will be 28 in August, had a career-high 102 catches for 1,250 yards and six touchdowns in his third season with the Bears and seventh in the league.
The Bears are planning to release cornerback Kyle Fuller to save money against the salary cap.
What it means: Cutting Fuller, a veteran of six NFL seasons and a first-team All-Pro selection in 2018, will create a big hole on defense for the Bears.
The 2014 first-round draft pick had 19 interceptions and 82 passes defended over 94 starts for the Bears. The two-time Pro Bowler also was a respected worker and example for rookie cornerback Jaylon Johnson last season. Fuller, 29, had seven interceptions and 21 passes defended in his best season in 2018, but he had a career-low one pick and eight passes defended in 2020. The move is expected to save $11 million against the cap, Brad Biggs reported.
The Bears were pleased with the play of Johnson, a 2020 second-round pick, but Fuller’s departure leaves another hole to fill in the secondary. They also must replace safety Tashaun Gipson, who is a free agent, and nickel cornerback Buster Skrine, whom they released.
Defensive lineman Brent Urban is joining the Dallas Cowboys on a one-year deal, his wife, Kate Urban, reported.
What it means: Urban, who will be 30 in May, was a solid rotational player for the Bears in 2020. He had 2½ sacks, four quarterback hits, 36 tackles, two tackles for a loss and a pass defended over 16 games in his seventh year in the NFL. He joined the Bears in October 2019 after five seasons with the Baltimore Ravens and four games with the Tennessee Titans.
The Bears are adding defensive lineman Angelo Blackson on a two-year deal, NFL Network reported.
What it means: Blackson, 28, is a six-year veteran who started 15 games in 2019 for the Houston Texans and nine games in 2020 with the Arizona Cardinals. The 6-foot-4, 319-pound lineman matched his career high with 2½ sacks last season and had eight quarterback hits, 24 tackles and four tackles for a loss. His addition comes as there are questions about whether the Bears might cut defensive lineman Akiem Hicks to comply with the salary cap. The Bears already re-signed Mario Edwards Jr. and have Eddie Goldman and Bilal Nichols expected back in 2021 on the defensive line.
Mitch Trubisky has signed with the Buffalo Bills.
What it means: For those who were wondering where Trubisky would land after his four-year run in Chicago with the Bears officially ended Wednesday, we have our answer. In a move first reported by ESPN, Trubisky has agreed to join the Buffalo Bills as a back-up to Josh Allen.
According to ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques, Bills general manager Brandon Beane isn’t making plans for Trubisky to finish his career in Buffalo. “This is a reset for him,” Beane told Louis-Jacques. “We don’t expect him to be here long term.”
March 17
Former Bears offensive lineman Kyle Long will come out of retirement to sign a 1-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs, according to multiple reports.
What it means: Long’s deal is worth up to $5 million, ESPN reported. Through his brother, Chris, Long announced last week he was returning to the NFL after one season away. Long, 32, hasn’t played since Oct. 6, 2019, when the Bears played the Oakland Raiders in London. The Bears put him on injured reserve the following week, and he left the team facility and didn’t play for them again. He later announced he was stepping away to let his body heal and spent 2020 as an analyst on CBS Sports Network’s “That Other Pregame Show.”
Long, a 2013 first-round pick of the Bears out of Oregon, started 76 games over seven seasons. He made the Pro Bowl in his first three seasons but battled multiple injuries the rest of his career. He didn’t play in more than 10 games in a season from 2016 on.
The Bears are bringing back safety Deon Bush on a 1-year deal, the team announced.
What it means: Bush returns for his sixth season with the team. The 2016 fourth-round pick has been a valuable backup and special teamer over 65 games. He had five tackles, two passes defended and an interception in 2020, when he missed five games because of hamstring and foot injuries and a COVID-19 close contact. He played in 43% of the Bears special teams snaps and 6% of their defensive snaps in 2020, according to Pro Football Reference. Bush was one of several safeties that were set to be free agents this offseason, including starter Tashaun Gipson.
March 16
Offensive lineman Germain Ifedi is returning to the Bears on a one-year deal, according to NFL Network.
What it means: Ifedi joined the Bears on a one-year deal last spring and made 10 starts at right guard before moving out to right tackle for the final six regular-season games and the playoff loss after Bobby Massie was injured. Ifedi was solid but not spectacular in the latter role as the Bears found a combination up front that allowed the offense to steady itself. With Ifedi at right tackle, Charles Leno at left tackle and Cody Whitehair, Sam Mustipher and Alex Bars on the interior, Matt Nagy gained confidence in the offensive line. “At the end of the year, things got really calm,” Nagy said earlier this month. All five of those linemen are now under contract with the Bears for 2021, and James Daniels is expected to return to a starting role at right guard after suffering a season-ending pectoral injury last fall. The Bears, who cut ties with Massie last week, will look to add talent and depth to the offensive line in free agency and the draft.
The Bears are signing quarterback Andy Dalton to a one-year, $10 million contract.
What it means: Dalton, 33, joins Nick Foles in the Bears quarterback room with what would appear to be the inside track to start — for now. The move doesn’t necessarily stop the Bears from pursuing another quarterback via trade or the draft, but it does mark the end of the Mitch Trubisky era in Chicago.
Dalton was the Cincinnati Bengals starter for nine seasons before being released last offseason to clear the way for top draft pick Joe Burrow. Dalton started nine games for the Dallas Cowboys when Dak Prescott was injured, throwing for 2,170 yards, 14 touchdowns, eight interceptions and an 87.3 passer rating. Dalton, who played in four playoff games in his career, all losses, previously worked with Bears offensive coordinator Bill Lazor.
March 15
Defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris is signing a three-year deal with the Jaguars, NFL Network reported.
What it means: The deal is reportedly worth $24.4 million, including $14 million in guarantees. Robertson-Harris, who will be 28 in July, is a former undrafted free agent who had 7½ sacks, 30 quarterback hits, 75 tackles, nine tackles for a loss and six passes defended in 52 games with the Bears. He played in only eight games in 2020 with no sacks and five quarterback hits before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury against the New Orleans Saints in November.
March 14
The Bears have signed defensive lineman Mario Edwards Jr. to a three-year deal, NFL Network reported.
What it means: Edwards will return on a three-year contract worth $11.55 million, with $4.5 million coming in the first year.
The six-year NFL veteran had four sacks, 17 tackles, six tackles for a loss and seven quarterback hits in his first season in Chicago.
In January, the NFL announced Edwards, 27, would be suspended for the first two games of the 2021 regular season for violating the league policy on performance-enhancing substances. He still can participate in preseason practices and games. In the fall, Edwards also was charged with misdemeanor assault on a female after an incident at a Charlotte, N.C., hotel the night before the Bears played the Carolina Panthers, but Edwards denied the charge through his agent.
The Bears also have defensive linemen Akiem Hicks, Eddie Goldman and Bilal Nichols set to return in 2021.
March 12
Punter Pat O’Donnell will return for 2021 on a one-year deal.
What it means: O’Donnell will return for his eighth season in Chicago, agreeing to a one-year extension Friday, a deal first reported by Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network.
Drafted in the sixth round in 2014, O’Donnell has remained consistent in his role. Last season he averaged a career-best 45.7 yards-per-punt average with a 39.5 yards per punt net average. He downed 28 punts inside the 20-yard line, tied for third in the NFL. O’Donnell, who was set to become an unrestricted free agent, is also the holder for kicker Cairo Santos. O’Donnell’s signing comes a day after the Bears locked up Santos to a long-term deal.
March 11
The Bears rewarded kicker Cairo Santos with a five-year, $16 million extension.
What it means: Santos was a deserving recipient of a lucrative new deal after a stellar 2020 season. He connected on 30 of his 32 field-goal attempts and 36 of his 37 extra-point tries during the regular season. He added a 36-yard field goal in the Bears’ playoff loss to the New Orleans Saints. Santos pulled a 50-yard field-goal attempt against the Giants in Week 2 and missed from 35 yards indoors against the Atlanta Falcons the following week. But he followed by making his final 28 field-goal attempts of the season, including the playoffs. That streak set a franchise record for consecutive field goals made. Santos was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week after hitting a game-winning kick to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in October. He also received Special Teams Player of the Month honors in December.
Santos’ new contract essentially sets up as a three-year, $9 million deal with the final two years voidable. The Bears were wise to solidify their kicking position with a dependable contributor who helped steady things after the franchise endured five seasons of headaches with their kickers. The Bears still don’t have a starting quarterback locked in for 2021 and must try to work out a long-term extension with top receiver Allen Robinson after placing the franchise tag on him. And Santos’ deal takes away some financial resources from those efforts. Still, it registers as a shrewd move by general manager Ryan Pace to keep Santos around.
March 9
The Bears have elected to apply the franchise tag to receiver Allen Robinson.
What it means: As has been expected, the Bears officially stamped the tag on Robinson, a move that guarantees he will make at least $18 million in 2021. That figure, per the collective bargaining agreement, is calculated at 120% of Robinson’s 2020 salary cap number, which puts him at a higher pay rate than Chris Godwin of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who is coming out of his rookie contract and was placed under a franchise tag figured to slot in around $16.5 million for receivers when the official numbers are released.
Including the playoffs, Robinson has recorded 281 catches, 3,349 yards and 18 touchdowns, during his first three seasons with the Bears. The coaching staff and front office has long lauded Robinson’s consistency, leadership and professionalism. Now general manager Ryan Pace also gets a bridge into mid-July to continue discussions about a possible long-term extension with Robinson and his camp. Last week, Pace indicated that his desire to keep Robinson around for the long run remained high.
“We want to keep our good players,” Pace said. “And Allen remains a good player for us.”
Coach Matt Nagy, meanwhile, emphasized how much he has valued having Robinson in his offense since 2018. “You always want to be able to have a guy like Allen who can play the way he plays at big-time (moments) in the season,” Nagy said last week. “And then you say, OK, what does he do as a person as well? And how is he in practice and in the meetings? We love how he is that way. ... It’s really been a fun three years. So we’re looking forward to more.”
March 8
The Bears will not be exercising the 2021 option in Bobby Massie’s contract.
What it means: Massie signed with the Bears in 2016 and made 64 regular-season starts over five seasons. But his time in Chicago has drawn to a close with the team looking to clear salary cap space for the new league year.
By letting Massie go, the Bears will gain $5.4 million in cap room for 2021. They will now also have to figure out a way to address their right tackle position.
Germain Ifedi moved to right tackle from guard in Week 12 last season and started the team’s final seven games there. Alex Bars could also compete for the right tackle position, according to coach Matt Nagy. Nagy felt encouraged with the way the offensive line solidified in the final month-and-a-half of last season. The Bears were impressed with the way Sam Mustipher took ownership of the center position and felt Cody Whitehair found his groove at left guard. When James Daniels returns to the field from the season-ending pectoral injury he suffered last season, he figures to start at right guard.
The Bears still will look to free agency and the draft to add talent and depth to the line, particularly at the two tackle positions. But Massie’s exit doesn’t seem to open up a massive void.
March 3
The Bears announced they re-signed five of their exclusive-rights free agents, agreeing to new deals with offensive lineman Alex Bars, running back Ryan Nall, inside linebacker Josh Woods, edge rusher James Vaughters and tight end J.P. Holtz.
What it means: Consider these depth moves by general manager Ryan Pace, who has the task of solidifying his roster under a tightening 2021 salary cap.
Bars worked his way into a starting role last season on the offensive line, making nine starts, including the playoff loss to the New Orleans Saints. Bars’ versatility allowed him to make emergency starts at center and right tackle. But he ultimately carved out his niche at right guard and should be in the mix to hold onto that role into 2021. Nall, Woods, Vaughters and Holtz have seen the bulk of their playing time with the Bears on special teams.
March 1
The Bears are releasing veteran nickel cornerback Buster Skrine, general manager Ryan Pace confirmed.
What it means: Skrine, a 10-year NFL veteran, played in 28 games for the Bears over two seasons. He had three passes defended, 66 tackles —including one for a loss — and a forced fumble in 12 games in 2020. But his season was cut short after he suffered the sixth known concussion of his career Dec. 6.
He had one season remaining on his three-year, $16.5 million deal, and the Bears can save $2.7 million in salary-cap space, according to OverTheCap.com, or $5 million if he’s a post-June 1 cut.
The Bears have 2019 sixth-round pick Duke Shelley and 2020 fifth-round pick Kindle Vildor on their roster as possible replacements.
