In his second offseason with the Chicago Bears, general manager Ryan Poles has plenty of salary-cap space to rework a roster that finished 3-14 in 2022.
With the NFL’s new league year now here, allowing free agents to begin signing with new teams, the Tribune will track all of the Bears’ arrivals and departures and provide insight into what they mean.
The free-agency negotiation window opened across the league at 11 a.m. Monday. Unrestricted free agents could finalize deals when the new league year began at 3 p.m. Wednesday.
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Thursday
The Bears are signing tight end Robert Tonyan to a one-year deal, a source confirmed.
What it means: Tonyan, who is from McHenry, joins the Bears after playing in 68 games over five seasons with the Green Bay Packers. After entering the league with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted rookie out of Indiana State in 2017, the 6-foot-5, 237-pound tight end totaled 137 catches for 1,437 yards and 17 touchdowns in Green Bay.
Tonyan’s best season was in 2020, when he had 52 catches for 586 yards and 11 touchdowns. In 17 games in 2022, he had 53 catches for 470 yards and two touchdowns.
Tonyan, 28, adds another good target for quarterback Justin Fields in a tight ends room that returns fourth-year player Cole Kmet. Tonyan has familiarity with Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy from their time together in Green Bay.
Tonyan played quarterback for much of his young life until converting to wide receiver in college.
The Bears are signing running back D’Onta Foreman to a one-year deal, ESPN reported.
What it means: Foreman, who will be 27 in April, is joining the Bears off a career season with the Carolina Panthers in which he had 203 carries for 914 yards and five touchdowns. Before that, he had 661 rushing yards and three touchdowns in 15 games over two seasons with the Tennessee Titans. He began his career as a Houston Texans third-round pick in 2017.
Foreman’s deal reportedly is for one year and $3 million.
The Bears bring in Foreman after their former top running back, David Montgomery, signed a three-year deal with the Detroit Lions.
Foreman joins a running backs room that includes third-year player Khalil Herbert, who had 129 carries for 731 yards and four touchdowns last season. The Bears this week also signed running back/special teamer Travis Homer.
The Bears …read more
Source:: The Denver Post – Sports
