Bears add two 6th-round picks
The Bears received two compensatory draft selections — both in the sixth round — on Wednesday.
They added the picks — No. 221 and No. 228 overall — as a result of an NFL formula that rewards teams who lose more free agents than they gain. The two picks bring the Bears’ pick total up to eight when the draft starts April 29 in Cleveland.
For the first time in three years, they’ll draft in the first round — they have pick No. 20. They have one selection in each of Rounds 2, 3 and 5, plus three in Round 6 and one in Round 7.
Their compensatory picks came because, while the Bears added big-money edge rusher Robert
Quinn via free agency a year ago, they lost inside linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski, safety Ha Ha ClintonDix, quarterback Chase Daniel, defensive tackle Nick Williams and inside linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis.
♦ The Texans have hired former Bears and Illinois coach Lovie Smith as defensive coordinator. Smith, who was fired by the Illini in December, also will hold the title of associate head coach.
♦ The Vikings terminated the contract of left tackle Riley Reiff with one year left on it, saving them $11.75 million.
♦ The Saints reportedly will release receiver Emmanuel Sanders and linebacker Kwon Alexander to save nearly $20 million.
♦ The NFL’s salary cap will be $182.5 million per team in the upcoming season, a drop of 8% from 2020. The league’s loss of revenues due to the coronavirus pandemic caused the first decrease in the cap since 2011, which followed an uncapped season.