Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Packer Plus
Bears sign Dalton; Trubisky heads to Bills
The Chicago Bears agreed to a oneyear, $10 million contract with former Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Andy Dalton, agent Jeffrey Nalley said March 16.
The three-time Pro Bowler could earn an additional $3 million in bonuses.
Dalton signed with Dallas last May to back up Dak Prescott after getting released by Cincinnati. He wound up starting nine games, officially going 4-4 to bring his career record to 74-65-2, with Prescott suffering a season-ending ankle injury in Week 5. The Cowboys finished 6-10 and missed the playoffs for the second year in a row.
Dalton has thrown for 33,764 yards, 218 touchdowns and 126 interceptions. He set several Bengals passing records over nine seasons and made the Pro Bowl in 2011, 2014 and 2016. But he never led Cincinnati past the first round of the playoffs.
Signing Dalton gives the Bears two veteran quarterbacks with Nick Foles also on the roster.
Former Bears starter Mitch Trubisky agreed to a one-year contract with the Buffalo Bills. He will serve as Josh Allen’s primary backup.
Trubisky was the No. 2 pick in the 2017 draft who has struggled through inconsistencies since leading the Bears to the playoffs in 2018. He went 29-21 with Chicago and lost the confidence of the team prior to last season.
The Bears also announced a threeyear extension through 2023 with defensive end Mario Edwards Jr.
Edwards had a career-high four sacks and seven quarterback hits after signing with Chicago prior to last season. He has 14 ⁄ sacks and 30 QB hits over six seasons with the Raiders, New York Giants, New Orleans Saints and Bears.
Golladay leaves Detroit for Giants
The New York Giants' anemic offensive is adding quite possibly the best free agent receiver on the market.
The Giants on Saturday signed former Detroit Lions star Kenny Golladay to a four-year contract worth roughly $80 million in the hopes of giving quarterback Daniel Jones a big-threat receiver.
Golloday spent three days with the Giants as the two sides got to know each other and the team's medical staff got a chance to examine the 27-year-old, who was limited to five games last season by a hip flexor problem.
Lions adding Perriman, Brockers
Wide receiver Breshad Perriman has agreed to a $3 million, one-year contract with the Detroit Lions, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus.
Perriman's father, Bret, was a standout receiver for the Lions in the 1990s.
Defensive end Charles Harris agreed to terms with Detroit, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the deal.
The Lions also released reserve quarterback Chase Daniel after announcing a swap of quarterbacks they agreed to in January, sending to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for Goff, two future first-round draft picks and a third-round pick.
Breshad Perriman joins a team that
Matthew Stafford Jared
desperately needs his help after choosing not to keep its top three receivers last season: Golladay, Marvin Jones and Danny Amendola.
Last week, the Lions signed veteran receiver Tyrell Williams after he was released by the Las Vegas Raiders.
Perriman had 30 receptions for 505 yards and three touchdowns with the New York Jets last season, his fifth in the NFL. Baltimore drafted him out of Central Florida with the No. 26 pick overall in 2015 and he has 125 catches for 2,066 yards and 14 touchdowns with the Ravens, Cleveland, Tampa Bay and the Jets.
Harris bolsters the team's depth at defensive end after playing in 54 games, starting nine, over three seasons with the Miami Dolphins and one in Atlanta. He had 18 tackles, including three sacks, in one start and 12 games as a reserve last year with the Falcons. Harris has 6 ⁄ career sacks and 79 tackles.
The Lions had one of the worst defensives statistically in NFL history last season and first-year general manager Brad Holmes has focused on improving the unit's defensive line early in free agency.
The Lions re-signed defensive end Romeo Okwara to a $39 million, three-year contract.
They also made a second trade with Holmes' former employers, the Rams, to acquire veteran defensive tackle Michael Brockers. He has 28 career sacks and has started 136 career games. Brockers had five sacks in 15 games last season, his ninth with the Rams, who drafted him out of LSU with the No. 14 pick overall in 2012.
The offense also added former Green Bay Packers running back Jamaal Williams, who agreed to a deal last week. In addition, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported the Lions were signing former Packers backup quarterback Tim Boyle, with Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reporting the deal was for one year and worth $2.5 million.
Vikings continue defense revamp
The Minnesota Vikings released defensive tackle Shamar Stephen on March 16, continuing the overhaul of a front four that fell off badly last season.
Stephen's departure would clear $3.75 million in space under the salary cap for 2021 for the Vikings, who will carry about $1.33 million in dead money for unaccounted-for bonus proration.
Stephen signed a three-year contract as a free agent in 2019 with a $4 million signing bonus. The Vikings agreed to terms on Monday with his replacement, former New York Giants starter Dalvin Tomlinson.
Drafted in the seventh round by the Vikings in 2014, Stephen spent just one season with Seattle before returning to Minnesota. He was a coaching staff favorite for his fundamentals and toughness, but he didn't make much of an impact with his expanded role the past two years.
With Stephen out and 3-technique starter Jaleel Johnson becoming an unrestricted free agent, the Vikings will have a new look in the middle in 2021. Defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo will be a restricted free agent. Star defensive end Danielle Hunter is on track to return after missing last year with a neck injury and Michael Pierce is expected to make his delayed debut in purple, but there is more work to be done.
The Vikings ranked 27th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game in 2020.