DE RAY MCDONALD

The deal: One year, $1.05 million total, zero guaranteed.

What happened: A controversial signing from the get-go, McDonald never played for the Bears. His off-the-field troubles quickly re-emerged when he was arrested in May 2015 on charges of domestic violence and child endangerment stemming from an incident with his former fiancée in Santa Clara, California. The Bears promptly released him.

What it means for ’16: The Bears’ character examinations have to be more thorough and involve much more than a coach’s recommendation. It will be interesting to see what type of character risks the Bears take this year because the embarrassment of signing McDonald was felt at the highest levels. After McDonald was released, chairman George McCaskey said his biggest takeaway was to trust his initial impressions more. He originally vetoed McDonald’s signing. The freeagent class this year includes guard Richie Incognito, who went to the Pro Bowl after a strong season with the Bills. The Bears need offensive-line help, but Incognito was the main culprit in the Dolphins’ bullying scandal in

2013.