Bears Land Peppers and Taylor

[TTN2810]

From NFL.com

Five-time Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers has agreed to a six-year, $79.8 million deal with the Chicago Bears, a league source told NFL Network's Michael Lombardi on Friday.


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The contract guarantees Peppers $40 million in the first three years. Agent Carl Carey didn't return messages from The Associated Press, and the Bears declined comment before a 6 p.m. ET news conference.

The Bears also landed running back Chester Taylor from NFC North rival Minnesota Vikings. NFL Network's Jason La Canfora reported that Taylor agreed to a four-year contract worth $12.5 million with $7 million guaranteed, according to a league source.

Taylor, who backed up All-Pro Adrian Peterson in Minnesota, will challenge Matt Forte for time in the Bears' backfield after Chicago's hallmark power running game slipped last season.

Chicago also reportedly has signed tight end Brandon Manumaleuna to a five-year contract. Manumaleuna began his career in St. Louis (2001-2005), playing for Mike Martz, who is now the Bears’ offensive coordinator.

 

[Blake]

Three awesome signs.

Manumaleuna and Taylor will be a direct help to the offense.

Manumaleuna is a great blocker and Taylor can coem in as he did in Minnesota on third downs.

And Peppers is just a he-beast.

 

[playmaker7]

Bears don't want the same thing to happen this year so I think these signings will help them significantly but they still have some work to do

 

[Gtown81]

six years?

god damn it

 

[Blake]

I would have only signed him for three.

I'm sure he got the deal he wanted though.

 

[Rice18]

I am kind of worried as a Vikings fan.

 

[jarrod2323]

unless they get some WRs, Chicago still in trouble IMO.

but surprised Taylor went to Chicago when he could've challenged for position in Washington, Oakland, San Diego, Denver, or even Houston... very surprising cuz I believe Chicago is VERY high on Forte

 

[Pugz]

Taylor will be a 3rd downs for them. They love Forte.

The 6 years sounds bad, but they can let him go after 3. Not too bad.

 

[vikesfan]

I'll miss Taylor...tear

 

[$tunna]

Dag 6 years lol

 

[bestkeptsecret13]

unless they get some WRs, Chicago still in trouble IMO.

but surprised Taylor went to Chicago when he could've challenged for position in Washington, Oakland, San Diego, Denver, or even Houston... very surprising cuz I believe Chicago is VERY high on Forte

WR is hardly the biggest problem in Chicago... Sure the guys aren't elite or anything, but there is enough decent talent there to get by. The offensive line and the secondary are easily the biggest weaknesses on this team and until those are fixed, the Bears aren't going anywhere.

Peppers however is a huge addition to the defense and gives the Bears the pass rusher they've lacked for a few years now. Hopefully he'll free up Tommie Harris and he can start to produce like he did a few years ago. This will also help the secondary, because they won't have to cover as long if he is getting to the QB.

Forte struggled last year, so adding Taylor is a good move. We got him for cheap, but I think he'll push Forte. Hopefully between the two of them we'll get something out of the running game. Although I'm not gonna expect much if the offensive line isn't upgraded before the season. Chris Williams is set at LT and Olin Kreutz and Roberto Garza will probably stick around at C and RG, so we're still missing a LG and RT. Josh Beekman played well at LG two years ago, but they're grooming him as Kreutz's replacement, so somebody else needs to be brought in.

 

[$tunna]

Dag BKS you wrote a whole lil essay about yall lol

 

[jarrod2323]

I left off the OL thing, cuz I was unfamiliar only knowing that the Orlando Pace thing failed. but, yeah I would agree OL probably the most important thing they should be addressing

 

[bestkeptsecret13]

I left off the OL thing, cuz I was unfamiliar only knowing that the Orlando Pace thing failed. but, yeah I would agree OL probably the most important thing they should be addressing

Pace was a failure and so was Frank Omiyale. Why the Bears gave him the contract they did I will never understand, because the guy just sucks. Between him and Pace, we might have had the worst left side of an offensive line in the league. He's apparently a true tackle, but played out of position at LG last year, so they're saying this year that he'll stick to one position. I guess that's their excuse for why he sucked last year.

I'm just excited to see how this off-season plays out. The Bears have never been players in free agency, so I'm not sure what to expect the rest of the way. They could either continue their spending or settle with what they've done and just say, well, we got Peppers, so <Censored> everything else. Hopefully that's not the case, because if they could two OL and a S, they'd be in a great position.

 

[Mooche]

WR is hardly the biggest problem in Chicago... Sure the guys aren't elite or anything, but there is enough decent talent there to get by. The offensive line and the secondary are easily the biggest weaknesses on this team and until those are fixed, the Bears aren't going anywhere.

Peppers however is a huge addition to the defense and gives the Bears the pass rusher they've lacked for a few years now. Hopefully he'll free up Tommie Harris and he can start to produce like he did a few years ago. This will also help the secondary, because they won't have to cover as long if he is getting to the QB.

Forte struggled last year, so adding Taylor is a good move. We got him for cheap, but I think he'll push Forte. Hopefully between the two of them we'll get something out of the running game. Although I'm not gonna expect much if the offensive line isn't upgraded before the season. Chris Williams is set at LT and Olin Kreutz and Roberto Garza will probably stick around at C and RG, so we're still missing a LG and RT. Josh Beekman played well at LG two years ago, but they're grooming him as Kreutz's replacement, so somebody else needs to be brought in.

No, there isn't enough decent talent to get by. Devin Hester is NOT an elite WR, and you are taking a chance on Aromashodu who may absolutely flop. The Bears needed to get a nice target for Cutler this off-season, they still could - but they definitely need to do it in Free Agency as they don't have their first round pick. You went out as the Bears, got the franchise as you see it, but yet don't have any targets for him? That's a recipe for disaster. Top that off with a very poor running attack last year, that's not good at all. Yes, you guys do need OL help, there is no doubt about it. The running attack is loosing steam also because of this issue obviously. I think you guys did an excellent job cutting your losses with Pace, seeing how he was just trash. Chris Williams from Vanderbilt needs to step and show that he can play tackle in the NFL this upcoming year. None the less, a few impact signings to say the least for Chicago will help them out.

 

[Blake]

They don't have a second rounder either IIRC. We have the one from the Gaines Adams deal.

 

[bestkeptsecret13]

No, there isn't enough decent talent to get by. Devin Hester is NOT an elite WR, and you are taking a chance on Aromashodu who may absolutely flop. The Bears needed to get a nice target for Cutler this off-season, they still could - but they definitely need to do it in Free Agency as they don't have their first round pick. You went out as the Bears, got the franchise as you see it, but yet don't have any targets for him? That's a recipe for disaster. Top that off with a very poor running attack last year, that's not good at all. Yes, you guys do need OL help, there is no doubt about it. The running attack is loosing steam also because of this issue obviously. I think you guys did an excellent job cutting your losses with Pace, seeing how he was just trash. Chris Williams from Vanderbilt needs to step and show that he can play tackle in the NFL this upcoming year. None the less, a few impact signings to say the least for Chicago will help them out.

Devin Hester? The guy is like the 4th or 5th best WR on the team... Aromashodu is Cutler's guy. He loved him in the pre-season and why it took the coaches so long to get him in there is beyond me. Earl Bennett is a solid possession receiver, that was basically in his rookie year last year, since he didn't play a game at all the previous year. Jonny Knox started out the season hot, but kind of fell off late. I'd still say he's better than Hester. Nobody in Chicago is calling Hester an elite receiver, most don't even want him as a receiver, so yeah... Iglesias could also step up next year. He was a 3rd round pick, like Bennett, who sat out all of his rookie year to learn the playbook, so we'll see what he does.

 

[TTN2810]

I think Taylor could start over Forte. Forte is bad, average at best.

 

[.loggie]

Forte went through a sophmore slump, he has the potential to be a Pro Bowl RB. Taylor is a nice imporvent over Bell and if Matt Forte doesn't pan out then they have him as a fallback plan. Peppers worries me to death about Stafford unless we improve our O-Line drastically.

 

[Mooche]

Devin Hester? The guy is like the 4th or 5th best WR on the team... Aromashodu is Cutler's guy. He loved him in the pre-season and why it took the coaches so long to get him in there is beyond me. Earl Bennett is a solid possession receiver, that was basically in his rookie year last year, since he didn't play a game at all the previous year. Jonny Knox started out the season hot, but kind of fell off late. I'd still say he's better than Hester. Nobody in Chicago is calling Hester an elite receiver, most don't even want him as a receiver, so yeah... Iglesias could also step up next year. He was a 3rd round pick, like Bennett, who sat out all of his rookie year to learn the playbook, so we'll see what he does.

Again, where is the proven guy in Chicago? You just named a bunch of guys with possible potential - no proven superstars. The point is, they need another target for Cutler and it's simple as that.