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- Mar 16, 2019
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The Bears added 10 players from other NFL teams during a busy offseason. Here's an in-depth look at the newcomers:
Nick Foles
Position: Quarterback
Height, weight: 6-6, 243
Age: 31
Acquired: Via trade from the Jaguars in exchange for a supplemental fourth-round draft pick (No. 140 overall).
NFL career
Foles has appeared in 58 NFL games and compiled a 26-22 record in 48 starts over eight seasons with the Eagles (2012-14, 2017-18), Rams (2015), Chiefs (2016) and Jaguars (2019). He has completed 61.8 percent of his passes for 11,901 yards with 71 touchdowns, 35 interceptions and an 88.2 passer rating.
Foles was selected by the Eagles in the third round of the 2012 draft out of Arizona. In 2013, he appeared in 13 games with 10 starts and was voted to the Pro Bowl after passing for a career-high 2,891 yards with 27 touchdowns, two interceptions and a league-leading 119.2 passer rating. Foles also topped NFL passers in yards per attempt (9.1) and touchdown percentage (8.5) in leading the Eagles to the NFC East championship with a 10-6 record.
After one-year stints with the Rams and Chiefs, Foles returned to the Eagles in 2017. When starter Carson Wentz sustained a season-ending knee injury in Week 14, Foles stepped in and helped lead Philadelphia to the first Super Bowl championship in franchise history.
In three playoff wins, Foles threw for 971 yards and six touchdowns with a 115.7 rating. He earned MVP honors in Super Bowl LII after leading the Eagles to a 41-33 victory over the Patriots by passing for 373 yards and three TDs with a 106.1 rating and catching a 1-yard touchdown pass from former Bears tight end Trey Burton on a trick play dubbed the "Philly Special."
Last March Foles signed a lucrative four-year contract with the Jaguars. But he broke his left clavicle in the first game of the season and underwent surgery. He returned to action in early November and ended up making four starts, completing 65.8 percent of his passes for 736 yards with three TDs, two interceptions and an 84.6 passer rating.
With the Bears
Foles will compete with Mitchell Trubisky for the starting quarterback position. While new to the Bears, Foles is already familiar with coach Matt Nagy and two of his assistants. Nagy worked with Foles as an offensive quality coach with the Eagles in 2012 and Chiefs offensive coordinator in 2016. New Bears offensive coordinator Bill Lazor was Eagles quarterbacks coach in 2013 when Foles passed for 27 touchdowns and two interceptions, while new Bears quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo worked with Foles as Eagles quarterbacks coach in 2017 when Philadelphia won the Super Bowl and as Jaguars offensive coordinator last season.
Ted Ginn Jr.
Position: Receiver
Height, weight: 5-11, 180
Age: 35
Acquired: Signed one-year contract as free agent.
NFL career
Ginn has appeared in 187 NFL games with 83 starts over 13 seasons with the Dolphins (2007-09), 49ers (2010-12), Panthers (2013 and 2015-16), Cardinals (2014) and Saints (2017-19). He was selected by Miami with the ninth pick in the first round of the 2007 draft out of Ohio State.
Ginn has caught 409 passes for 5,702 yards and 33 touchdowns. He has also averaged 10.1 yards on 257 punt returns with four touchdowns and 22.5 yards on 307 kickoff returns with three TDs. He is one of only 10 players in NFL history to return two kickoffs for touchdowns in a game.
Last season with New Orleans, Ginn caught 30 passes for 421 yards and two touchdowns while playing in all 16 games with nine starts. In Week 1 on Monday Night Football, he had seven receptions for 101 yards in a 30-28 win over the Texans.
Ginn has reached the playoffs in nine of 13 NFL seasons, including three straight years and eight of the last nine. In 15 career postseason games, he has caught 36 passes for 589 yards and one touchdown. He has also averaged 10.9 yards on 13 punt returns and 23.7 yards on seven kickoff returns.
With the Bears
Ginn will bring speed, experience and leadership to the Bears' receiving room. Said receivers coach Mike Furrey: "You're talking about an instant veteran leader that's a complete team player that is here to win a Super Bowl that will be vocal enough to be able to call some of these guys out so that I won't have to do it."
Jimmy Graham
Position: Tight end
Height, weight: 6-7, 265
Age: 33
Acquired: Signed two-year contract as free agent.
NFL career
Graham has appeared in 153 NFL games with 111 starts over 10 seasons with the Saints (2010-14), Seahawks (2015-17) and Packers (2018-19), catching 649 passes for 7,883 yards and 74 touchdowns.
Since Graham entered the league, his games played and receiving yards are the most among NFL tight ends, while his receptions and touchdown catches both rank second. He's fourth in NFL history among tight ends in TD catches and is third in touchdown receptions among all players since he entered the league.
Graham has been selected to five Pro Bowls, most recently in 2017. He's the all-time leading receiver for both the Saints and Seahawks among tight ends in receptions, yards and touchdowns.
A native of Goldsboro, N.C., Graham was selected by the Saints in the third round of the 2010 draft. At the time, Bears general manager Ryan Pace served as New Orleans' director of pro scouting.
Graham blossomed into a star in his second NFL season with the Saints in 2011, earning his first trip to the Pro Bowl after catching 99 passes for 1,310 yards and 11 touchdowns. In four seasons from 2011-14, he averaged 89 receptions, 1,099 yards and 11.5 TDs per year.
With the Bears
Graham's addition is part of the Bears' plan to revamp a tight end position that struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness last season. With Graham lining up at the "U" tight end position, the team is hoping that he and top draft pick Cole Kmet, a "Y" tight end, will complement each other and provide two dangerous options in the passing game that didn't exist last season.
Germain Ifedi
Position: Offensive line
Height, weight: 6-5, 325
Age: 26
Acquired: Signed one-year contract as free agent.
NFL career
Ifedi was selected by the Seahawks with the 31st pick in the first round of the 2016 draft out of Texas A&M. He started all 60 games he appeared in over the past four seasons, helping the Seahawks earn three playoff berths.
Ifedi started 13 games at right guard as a rookie in 2016 before moving to right tackle in 2017. Over the past three seasons he has started 46 games at right tackle and one at right guard. The one at right guard came in the 2018 season finale when he replaced the injured D.J. Fluker.
With the Bears
Ifedi will compete for the Bears' starting right guard position. New offensive line coach Juan Castillo likes Ifedi's size, toughness, desire and work ethic. Said Castillo: "I am excited about him. He comes from a winning program. He knows how to work. But really there are some things he knew he needed to work on. We're going to work on teaching him to stay square. And the important thing is that Germain has taken it upon himself to work his [butt] off, to learn how to stay square in pass protection. And I'm excited for everyone to be able to see that, and I think he's excited for that because I think that's something that he knew he needed to work on and he's been working his [butt] off on it."
Jason Spriggs
Position: Offensive line
Height, weight: 6-6, 301
Age: 26
Acquired: Signed one-year contract as free agent.
NFL career
Spriggs appeared in 36 games with nine starts over three seasons with the Packers from 2016-18 before sitting out the 2019 campaign with an injury.
Selected by Green Bay in the second round of the 2016 draft from Indiana, Spriggs played in all 16 games as a rookie with two starts, both at right guard. He also saw time at both tackle positions.
After spending the first half of the 2017 season on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, Spriggs was activated and appeared in seven games. He started five straight contests at right tackle before injuring his knee in a Week 16 loss to the Vikings.
In 2018, Spriggs played in 13 games with two starts at right tackle. Last year he was waived/injured in August and then placed on injured reserve.
With the Bears
Spriggs will add depth and competition to the Bears offensive line and could emerge as a valuable backup given his ability to play guard and both tackle positions.
Robert Quinn
Position: Outside linebacker
Height, weight: 6-4, 260
Age: 30
Acquired: Signed five-year contract as free agent.
NFL career
Quinn has appeared in 125 NFL games with 106 starts over nine seasons with the Rams (2011-17), Dolphins (2018) and Cowboys (2019). He has recorded 290 tackles, 80.5 sacks, 90 tackles-for-loss, 25 forced fumbles, 20 pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and one touchdown.
Quinn was chosen by the Rams with the 14th pick in the first round of the 2011 draft out of North Carolina. He emerged as a star in his second season in 2012, compiling 10.5 sacks and 11 tackles-for-loss.
Quinn continued to ascend in 2013, establishing career highs with 19.0 sacks, a league-leading 23 tackles-for-loss, 34 quarterback hits, seven forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries—one of which he returned 31 yards for a touchdown in a 42-21 win over the Bears in St. Louis. His performance earned him first-team All-Pro honors and his first trip to the Pro Bowl.
Quinn returned to the Pro Bowl in 2014 when he registered 10.5 sacks, 13 tackles-for-loss and a league-leading five forced fumbles. In 48 games over three seasons with the Rams from 2012-14, Quinn amassed 40.0 sacks, 47 tackles-for-loss, 71 quarterback hits and 13 forced fumbles.
After being hampered by injuries in 2015-16, Quinn returned to play a full season in 2017. He was then traded by the Rams to the Dolphins on March 14, 2018 in exchange for a fourth-round pick and a swap of sixth-round choices. In his only season in Miami, Quinn started all 16 games and recorded 6.5 sacks.
Traded to the Cowboys on March 28, 2019 for a sixth-round pick, Quinn had a resurgent season in Dallas while starting all 14 games he played. His team-leading 11.5 sacks and 22 quarterback hits were his most since 2013 and his 13 tackles-for-loss were his most since 2014.
With the Bears
The Bears are hoping that Quinn and standout edge rusher Khalil Mack form a dynamic tandem at outside linebacker on a strong defense that features Pro Bowlers at all three levels in tackle Akiem Hicks, Mack, cornerback Kyle Fuller and safety Eddie Jackson.
Barkevious Mingo
Position: Outside linebacker
Height, weight: 6-5, 235
Age: 29
Acquired: Signed one-year contract as free agent.
NFL career
Mingo was selected by the Browns with the sixth pick in the 2013 draft out of LSU. He has appeared in 110 games with 38 starts the past seven seasons with the Browns (2013-15), Patriots (2016), Colts (2017), Seahawks (2018) and Texans (2019).
Mingo has recorded 220 tackles, 10 sacks, 24 tackles-for-loss, 33 quarterback hits, 14 pass breakups, five forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries and one interception.
He started a career-high 14 games with the Seahawks in 2018. But he played predominantly on special teams with the Texans in 2019 after being acquired in the trade that sent three-time Pro Bowl defensive end Jadeveon Clowney to Seattle.
Appearing in all 16 games with one start last season for Houston, Mingo played 73 snaps on defense and 318 on special teams. In a playoff loss to the Chiefs, he blocked a punt that was returned for a touchdown.
Mingo played for the Browns from 2013-15 when Bears special-teams coordinator Chris Tabor served in the same capacity with Cleveland, and the veteran linebacker was with the Colts in 2017 when Bears defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano was Indianapolis' head coach.
With the Bears
Mingo is expected to serve as a valuable reserve on defense and a core special-teams player. Said Tabor: "Ming is a guy who I'm very familiar with. He was a four-phase, really good special-teams player for us [in Cleveland]. He's a guy who can play a lot of different roles for us. I'm excited that he's here because he's going to fit great in the room and into our culture."
Artie Burns
Position: Cornerback
Height, weight: 6-0, 197
Age: 25
Acquired: Signed one-year contract as free agent.
NFL career
Burns was selected by the Steelers with the 25th pick in the first round of the 2016 draft out of Miami. He has appeared in 58 games with 32 starts over the past four seasons with Pittsburgh, recording 149 tackles, four interceptions and 27 pass breakups.
Burns was anointed the Steelers' primary nickel back seven weeks into his rookie season in 2016 and then started the final seven games at cornerback. Appearing in all 16 contests with nine starts, he registered 65 tackles, three interceptions and 13 pass breakups.
Burns started all 16 games in 2017 for the only time in his career and compiled 54 tackles, one interception and 13 pass breakups. Over the past two seasons, he has appeared in 26 games with seven starts.
With the Bears
Burns, who teamed with Bears safety Deon Bush at Miami and has worked out with him this offseason, will add depth and competition to the secondary and special-teams units.
Tashaun Gipson Sr.
Position: Safety
Height, weight: 6-1, 212
Age: 29
Acquired: Signed one-year contract as free agent.
NFL career
Gipson has appeared in 112 NFL games with 104 starts over eight seasons with the Browns (2012-15), Jaguars (2016-18) and Texans (2019). He has recorded 446 tackles, 23 interceptions—three of which he returned for touchdowns—47 pass breakups and 13 tackles-for-loss.
Gipson entered the NFL with the Browns in 2012 as an undrafted free agent from Wyoming. He was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2014 after registering a career-high six interceptions.
Last season Gipson started all 14 games he played with the Texans, compiling 51 tackles, three interceptions—one he returned 79 yards for a TD—eight pass breakups and two tackles-for-loss.
He was placed on injured reserve before Houston's wild-card playoff game against the Chiefs after aggravating a back injury and sustaining a broken wrist in the regular-season finale.
With the Bears
Gipson is among the leading candidates to replace departed veteran Ha Ha Clinton-Dix at a starting safety position opposite Jackson. Gipson is expected to compete for the job in training camp with Bush, among others.
Jordan Lucas
Position: Safety
Height, weight: 6-1, 190
Age: 26
Acquired: Signed one-year contract as free agent.
NFL career
Lucas was chosen by the Dolphins in the sixth round of the 2016 draft out of Penn State. He has appeared in 49 games with four starts over the past four seasons with the Dolphins (2016-17) and Chiefs (2018-19), registering 47 tackles, one interception and three pass breakups.
Since entering the NFL, Lucas has played predominantly on special teams. Last season he appeared in 14 games, all as a reserve, with the Super Bowl-champion Chiefs.
With the Bears
Lucas is expected provide depth in the secondary and bolster a special-teams unit that runs similar schemes to the ones he played for in Kansas City under former Bears coordinator Dave Toub.