Julius Peppers May Be a Done Deal In Chicago
Published by Randy Lutz on March 5, 2010
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
Contrary to reports made just prior to the deadline, it looks like the Chicago Bears remain the front runner to sign Pro Bowl DE Julius Peppers as the free agency period begins tonight at midnight.
According to reports, Chicago Head Coach Lovie Smith touched down in Carolina just after midnight to meet with Julius Peppers and his agent. He is reportedly flying back to Chicago with both Peppers and his agent tomorrow where it’s believed a deal will be signed.
The Bears are also making news on other fronts, with blocking tight end Brandon Manumaleuna headed to Chicago to discuss a potential deal on Friday.
On top of both Peppers and Manumaleuna, the Bears may announce a third signing by the end of the day tomorrow as well, with RB Chester Taylor visiting the facilities.
The talk is that the Taylor deal starts at $8 million guaranteed, and that there are other teams besides Chicago in the running. In fact it’s believed that Detroit is doing everything in their power to prevent a Taylor visit to Chicago tomorrow.
If Manumaleuna signs with the Bears tomorrow this will likely spell the end of Olsen. His value is already very low in the eyes of the new Bears’ offensive coaching staff.
They value blocking tight ends a lot more than receiving, and since Manumaleuna is one of the premier blocking ends in the league, I can’t imagine Olsen would be more valuable on their roster than he is as trade bait.
In other news as the free agency period is upon us, Karlos Dansby announced on ESPN tonight that he was headed to Miami to meet with the Dolphins. It was originally speculated that the Giants would have a big interest in Dansby.
I’ve also heard that Detroit Head Coach Jim Schwartz is meeting with FA Kyle Vandenbosch right now and looking to sign a deal that brings him to Detroit to pair him with newly acquired DT Chris Williams.
San Diego has also announced that they will release veteran DT Jamaal Williams, who played with the team for 12 seasons. In addition, after announcing that they did not plan to tender RB Darren Sproles, the Chargers announced a complete 180 degree turn, putting the highest possible tender on Sproles with a first and a third round designation, which guarantees Sproles will make $7,283,000 next season.
Read more Chicago Bears news on BleacherReport.com
