NFL free agency is set to begin on Tuesday afternoon, and we have all the bases covered when it comes to what the Chicago Bears will do as we check out this Monday batch of Bears Bites.
-Despite re-signing Jordan Palmer and having Jay Cutler locked up for seven years, the Bears still need to do the smart thing and bring back Josh McCown, writes Adam Jahns. [Chicago Sun-Times]
-For NFL GM’s and owners, the weekend marked an important milestone, as teams could begin negotiating with agents to see where they stood in terms of locking up various players. [CSN Chicago]
-The opening of the free agency window has revealed that there are a good number of teams interested in Henry Melton, should the Bears elect not to bring the defensive tackle back next season. [ESPN Chicago]
-Speaking of teams not bringing players back, the Tennessee Titans are reportedly going to be exploring trade options for running back Chris Johnson. [Shutdown Corner]
-One team that could be on the radar for Johnson would be the Arizona Cardinals, after the surprising retirement of running back Rashard Mendenhall (a University of Illinois product). [The Sports Bank]
-The Minnesota Vikings made a big move on Sunday when it was reported that the team had retained Everson Griffen with a fresh five year deal. The team also announced that they would be bringing back QB Matt Cassel. [NFL.com]
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-The Vikings are sustaining at least one loss on their defense, as Jared Allen will not be returning to the team in 2014, per reports. [CBS Sports]
-Finally, we’ll wrap up this edition with two off-field stories. The first is Tim Baffoe’s accurate takedown of Brian Urlacher, who has been routinely criticizing just about every move the Bears have made. [CBS Chicago]
-Some sad news occurred on Sunday when it was announced that William Clay Ford Sr., the owner of the Detroit Lions, had passed away over the weekend. [Chicago Tribune]
