Bears add Rolle, Royal to roster
Just hours after introducing linebacker Pernell McPhee Wednesday afternoon as one of the expected centerpieces of a rebuilt and reconfigured defense, the Bears added two more established veterans - one on each side of the ball.
Three-time Pro Bowl safety Antrel Rolle, who spent the past five seasons with the Giants, agreed to the terms of a three-year, $11.25 million deal with $5 million guaranteed late Wednesday night.
The 32-year-old Rolle will upgrade a position that has been a trouble spot for the Bears for years. The Bears were 30th in passing yards allowed last season and 31st in average gain allowed per pass play.
Rolle went to the Pro Bowl most recently after the 2013 season, and he was in the starting lineup together with Bears safety Ryan Mundy for the first seven games that season. Rolle has missed just one start in the previous seven seasons, and the 6-foot, 206-pounder has 26 career interceptions in 10 years, including a total of 9 in the past two seasons.
Rolle is considered a physical and willing tackler more suited to strong safety. But he has played free safety in the past and is effective in coverage and an above-average ball athlete, something the Bears have been missing from their safeties for several years.
Rolle was the No. 8 overall pick in the 2005 draft by the Cardinals, out of Miami, and he played five years in Arizona before signing a $37.1 million five-year deal with the Giants.
On the other side of the ball, the Bears took a step toward filling the production gap left by the giveaway of Brandon Marshall, when they agreed to terms with veteran slot receiver Eddie Royals on a three-year deal.
Royal immediately fills the void that the Bears have for a quick slot receiver. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound Royal was the Broncos' second-round choice in 2008 and caught 91 passes for 980 yards and 5 touchdowns as a rookie with Jay Cutler as his quarterback. That was Cutler's last season with the Broncos. The next two years, Royal's position coach in Denver was new Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase.
But Royal never approached his rookie numbers in the following six years. However, his next best season was last year, when he caught 62 passes for 788 yards and 7 touchdowns in his third season with the Chargers. Passes thrown to Royal last season resulted in a passer rating of 117.3, ninth best among all receivers with at least 50 targets.
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