HEADLINES

Robert Turner

Bears To Cut Lynch, Mastrud, Others

August 29th, 2014 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bears have begun to pare down their roster to the required 53-man limit in advance of tomorrow’s deadline, having already elected to release veteran offensive lineman Robert Turner, as we heard earlier today. Now, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune has provided a few more names who won’t make the cut for the Bears’ regular-season roster. Here’s the list of Bears cuts so far, with any newly-reported names added to the list throughout the day:

Minor Moves: Friday

August 29th, 2014 at 11:48am CST by Zachary Links

We’ll be grouping most of today’s cuts by team or division, but we’ll keep track of the stray minor moves here..

  • The Titans released offensive lineman Jeff Adams, tweets Wyatt.
  • The Texans cut wide receiver Travis Labhart and kicker Chris Boswell, according to Mark Berman of FOX 26 (on Twitter).
  • The Bears will cut offensive lineman Robert Turner, according to Wilson (on Twitter). Chicago signed the guard/tackle just a few weeks ago.
  • The Texans released former USC safety Jawanza Starling, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter).
  • The Titans have released defensive lineman Marcus Dixon and offensive lineman Justin McCray, according to Jim Wyatt of The Tennesseean (Twitter links). Dixon recorded a sack in the preseason finale and almost had a second one, but it wasn’t enough to stay on board.
  • The Texans will release fullback Toben Opurum, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter). The 23-year-old Kansas product didn’t touch the ball in Houston’s first three preseason contests and had three carries for nine yards last night against the 49ers.
  • Earlier today, we learned that the Buccaneers have made four cuts.

Bears Sign Robert Turner

August 10th, 2014 at 3:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bears have signed offensive lineman Robert Turner, according to his agency, Schwartz and Feinsod (Twitter link). Turner spent last season with the Titans, starting six games at center.

Turner, 29, went undrafted out of New Mexico in 2007. He joined the Jets as a free agent, and spent five years in New York, working mostly as a backup and on special teams. He signed with the Rams for the 2012 season, and started all 16 games, grading out as the 20th-best center in the league per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). PFF’s advanced metrics weren’t so kind to Turner in 2013, when he ranked as the third-worst center in the NFL.

In Chicago, Turner will join a offensive line that was fifth-best at pass-protection, according to Football Outsiders. However, backup center Brian De La Puente sprained his MCL today and will miss a few weeks, while right guard Kyle Long has only recently returned to the field after battling a viral infection. Turner’s ability to handle both center and guard will come in handy for the Bears as the season progresses.