Bears Keep Adding Weapons

Former Packers tight end Robert Tonyan and former Panthers running back D'Onta Foreman have signed with the Bears.

Free agency didn't end for Ryan Poles after the first few days.

He kept right on signing people and filling needs. One of those players probably won't sit well with the Green Bay Packers.

The Bears have both a new tight end and a new running back. Running back D'Onta Foreman became the third offensive player from the Carolina Panthers to come to the Bears in free agency as he signed a one-year, $3 million deal.

Former Packers tight end Robert Tonyan has also signed with the Bears on a one-year deal.

Tonyan would be the smaller U-tight end to Cole Kmet's in-line or Y-tight end in the Bears offense. He is 6-5, 237 pounds while Kmet is 6-6, 260 pounds.

Tonyan, who is from northwest suburban McHenry, caught 53 passes for 470 yards last year with two touchdowns. He was coming off a torn ACL suffered in 2021 when he had 18 receptions for 204 yards and two TDs but then bounced back last year.

Robert Tonyan is signing with the Chicago Bears on a 1-year deal, per @AdamSchefter. pic.twitter.com/uUJDBIXL4I

— GBP Daily - Rob Westerman lll (@GBPdaily) March 16, 2023

It's Tonyan's sixth season and he has been over 50 receptions twice with career bests in yardage of 586 yards and touchdowns with 11 in 2020.

The Bears had Ryan Griffin in this second tight end role last year and he had four receptions.

Tonyan has 137 receptions in 176 targets (77.8%) for 1,437 yards and 17 TDs.

Robert Tonyan (#85) had a strong outing in Week 6 of the 2022 season. He grabbed 10 passes for 90 yards.

Tonyan is a great route runner for his size, making him a tough cover for LB’s.

A solid signing by the #Bears, who were in need of a second productive TE. pic.twitter.com/lyJUT29ZDK

— Josh DeLuca (@JoshDeLuca4) March 17, 2023

Foreman is a legitmate power back from the Texas Longhorns, who stands 6-1, 236 pounds and was a third-round draft pick by the Houston Texans in 2017. He is a one-cut runner who fits in well with their wide-zone blocking scheme.

Foreman finally got a chance to be a lead ball carrier last year after Christian McCaffrey was traded and had 914 yards on 203 carries for a 4.5-yard average. Prior to this, his career high had been 133 runs and 566 yards in 2021 as a replacement for injured Derrick Henry. He played two years in Tennessee and two in Houston.

The Bears now have a true committee available in the backfield with Khalil Herbert, who led all NFL backs with at least 100 carries last year in average yards per carry (5.7), as well as newly acquired third-down type back Travis Homer and they also have second-year back Trestan Ebner.

Foreman had a stretch of nine games last year after taking over for McCaffrey when he had nine games with 774 yards and five 100-yard games.

The moves add the some of the excitement for the Bears offense with DJ Moore now leading the receiver corps.

The Bears would appear to have the ability to spread out defenses and keep them from focusing on anyone in particular.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven