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The Chicago Bears have signed former 49ers CB Nick McCloud to a contract, his agency announced.
McCloud, 26, originally signed with the Bills as an undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame in 2021. After spending training camp in Buffalo, McCloud was claimed off waivers by the Bengals. McCloud spent two months in Cincinnati before the Bengals waived him and he caught on with the Bills’ practice squad in 2021.
He re-signed to Buffalo on a futures deal in 2022 and was claimed by the Giants coming out of training camp. New York re-signed him as a restricted free agent in 2024 but waived him in November before he caught on with the 49ers practice squad.
In 2024, McCloud appeared in 15 games for the Giants and 49ers and recorded 25 total tackles, one tackle for loss and two pass deflections.
More must-reads:
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- Two-time Pro Bowler's record-breaking extension should make Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh happy
- The 'Single-season sack leaders by NFL team' quiz
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Cowboys make questionable move amid Micah Parsons stalemate
The Dallas Cowboys extended one of their stars Sunday, just not the one fans wanted them to pay. At Cowboys training camp Saturday, Dallas fans serenaded owner Jerry Jones with "Pay Micah [Parsons]" chants. The EDGE, of course, is set to play on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract this season. Jones must not have been listening. He gave tight end Jake Ferguson a new contract instead. Dallas and the 26-year-old pass-catcher agreed to a four-year, $52M contract extension, via NFL Media's Ian Rapoport. This move seems head-scratching. Parsons has won the 2021 Defensive Rookie of the Year and earned two first-team All-Pro nods since the Cowboys took him with pick No. 12 in the 2021 NFL Draft. The 26-year-old EDGE also finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Ferguson, meanwhile, is solid but not elite. In three seasons with the Cowboys, the 2022 fourth-round pick has made one Pro Bowl and has never finished with more than 761 receiving yards in a season. An extension for Parsons will devour future cap space. The Cowboys may be worried about that after giving quarterback Dak Prescott (four years, $240M) and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (four years, $136M) long-term deals in 2024. Pittsburgh Steelers EDGE T.J. Watt signed a lucrative three-year, $123M extension on July 17, making him the league's highest-paid non-QB. Parsons could command a similar contract. If cap space is Dallas' primary concern, however, why would it extend Ferguson? He's now set to be the NFL's seventh-highest-paid TE. The Cowboys waited to extend Lamb and Prescott just before the start of the 2024 season. They may be doing the same with Parsons. The star defender has said, "Ownership is always gonna make [contract negotiations] drag out." Regardless, the Cowboys should've paid Parsons before Ferguson. That's a much bigger priority for the team.
Rangers Sign Former Stanley Cup Champion to Tryout Agreement
The New York Rangers are adding to their forward depth ahead of their upcoming training camp. The Rangers are entering a new chapter of their organization under new head coach Mike Sullivan. After missing the postseason last year, the organization is trying to rebound and respond accordingly in 2025 and 2026. Former Stanley Cup champion forward Conor Sheary is the latest player to join the new-look Rangers. The veteran forward agreed to a professional tryout agreement (PTO) with the club and will look to earn an NHL deal with his performance in training camp and the preseason. Sheary is a veteran of 593 NHL games. Originally an undrafted free agent, he signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins after completing his collegiate career. Following a year with the Penguins' AHL affiliate, he forced his way onto the NHL squad after posting 36 points in his first 30 games of the 2015-2016 season at the AHL level. His debut NHL season went better than ever expected, and he was a key part of the Penguins' lineup that won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. Sheary's coach at the time, both at the AHL and NHL levels, was Mike Sullivan. Now, he'll get the chance to reunite with the coach under whom he won two championships. In addition to playing for the Penguins, Sheary has played for three other NHL franchises. The Pens dealt him to the Buffalo Sabres before the 2018-2019 campaign, but he would return to Pittsburgh the following season at the trade deadline. After his second stint with the Penguins, he joined the Washington Capitals. He played three seasons in Washington, D.C. before landing with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he spent the past two years. Over his 593 career games, he's compiled 124 goals and 143 assists for 267 points. His best NHL season came during the 2016-2017 campaign, his second in the league. He scored 23 goals and added 30 assists for 53 points in 61 regular-season games.
Ex-Lakers Big Man Ready to Cut NBA Ties With New Contract
It was the Lakers who, eight years ago, gave center Thomas Bryant his first crack at the NBA, putting him into the lineup after acquiring him in a draft trade with the Jazz. Bryant's Lakers career did not last that long--he was gone after one season--but he came back to L.A. in the summer of 2022 after a successful stint with the Wizards. That go-round with the Lakers did not go much better than the first, as Bryant averaged 12.3 points but was traded away in a massive deal at the 2023 deadline that saw the Lakers add Mo Bamba and Davon Reed. The Lakers had two cracks at Bryant but were not able to get his best from him. Bryant has since moved on to Denver, Miami and most recently, Indiana, where he has not been a big-time scorer, but has filled a role nicely in each of his stops. But, unable to drum up a new NBA contract, it looks like Bryant's next role will come overseas. That's according to a report from Telesport, which noted that the Greek team Panathinaikos is in direct contact about getting Bryant signed. From Sportando, which points out that Jonas Valanciunas agreed to, then backed out of a contract with the team: "The American center, born in 1997, played last season with the Indiana Pacers. He has appeared in 333 NBA games throughout his career. It would be a high-level addition for Panathinaikos, who, after the breakdown of negotiations with Valanciunas, are looking for a center to further raise the quality of their frontcourt."
Jayden Daniels' development takes a leap, rookie Jaylin Lane turns heads, and more things we learned about the Commanders offense before pads come on
The Washington Commanders completed their fourth practice of training camp and now it's time to ramp things up as players put on pads this week. Commanders HC Dan Quinn said that the padded period of training camp is where you can really see what players and position groups have with the ability to be more physical. It's worth noting observations from the unpadded phase of training camp and what we've learned about this team so far as they transition to the next phase. 1. Jayden Daniels continues to grow...literally The first thing we noticed when franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels reported for the offseason was that he had added some muscle after his rookie season. “Obviously be able to soften the blow as much as possible," Daniels told the media on adding weight. "That helps out because obviously those guys might get a good shot on you and they weigh a lot more than I do. So, just be able to try to build more muscle to absorb those hits.” Daniels went down after a hit to his ribs on a long run against the Carolina Panthers and I can promise you he doesn't want to feel that again after it lingered for weeks. The arm strength also looks very live in person as it did last season. Daniels ran through some drills on Sunday where he would roll out and throw on the run, and it looked so effortless. I believe he solidifies himself as a top-5 QB in the NFL. 2. Adam Peters made a strong investment in the OL The offensive line elevates the entire offense, and last season showed where they could improve in the offseason. If you thought the offense was productive last season, imagine what it will look like with Laremy Tunsil and Josh Conerly Jr. at tackle. Tunsil might be the biggest offensive lineman I've seen in person since Trent Williams, and it's obvious why he's been so dominant at left tackle. The veteran also had strong praise for rookie Conerly Jr. saying "he's going to be a dog". Coleman moving to left guard, where I believe he has a higher ceiling, drastically improves the interior of the line as well. He had experience at both tackle and guard at TCU, and the move is going smoothly. “I kind of already have a little mind tap on what my aiming points are, my landmarks, what's different," Coleman said on the move back to Guard. "In terms of mindset, when it comes to the running pass game, and now it's just really about feeling it back out, like getting my body back used to it." Veteran Andrew Wylie also has guard flexibility until Cosmi returns, which sounds like it could be much sooner than expected, or he can start at right tackle until Conerly Jr. is ready. Washington has a better starting five and depth behind it. Protect your franchise QB at all costs. 3. The running game can be revived The Commanders running game started the season strong, then fell off after injuries to Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler. The improvements to the offensive line, which I mentioned above, will already enhance the running game ability, but so will a healthy room and a rookie with promising traits. Brian Robinson Jr. spoke to the media on Sunday on how he feels this season now that he's healthy and being familiar with the offense. "Already pretty much knowing what the coaches expect from us," Robinson said on his second season in the offensive system. "Knowing the playbook already. So, as it gets installed, I'm already familiar with it so I can be extra fast with it." Rookie seventh round gem Jacory Croskey-Merritt also shows a lot of promise with his vision and sharp cuts and Quinn said the coaching staff will really get to see what he has once the pads come on. 4. The receiving room got a boost this offseason Obviously the Commanders are still waiting on McLaurin to practice with the team, but in the meantime, we got a good look at who else can step up on offense. Daniels and new wide receiver Deebo Samuel didn't take long to build a connection, and Samuel looks well prepared to revive his career in Washington. The very first pass of training camp from Daniels went for a touchdown to Samuel on a slot fade that Tyler Owens covered well. The youth looks promising as well as rookie Jaylin Lane has already made the best catch of training camp and I don't see it being beaten. He Mossed both Mike Sainristil and Quan Martin in the corner of the endzone on a dart from Daniels. The fight for the last few spots will likely come down to veterans KJ Osborn, Michael Gallup, Chris Moore, and undrafted rookie Ja'Corey Brooks. All four have had impressive moments at camp, but now it's time to step up in padded practices. The Commanders have been hard at work for the first four practices of training camp and we got to see a glimpse of the team's potential. Now it's time to ramp the physicality and intensity of practice with the pads on and see who rises to the occasion.
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