6 players the Bears were right to cut ties with this offseason
By Ryan Heckman
![Chicago Bears, Justin Fields Chicago Bears, Justin Fields](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3457,h_1944,x_0,y_133/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/60/01hxyf4zv89bk6zp4t5z.jpg)
Lucas Patrick, G/C
Like Whitehair, veteran Lucas Patrick was not playing to the level the Bears needed him to. His body didn't hold up as well anymore, either. The biggest reason Chicago couldn't afford to keep him around in a steady role is due to his lack of prowess in pass protection. Last season, Patrick was horrendous in the passing game.
He was also penalized 11 times, which came in at most in the NFL at his position. Although Patrick was a versatile player like Whitehair, he was only brought over with Luke Getsy because of his familiarity with that system. He couldn't hold it together in terms of a high level of play.
Robert Tonyan, TE
Like Patrick, the Bears brought in Robert Tonyan because of his connection with Getsy and Green Bay. They thought Tonyan would provide the offense with another solid pass-catching option at the tight end position. However, Tonyan was used sparingly and only saw 17 targets all season. He was hardly reliable, either, catching just 11 of 17 targets, which included an infamous would-be touchdown against Cleveland.
Chicago replaced Tonyan with veteran Gerald Everett, who is far more accustomed to a bigger role, even as a TE2. Everett should do much more for this offense and open things up a bit more.