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Bears Release Manumaleuna, Sign Spaeth

CHICAGO (CBS) The Bears created quite a stir with their tight ends Thursday, releasing one, signing a different one and shopping another.

Shortly after 670 The Score's Zach Zaidman reported the Bears were shopping Greg Olsen, they agreed to terms with former Steelers tight end Matt Spaeth.

Spaeth, who is more in the mold of a blocking tight end, didn't seem like a good fit to replace the pass-catching Olsen, so the moves didn't really seem to coincide with one another. Sure enough, the Bears announced later in the day that they had released Brandon Manumaleuna, who failed to live up to expectations after signing a five year deal last summer.

Spaeth, a fifth year tight end out of Minnesota, only has 36 receptions and five touchdowns in his career, but he is considered a reliable blocker who is more of a receiving threat than Manumaleuna ever was.

Meanwhile, multiple reports throughout the day have confirmed the Bears are interested in trading Olsen, who only has a year remaining on his rookie deal.

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