Manny Ramirez inks one-year deal with the Chicago Bears

Just hours after the Detroit Lions announced the signing of offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz, their rivals over in Chicago fired back with a signing of their own. According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Bears have signed former Lions lineman Manny Ramirez to a one-year deal.

Ramirez only spent on season in Detroit, acting as a utility backup at nearly every interior position. He received playing time at both guard positions and even played a little center at the end of the year. Many believe his play warranted more time on the field, but head coach Jim Caldwell opted to keep rookies Laken Tomlinson and Larry Warford at the guard positions for the majority of the season.

The Bears will likely use Ramirez as depth along the offensive line. He may also help groom the Bears' young center Hroniss Grasu into a bona fide starter. In short, Ramirez enters a situation in Chicago very much like the one he faced in Detroit a year ago.

The Lions have basically already replaced Ramirez with Wednesday's signing of Schwartz. However, Detroit may still be looking to upgrade their center position, as Travis Swanson has disappointed so far in his short career.