The Chicago Bears agreed to terms on a one-year contract with tight end Michael Gaines, the team announced Monday.
Financial terms of the deal weren't disclosed.
The Detroit Lions released Gaines last month, only one year into a four-year contract. Gaines had 23 receptions for a career-high 260 yards for the Lions and he scored one touchdown while playing in every game -- all losses.
The Lions drafted tight ends Brandon Pettigrew (first round) and Dan Gronkowski (seventh round) and signed Will Heller in free agency, making Gaines expendable.
The Bears also are loaded at tight end, adding Gaines to a group that includes 2007 first-round pick Greg Olsen and 10-year NFL veteran Desmond Clark.
Gaines entered the NFL in 2004 as a seventh-round pick of the Carolina Panthers, and he spent three seasons with the team, catching 31 passes for 335 yards and two touchdowns. He played for the Buffalo Bills in 2007, then joined the Lions the next season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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