The Facts: The Bears released Royal on Thursday.
Diehards Line:Royal, 30, was due $5 million this season but there is no dead cap money to deal with. The veteran must be replaced as a punt returner, but he did little on offense in two years -- primarily due to injuries. He caught 70 passes for 607 yards and three touchdowns in 18 games during his time in Chicago. Royal’s departure leaves the Bears with Cameron Meredith, Kevin White, Markus Wheaton and Kendall Wright as the prospective top wideouts for this season. In addition, free-agent Victor Cruz, who is set to visit the Jaguars in two weeks and is said to share mutual interest with the Ravens, will visit Chicago Monday, according to NFL Network's Kimberly Jones.