Connor Barth to Sign with Bears: Latest Contract Details, Comments and Reaction

Hours after releasing longtime kicker Robbie Gould, the Chicago Bears have found a replacement in Connor Barth.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the two sides agreed to a one-year deal Monday. Adam L. Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times previously identified Barth as Gould's replacement Sunday night.

The 30-year-old Barth spent the preseason with the New Orleans Saints before being part of the 53-man roster cuts. He lost a battle with Kai Forbath for the starting kicker job.

Replacing Gould with Barth seems like a lateral move. Barth boasts a career field-goal percentage of 84.8. Gould's is 85.4. Barth was 23-of-28 (82.1 percent) last season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while Gould was 33-of-39 (84.6 percent).

Gould (73.1) and Barth (73.8 percent) are also essentially equal on kicks of 40 yards or greater for their careers. Gould even hit a career-high seven kicks from 50-plus yards in 2015.

The move is a simple monetary transaction. Gould was scheduled to make $3 million in base salary for the 2016 season, a high number for league-average production. Barth's salary is yet to be announced, but it's likely half (or less) of what Gould would have made.

As a vested veteran, Gould's full salary would have been guaranteed if he were on the Week 1 roster. Cutting him saves the team money and creates a more flexible position should Barth struggle.

Gould, who said in July he has no plans to retire, shouldn't be on the free-agent market long. He's made at least 80 percent of his kicks in nine of his 11 NFL seasons and holds the Bears record for most points scored. That level of consistency will be attractive for some team that sees its kicker struggle in the first couple of weeks.

Follow Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) on Twitter.