Roster additions don’t often happen this time of year unless they’re responding to an injury. For the Chicago Bears, they received a unique international player exemption from the NFL for punter Tory Taylor, who is from Australia. That means he doesn’t count against the 90-man roster for the rest of training camp. GM Ryan Poles seemed intent on taking advantage of it, utilizing the open spot to acquire more help on offense. Only it came in the area a lot of people wouldn’t have expected.
The team announced on Sunday that it’d signed running back Demetric Felton, a former 6th round pick for the Cleveland Browns. Felton drew comparisons to Theo Riddick coming out of UCLA. He is an undersized back with great pass-catching skills who is plenty versatile on special teams as a gunner and return man. Many feel he never got a fair shot in Cleveland because of their stacked running back room led by Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, and Jerome Ford.
Perhaps Chicago might offer him new opportunities.
Felton made three special teams tackles as a rookie in 2021. He had 604 total return yards as well. So far in his career, he’s caught 20 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns. Word is Travis Homer and Ian Wheeler were both banged up during recent practices. That would explain the Bears’ interest in Felton. The timing is perfect because the Hall of Fame game arrives on August 1st. He will give them another body to help avoid giving unnecessary snaps to key players like Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson.
How this unfolds depends on Felton. Right now, Homer is the presumptive favorite to hold the last running back spots due to his special teams value. If Felton can show the Chicago Bears he provides a similar ability while also showcasing his potential on offense, it could create an interesting roster adjustment. Shane Waldron likes backs who can be threats in the passing game. Felton is certainly that. Can he block? This is what the Bears are going to find out in the coming weeks.
