For all the attention the Chicago Bears‘ top draft picks are getting, they understand a core part of future success is constantly working the undrafted market every year. Finding good players in college free agency can often make the biggest difference during long, taxing seasons. Thus far, GM Ryan Poles has found success with this. He landed Jack Sanborn in 2022, then Tyson Bagent last year. Chicago’s undrafted class wasn’t as big this off-season, but they still felt happy about some of the players they collected.
Time will tell if any of them might make a strong enough impression to crack the roster. The preseason is often where these decisions are made. It was true of Sanborn and Bagent. Chicago played their first of four games on Thursday night in Canton, Ohio, against the Houston Texans. Though the game was called early due to the lightning, it didn’t stop several undrafted rookies from making their marks.
Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron loves to utilize his tight ends. The Bears already have Cole Kmet, Gerald Everett, and Marcedes Lewis. Will they carry a fourth? That depends on what happens this month. One player who got off to a fast start is Bates. After six years at Kentucky, the tight end signed with Chicago, who were intrigued by his mix of size and athleticism. Some felt he wasn’t fully utilized as a weapon in the passing game. Last night proved it when he made two catches for 47 yards on both of his targets. Each came on a drive that ended in a touchdown.
Linebacker is a position of strength for the Chicago Bears, at least at the top. Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, and Jack Sanborn are a formidable trio. After that, the depth becomes uncertain. The group didn’t perform overly well in Canton, with one big exception. Jones Jr. was all over the field, making eight tackles, including one for a loss. His range and aggression stood out constantly. The key issues with him coming out of UCLA were his size (5’11) and that he played edge in college. He would have to show he could transition to off-the-ball linebacker, which requires different responsibilities. Apparently, no one told him it might take some time to adjust. He also added a tackle on special teams for good measure.
The rookie out of Troy built a reputation as a ballhawk with nine interceptions. That reputation carried over into training camp, where he picked off Caleb Williams in drills. Steward has even gotten some work with the starting defense at times. His bigger question was whether he could handle other key responsibilities in Eberflus’ system. A major one was being a physical presence as a tackler. Tampa-2 corners must be able to bring guys down. Steward showcased that by blowing up a wide receiver screen late in the game. He closed on the ball with good speed and made a textbook tackle. It was the only time he showed up on the stat sheet, but it answered an important question.
