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The Chicago Bears had many holes on the team after letting multiple players go this offseason.
D.J. Moore got traded to the Buffalo Bills, giving the Bears $16.5 million in cap space to use in free agency. Tremaine Edmunds was released to give the team another $15 million in cap space.
Drew Dalman, Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker, Nahshon Wright, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Olamide Zaccheaus and Amen Ogbongbemiga also departed the franchise.
Dalman retired just before free agency, but the front office had already known of his plans for about a month before his decision.
Byard, Brisker, Wright, Gardner-Johnson and Zaccheaus all left via free agency. Ogbongbemiga was released after injury issues kept him off the field and was also a cap casualty.
General Manager Ryan Poles did his best to fill some of those holes on the roster.
He traded for center Garrett Bradbury from the New England Patriots and added Devin Bush and Coby Bryant in free agency.
Bush, Bradbury and Bryant filled three starting spots.
Then, Poles selected Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman, Iowa center Logan Jones, Stanford tight end Sam Roush, LSU receiver Zavion Thomas, Texas corner Malik Muhammad, Arizona State linebacker Keyshaun Elliott and Georgia Tech defensive tackle Jordan Van Den Berg.
Thieneman is an intriguing prospect. He lined up at multiple positions at both Oregon and Purdue in college. He lined up at safety, cornerback, slot corner, box and defensive line.
His versatility stands out and former Bears corner Jerry Azumah believes he filled a major void on defense. Azumah played for the Bears from 1999-2005 and reached the Pro Bowl in 2003.
He appeared on the Chicago Sports Network to talk about the Bears and what adding a player like Thieneman would mean.
"I think they're going to contribute immediately," Azumah said. "I think that the Bears needed a strong presence in their secondary. I know how the draft was going. It wasn't the sexiest pick, you know? We finally got to pick what 24th or something like that? So, it wasn't a lot of excitement, but he really fills a void for this defense. I think he's going to come in and step in and make an impact right away. I like the fact that Coby Bryant is there too. So, I think in tandem they're going to be a 1-2 punch."
It won't be easy for Bryant and Thieneman to replace Byard and Brisker. Last season, Byard led the NFL with seven interceptions. Brisker had one of the best seasons of his Bears career, finishing with 93 total tackles, one interception, one sack, and one TFL.
They have big shoes to fill but are well-equipped for the task.
Continue reading...
D.J. Moore got traded to the Buffalo Bills, giving the Bears $16.5 million in cap space to use in free agency. Tremaine Edmunds was released to give the team another $15 million in cap space.
Drew Dalman, Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker, Nahshon Wright, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Olamide Zaccheaus and Amen Ogbongbemiga also departed the franchise.
Dalman retired just before free agency, but the front office had already known of his plans for about a month before his decision.
Byard, Brisker, Wright, Gardner-Johnson and Zaccheaus all left via free agency. Ogbongbemiga was released after injury issues kept him off the field and was also a cap casualty.
General Manager Ryan Poles did his best to fill some of those holes on the roster.
He traded for center Garrett Bradbury from the New England Patriots and added Devin Bush and Coby Bryant in free agency.
Bush, Bradbury and Bryant filled three starting spots.
Then, Poles selected Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman, Iowa center Logan Jones, Stanford tight end Sam Roush, LSU receiver Zavion Thomas, Texas corner Malik Muhammad, Arizona State linebacker Keyshaun Elliott and Georgia Tech defensive tackle Jordan Van Den Berg.
Thieneman is an intriguing prospect. He lined up at multiple positions at both Oregon and Purdue in college. He lined up at safety, cornerback, slot corner, box and defensive line.
His versatility stands out and former Bears corner Jerry Azumah believes he filled a major void on defense. Azumah played for the Bears from 1999-2005 and reached the Pro Bowl in 2003.
He appeared on the Chicago Sports Network to talk about the Bears and what adding a player like Thieneman would mean.
"I think they're going to contribute immediately," Azumah said. "I think that the Bears needed a strong presence in their secondary. I know how the draft was going. It wasn't the sexiest pick, you know? We finally got to pick what 24th or something like that? So, it wasn't a lot of excitement, but he really fills a void for this defense. I think he's going to come in and step in and make an impact right away. I like the fact that Coby Bryant is there too. So, I think in tandem they're going to be a 1-2 punch."
It won't be easy for Bryant and Thieneman to replace Byard and Brisker. Last season, Byard led the NFL with seven interceptions. Brisker had one of the best seasons of his Bears career, finishing with 93 total tackles, one interception, one sack, and one TFL.
They have big shoes to fill but are well-equipped for the task.
Continue reading...
