The More the Merrier – Bears Add Pro Bowl Safety Brandon Meriweather

The Bears continued their dumpster diving approach to their roster by signing Patriots castoff, former Pro Bowl safety Brandon Meriweather to a one year deal.  Meriweather represented the Patriots in the Pro Bowl in each of his last two seasons.  He fell out of favor with New England head coach Bill Belichick and was cut by the Patriots on Saturday.  He was considered by many as a top prize in the secondary free agent market.

The big question is the Meriweather signing impacts the Bears’ secondary.  Chris Harris was moved from free safety to strong safety at the start of training camp and second year man Major Wright, who struggled a bit in the preseason, was moved into the starting free safety role.  It will be interesting to see how Lovie Smith re-shuffles the secondary and if Meriweather moves right in as a starter.  I think it’s unlikely that he would start against the Falcons with just a week to prepare, but you never know.   It would seem that Meriweather pushes rookie Winstron Venable off the roster, but he could be scooped back up onto the practice squad if he clears waivers.  Stay tuned for more details.