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The Bears signed a number of priority undrafted free agents after the draft today and while nothing is official yet, there was clearly a focus on adding depth in the secondary. The official list will be released tomorrow, but below are a few of the names that are likely to sign with the Bears.
Safety and cornerback were expected to be targets in this year’s draft, but the Bears used only a round 5 pick, S Adrian Amos, on a defensive back. The Bears surprisingly added 4 offensive players and only two on defensive (Eddie Goldman, Amos), but added a few more defensive players during the undrafted free agent portion of the draft. I’ve listed the top three defensive backs they signed today with a brief scouting report on each.
UDFA Defensive Backs:
CB Jacoby Glenn, Central Florida (6’0 | 179 | 4.55)
A 2nd team AP All-American and American Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year who had 7 interceptions last year for the Black Knights. Glenn has good height, but is very thin and ran a slow 40 at the combine (4.64). He improved his 40 time at his pro day with a 4.55 but it was not enough to get Glenn drafted. It could turn out to be a steal for the Bears who could use another outside corner. Glenn has excellent ball skills and uses his hands well on the line of scrimmage to jam wide receivers. He has fluid hips and doesn’t lose speed when forced to turn and run with receivers. Glenn is a natural cover corner, but his lack of strength could be an issue against big receivers at the next level. Despite his lack of bulk, Glennis a willing run defender and shows good form when tackling. His just average straight-line speed and skinny frame are the most likely reasons Glenn wasn’t drafted, but he has time to gain weight/strength and the corners DC Vic Fangio used with the Niners weren’t burners either. I wouldn’t expect much out of Glenn this year, but after a year in the Bears strength program he could earn a role in the Bears sub packages. Glenn has the potential to be a solid NFL corner.
S Sam Carter, TCU (6’1 | 215 | 4.68)
Good size for a safety. Carter used that size well to be a force against the opposing running games as a strong safety and hybrid linebacker in sub packages. He’s not a big hitter, but rarely misses tackles. Carter has very sound football instincts, diagnosing plays quickly and correctly which allows Carter to play a little faster than his slow 40-time. He has good ball skills with 13 interceptions over the last three years, times his blitzes well, and was a team captain for the Horned Frogs. He fits DC Vic Fangio’s prototype for safety with the size to play in the box and decent coverage ability as well. Carter would have been drafted based on his production but his lack of straight line speed and somewhat stiff hips in coverage likely knocked him out of the draft. He will have to excel on special teams as a rookie to make the Bears opening week roster, but his instincts and ball skills are good enough that he could eventually see some snaps on defense for the Bears.
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S Anthony Jefferson, UCLA (6’1 | 198 | 4.72)
Similar player to Carter in that he is a big safety who was expected to be drafted, but ran a slow 40-time at the combine and fell out of the draft. They were also both team captains, but that is where the similarities between Carter and Jefferson end. Jefferson spent most of his college career as a corner and is pretty smooth in coverage. His coverage instincts are sound, he has good timing when breaking on the ball, and has the length to cover big TEs. His lack of speed may be an issue against NFL WRs though. He also struggles against the run despite his ideal size. Jefferson routinely takes wrong angles to the football and missed way too many tackles in the open field last year (and at Senior Bowl). His tackling ability was much better in 2013 than it was last year, so there is hope he can improve. There are already rumors that the Bears may use Jefferson or Carter as a sub package ILB due to their above-average size and coverage skills. It will likely come down to Jefferson vs Carter for a roster spot and will probably be decided by who is better on special teams.