Daniel Thomas: Chicago Bears Sign Former 2nd Round Pick
Reports of the Chicago Bears holding a tryout for Daniel Thomas surfaced on Wednesday. Now, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, the Bears have signed Thomas to a free agent contract.
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Thomas was a second-round pick by the Miami Dolphins in the 2011 NFL Draft, and has spent four years of his NFL career with the Dolphins up until this point. Thomas was nothing short of a disappointment with the Dolphins, finishing his time with the team with 409 carries for 1,480 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Thomas was never able to consistently put up production, and did not show the Dolphins enough to give him a full-time role. Throughout his four-year stint in Miami, Thomas only started three games, and he will now have to earn a spot on the Bears’ roster against some pretty tough competition.
Aaron Leming of BearReport.com suggests that the signing of Thomas will mean the end of the line for RB Senorise Perry after a “Rough group of OTAs.”
The Bears will look to find lightning in a bottle with Thomas, who entered the NFL with a lot of potential as a second round pick. He showed impressive ability at Kansas State racking up 3,300 total yards and 30 touchdowns through his two-years of prominent playing time, but that skills-set never translated to the NFL level.
Thomas is a big back with some power, but very limited speed and quickness. He does have nice hands out of the backfield, so perhaps he can play a role as a receiving back.
All of that being said, if Thomas continues to perform like he has throughout his four-year career, I have a hard time seeing him making this roster. With Matt Forte, Jacquizz Rodgers, Jeremy Langford and Ka’Deem Carey all already looking to impress the coaching staff to get their fair share of touches, it is not easy to see where Thomas will fit in.
The Bears also signed former second-round pick Sherrod Martin on Thursday, according to Wilson. Martin will look to compete at the Bears’ safety positions after starting 36 games with the Carolina Panthers from 2009-2011. His path to playing time is not much clearer than Thomas’.
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