S Harold Jones-Quartey – Who? That was my reaction when the Bears signed Jones-Quartey off the Arizona Cardinals practice squad. I follow the draft as closely as just about anyone and I had never heard of Jones-Quartey. That doesn’t happen to me often, but it made sense when I heard he came from DII Findlay College.
The fact that Jones-Quartey went from playing in a small DII school to getting the 2nd best grade from Pro Football Focus (3.3) among all safeties in week 16 is pretty damn impressive. HJQ started four games on the season, which I’m sure the Bears didn’t plan on, but he showed NFL athleticism and a nose for the ball in his limited playing time. There were plenty of mistakes which is to be expected considering the massive jump in competition, but he flashed legit NFL talent and will most likely be on the roster in 2016 as a backup safety.
Grade: C+
WR Cameron Meredith – Was added to the Bears practice squad after the draft for a minimum contract and wasn’t expected to sniff the active roster in 2015. The Bears ridiculous run of injuries at the WR position forced the Bears into playing every receiver on the roster at some point.
Meredith ended up appearing in 11 games last season and had 11 catches for 120 yards. His best game was during the Bears upset win in Kansas City where he caught all four of his targets for 52 yards, including two clutch catches on the Bears game winning drive.
Meredith has ideal length at the receiver position (6’3 | 200) but needs to get stronger before he can consistently beat the jam at the line of scrimmage. For a player that wasn’t expected to see the field, Meredith showed flashes of being useful but has to improve his route running and strength before he can contribute on a consistent basis.
Meredith still has practice squad eligibility and that’s probably where he will end up next year if the Bears bring back Alshon Jeffery and have better injury luck at the position. Meredith is definitely worth keeping around as he has starter upside.
Grade: C+
CB Jacoby Glenn – Didn’t see any defensive snaps this season but was promoted from the practice squad to the active roster for the last two games of the season. I had Glenn graded as a mid-round pick before the 2015 draft and think the Bears got a steal signing him as an undrafted free agent. The probable reason Glenn slipped out of the draft was his slim build (179 pounds), but a year in the Bears strength program should improve his functional strength. I’ve heard nothing but good things about Glenn’s performance in practice and I think his promotion to the active roster late in the season is a good sign for his future with the team.
Grade: Incomplete