Bears Offseason Notes: Week 1

Now that free agency and the draft are over for the Bears and the first rookie mini-camp is starting this weekend, the Bears news is going to be fairly slow the next few weeks. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t still minor moves being made. I’ll be updating my readers weekly with an overview of some of the smaller moves you may have missed week-to-week.

Bears News (5/4-5/11)

1.) Bears Move Greg Scruggs from DE to TE

Remember DE Greg Scruggs? Don’t feel bad if you don’t. The Bears signed him shortly before week 17 last year and he ended up starting at defensive end the last game of the season.

Scruggs did manage to get a sack and his effort level was top-notch in his one game with the Bears. In last week’s voluntary workouts, the Bears decided to move Scruggs to tight end due to a severe lack of depth at the position and his size (6’3, 284), surprising athleticism (4.76 40-time) and versatility give Scruggs a chance to stick on the roster.

The Bears have some quality receiving options at tight end (Miller, Housler, Braunecker), but are light on TEs in the Y-position (blocking tight end) with just 2nd year player Khari Lee and practice squad body Gannon Sinclair. The Bears must think Scruggs can at least compete with those players as a blocker if they are moving him from a defensive line position that they are also already thin at.

Scruggs showed some flashes of talent in his brief audition at defensive end and is no slouch as an athlete with 4.76 speed, a good enough work ethic to stick in the league despite two major surgeries, and was a former 7th round pick by the Seahawks in 2012. Who knows if Scruggs can catch, but he works hard, has more than enough size to be an effective blocker, and has the speed to contribute in the short passing game.

Based on his effort level in his only start with the Bears, Scruggs has the drive to become useful at either position. He’ll most likely be a blocking TE, but has some speed and athleticism to eventually develop as a short-yardage receiver as well. Worst case, Scruggs should be a competent run blocker. It may take him a season on the practice squad to learn the nuances of the position but the potential is there to contribute at tight end.

2.) Bears Waive Safety Anthony Jefferson

The Bears signed UDFA offensive lineman Adrian Bellard out of Texas St and released safety Anthony Jefferson, who as an undrafted free agent in 2015. Jefferson was one of my least favorite UDFAs last season, so I’m not sorry to see him go and he also spent all of last season on the injured reserve.

Jefferson has barely enough speed to play the position at the NFL level (4.72) and missed so many open field tackles at the college level that I didn’t see him ever earning defensive snaps with the Bears anyway. I’m not sure about Bellard’s chances to contribute at the NFL level but I doubt they are worse than Jefferson’s. For more on Bellard, check out my undrafted free agent preview.

Next: Jon Bostic Traded Again