March 17--The Chicago Bears worked out four inexperienced long snappers Tuesday and then made the choice to sign a veteran.
Multiple NFL sources told the Tribune the Bears will sign Thomas Gafford, who spent the last seven seasons snapping for the Kansas City Chiefs. He is expected to sign a one-year contract Wednesday after taking a physical.
Gafford, 32, has appeared in 105 games and played the last two seasons for former Bears special teams coordinator Dave Toub. New special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers knows Gafford well, having played against him twice per season in the AFC West with the Denver Broncos.
Gafford, 6-foot-2, 250 pounds, spent two weeks with the Bears during training camp in 2008. The University of Houston product had two stints with the Green Bay Packers and one with the Seattle Seahawks before sticking with the Chiefs. He's been credited with 13 solo tackles, four assists and one fumble recovery in his career. Assistant special teams coach Derius Swinton was on the staff in Kansas City in 2012, so he has worked with Gafford.
The Bears made the decision to move on from Jeremy Cain, whom the team signed just before the start of last season.
Trevor Gillette, Dax Dallenbach, Chris Maikranz and Drew Howell participated in the tryout. One could be re-signed at some point this spring so the Bears would have two long snappers on the 90-man roster.
The Bears had been the only team in the NFL without a long snapper on their roster.
