The Chicago Bears made several roster moves after setting their initial 53-man roster. Following roster cuts, new general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus continued to put their stamp on the roster by claiming seven players off of waivers — the most in the NFL.
Poles and Eberflus inherited a team with limited draft capital and money to spend on free agents. To make matters worse, they changed the offensive and defensive scheme, leaving them with a roster of players who didn’t fit the future vision.
The seven waiver claims this week are additions of players who the front office believes either fit the culture, the scheme or are value picks with upside.
Below we grade the seven new roster additions.
OL Alex Leatherwood
Alex Leatherwood was a polarizing pick in the 2021 NFL draft. Many scouts disagreed despite the Raiders’ insistence that he was the right tackle of the future. Instead, the consensus was that Leatherwood was a guard at best and not a first-round pick.
After struggling to find success with the Raiders at tackle, he was moved to guard and continued to struggle before he was released. As a result, the Bears are getting a player with size and athleticism but lacks the fundamental skills to succeed.
He struggles to get his hands on pass rushers and lets them into his body far too quickly, and he’s often too slow and unable to handle speed when he’s on the edge. As a positive, where Leatherwood excels is in run blocking. For the Bears, a team that allowed the most sacks in 2021, adding a guy who is great at run blocking but bad at pass blocking is a head-scratcher.
Leatherwood is the equivalent of a fixer-upper, and like all fixer-uppers, you hope it doesn’t become an event that requires too much time and money to produce an attractive end product. On the other hand, he’s still on a rookie deal, so if he improves quickly, the Bears could strike gold.
Grade: B-
NT Armon Watts
Armon Watts played in every game for the Vikings in 2021 and was a surprising cut this season. A former sixth-round pick, he had three tackles for loss, five sacks, and two forced fumbles last year. He’s a true 4-3 defensive lineman, something the Bears lack.
Given his size and strength, Watts can play both the one-technique and three-technique for the Bears, providing depth behind Justin Jones or starting over Angelo Blackson.
Signing Watts is a much-needed move for the Bears, who lack defensive linemen who fit a 4-3 defensive scheme. Watts is a player that should get a lot of playing time this year.
Grade: B
WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette
The speedster provides depth to the wide receiver room after the injuries to N’Keal Harry and Tajae Sharpe, which landed them on IR. Given his ability as a returner, Ihmir Smith-Marsette also takes the pressure off Velus Jones Jr., who has been moonlighting as a returner while playing wide receiver.
Given Jones’ nagging injuries during the preseason, the team should focus on keeping his reps exclusively with the offense. However, with Smith-Marsette running a 4.43 40-yard dash, he’ll be a dangerous kick and punt returner and should be exciting to watch.
As a receiver, it’s unlikely he’ll get meaningful snaps on offense, but he could serve as a deep threat that puts pressure on defenders and opens things up for others.
Grade: C+
DE Kingsley Jonathan
Kingsley Jonathan was an undrafted free agent who played five years at Syracuse and tallied 21.5 tackles for loss and 15 sacks. He’s undersized for most NFL rosters at 6’4 260 pounds but is a high motor guy who will make hustle plays.
Signing with Buffalo as an undrafted rookie nearly guaranteed Jonathan would be released. Instead, after fielding one of the NFL’s best defenses, Buffalo added Von Miller and Shaq Lawson to their defensive line, which also has first and second-round picks Greg Rousseau, Boogie Basham, and A.J. Epenesa.
Jonathan was drafted first in the CFL draft and might end up there. His IQ and playing style is an excellent fit for the Eberflus style of defense, but his lack of size might prevent him from having a long NFL career.
Grade: C
LB Sterling Weatherford
Another developmental project, Sterling Weatherford, is a big safety who converted to linebacker. While teams could use him in a nickel package as a sub-linebacker, his upside is in becoming either a starting linebacker or a key sub.
There’s much to like about Weatherford’s game. He’s fast (4.5 40-yard dash), able to play man and zone coverage, and a great tackler in the run game. He’ll likely back up Joe Thomas and has tremendous upside.
Grade: B
TE Trevon Wesco
Following the non-football illness release of James O’Shaugnessy, the Trevon Wesco pick makes a lot of sense. He’s a versatile fullback/tight end hybrid that excels at run blocking. The former New York Jet will also contribute immediately on special teams.
It’s unlikely Wesco ever evolves into a pass-catching threat, but he provides depth after losing O’Shaugnessy and can contribute in numerous ways. So while it’s unlikely to generate the most buzz, either Wesco or DL Armon Watts will have the most immediate impact for the Bears this season.
Grade: B
Josh Blackwell
Josh Blackwell is a slot corner that has bounced around the NFL trying to find a home after going undrafted in 2021. He’s cheaper than Duke Shelley, who he’s replacing, and it appears to be a value bet.
The hope is that Blackwell can become a contributor for much less than what it would cost to keep Duke Shelley, who likely didn’t fit what the coaching staff wanted. However, if Blackwell plays in 2022, it’ll be due to injuries or on special teams.
Grade: C
