Michael Schofield III is an experienced starter with more than 100 NFL games under his belt, but it was immediately clear that he was competing for a roster spot when he inked a deal worth only $1.12MM. He ultimately lost out on a starting gig in Chicago to Teven Jenkins, who was mentioned as a trade candidate only yesterday.
Sam Kamara got into eight games with Chicago in 2021 while mostly appearing on special teams. Nsimba Webster got into six games with the Bears last year, returning four punts for 13 yards. Both of these young players are candidates to return to Chicago’s practice squad to start the 2022 campaign.
Nathan Peterman is also expected to land back on the Bears’ practice squad, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). After tossing three touchdowns vs. 12 interceptions in two seasons with Buffalo, Peterman spent the past three years with the Raiders, getting into only a pair of games. Justin Fields and Trevor Siemian are the only two QBs on the Bears active roster, so Peterman will see a promotion if either of those two are sidelined.
The Bears have added players on both sides of the ball. The team announced that they’ve added receiver David Moore and cornerback Greg Stroman on one-year contracts.
Moore is a notable name, having appeared in 50 games in time with the Seahawks, Broncos, and Packers. He had a productive stint in Seattle, collecting 1,254 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns between the 2018 and 2020 seasons. He split the 2021 season between Denver and Green Bay, seeing time in only three games.
Stroman was a seventh-round pick by Washington in 2018, and he saw time in 15 games as a rookie. Since that season, the defensive back has only seen the field for five games. He split the 2021 campaign on the Bears and Rams practice squads, and he didn’t end up appearing in a game.
Tuesday afternoon marked the deadline for teams to cut down from 90 to 85 players. We’ll keep track of those cuts and the day’s other minor moves here: