Undrafted free agents are usually an afterthought, but for general manager Ryan Pace they have been impact players. Receiver Cameron Meredith and cornerback Bryce Callahan both went undrafted, along with defensive lineman Mitch Unrein. All three of those players were starters last season for the Bears. Pace is hoping to get the same type of contributions from these players.

Joel Bouagnon, RB, Northern Illinois

Bouagnon will join an already crowded backfield, but this stocky running back is productive. Standing at 6-foot-1, 230 pounds Bouagnon can run inside the tackles and to the outside. This dynamic may give him an upper hand over Ka’Deem Carey who is mainly an inside runner. He had a great career for Northern Illinois, rushing for 2912 yards and 31 touchdowns in his four years.

Rashaad Coward, NT, Old Dominion

With Eddie Goldman struggling to stay healthy last year it makes sense that the Bears want to bring in some depth at nose. Coward has great size for the NFL, 6-foot-5, 280 pounds, and is mainly a run stopper. His bottom half needs some development, he is a little thin in the thighs and calves. If he can improve on his bottom half and get better with his hands he could develop into a good rotational player.

Hendrick Ekpe, LB, Minnesota

Ekpe didn’t get to see quality playing time till his senior year, but he was disruptive. That’s what Irving does best. He only had 29 tackles his senior year, but 8.5 of them were for loss and 4.5 were sacks. The 6-foot-5, 240 pound linebacker isn’t an elite athlete, but if he can perform on special teams he could end up on the 53 man roster.

Tanner Gentry, WR, Wyoming

This could be the best undrafted signing by the Bears. With the loss of Alshon Jeffery to the Eagles in the offseason the receiver position was getting thin. Gentry will join Kevin White, Kendall Wright, Markus Wheaton and Meredith, if he can make the squad. With a monster senior year, catching 72 passes for 1326 yards and 14 touchdowns, Gentry has a great chance to make the team. He struggles to beat press coverage sometimes, but has great hands along with a massive catch radius. The 6-foot-2 receiver is a vertical threat, he had 49 deep targets (passes over 20 yards) which was the most in 2016.

Franko House, TE, Ball State

House didn’t take a single snap on the gridiron in his four years at Ball State. Instead, he dominated on the court as a basketball player. Much like the Bears second-round pick, tight end Adam Shaheen, he flopped from basketball to football. House received a fair amount of attention from teams and scouts before the draft. He has great size, 6-foot-6, 247 pounds, but is a raw talent. If he is willing to put in the work, this could be a diamond in the rough. It’s a low-risk, high-reward signing.

Isaiah Irving, LB, San Jose State

At San Jose State Irving played at both linebacker and defensive end. He is incredibly undersized to play a 3-4 defensive end, 6-foot-4, 241 pounds, but has an ideal build to play as an outside linebacker. In his senior year Irving had 45 total tackles, 11 were for loss and tallied seven sacks.

Dieugot Joseph, OT, Florida International

Originally brought in as a defensive end, Joseph transitioned to offensive tackle. Thought to be a sixth or seventh-round prospect, Joseph is a steal for the Bears. His big build, 6-foot-6, 293 pounds, and long arms, 30 inches, are very appealing for a left tackle. He tends to lean into his blocks which forces him off balance, but he is a great depth signing and could even compete with Charles Leno Jr. for the starting spot.

Mitchell Kirsch, OL, James Madison

Depth at offensive line is never a bad thing. Kirsch was mainly a guard at James Madison, but with his size, 6-foot-5, 305 pounds, he could play tackle as well. The Consensus FCS First Team All-American has to get stronger, but was able to use his size to bully defensive lineman.

Andy Phillips, K, Utah

A former U.S. National Team skier, the 27 year old Phillips went back to school to pursue a new dream, kicking. The former walk on at Utah has been brought in to compete with Connor Barth who had a shaky start for the team last season, but finished strong. Phillips hit 84 percent of his field goals, and missed one of this 176 extra points at Utah. He was 4-of-4 from 50+ and his longest was a 53 yarder.

Alex Scearce, LB, Coastal Carolina

After making the transition from safety to linebacker his junior year, Scearce thrived as a senior. In his senior season alone he had 84 tackles, eight sacks, three forced fumbles, and five interceptions. He is a little undersized, 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, and is a one year wonder, but is incredibly dynamic. Scearce was productive in every facet of the game, and if he is able to continue that at the NFL level, look out.

Jhajuan Seales, WR, Oklahoma State

Seales is an outstanding athlete, 4.51 40-yard dash and 41.5 inch vertical leap. Combine that with his size, 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, you have all the physical traits for a good receiver. His route running is spotty, but his ability to make plays on the ball makes his a contender for a roster spot.



Freddie Stevenson, FB, Florida State (photo)

The fullback position is wide open for Stevenson after the Bears cut last year’s fullback Paul Lasike. Stevenson is a former linebacker turned fullback for Florida State. He is an aggressive player that isn’t afraid of contact. He has the strength and tenacity to block up the middle and is fast enough to block to the outsides. Not many teams spends picks on fullbacks so it was no surprise to see him go undrafted, but Stevenson is one of the best in his class.

Levonte “Kermit” Whitfield, WR, Florida State

Whitfield is the third and final wideout brought in by the Bears, he also the smallest. The 5-foot-8 speedster ran a 4.44-40 yard dash at the NFL Combine. His game is very similar to Tavon Austin’s. He can be used in the run game on end-arounds and jet sweeps, he is also shifty. He lacks the ability to run good routes, but can be used in the return game. His versatility will be beneficial, but without improving his receiving game he will struggle to make the team.

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