Roster Move: Bears add promising undrafted free agent

Photo courtesy: Bears

Dustin Riese - Senior Writer - 7 hours ago

Lost in the mix of the Chicago Bears' Rookie Mini-Camp over the weekend was the fact that the Bears snuck in another offseason signing under our noses, as it was a signing that went overlooked. No, we aren't talking about a big-name free agent, or a free agent for that matter, but instead another undrafted free agent filled with plenty of potential.

Typically, the undrafted free agent process is over within 72 hours of the draft. Teams then have a week to decide who they want to keep and invite to camp and who they elect to part ways with. However, leave it to Ryan Poles and the Bears to find a small loophole in the system that allowed them to add another undrafted free agent, even after Rookie Mini Camp had already started.

Many may wonder how the Bears managed to pull this off. Well, it stems from Tory Taylor, whom the Bears drafted last season, as they used a roster exemption for the rising second-year punter. Chicago elected to play Taylor on the Exempt/International Player List, which created another opening for the Bears to add another player.

Moving Taylor to this list keeps him on the team but also removes him from the 90-player roster that teams deal with during the offseason. Taylor must be added to the roster before the start of the preseason, but for now, the Bears are playing with house money by moving Taylor off this roster, as the franchise has found a nice loophole to exploit and add another player.

Taking the place of Taylor on the 90-man roster was the addition of defensive back Jeremiah Walker, as he has as much potential as any of the undrafted free agents out there. The former Stephen F. Austin star is coming off a season where he collected 35 tackles (22 solo) while also forcing a fumble. Looking at his entire career with the Lumberjacks, Walker saw action in 54 games, accumulating 188 total tackles with 112 solo. He added one sack, five tackles for a loss, and a pair of forced fumbles during his time.

To complement those tackles was his ability to make plays in the passing game, as Walker totaled 13 pass breakups during his college career, adding four interceptions. One of those interceptions was returned for a touchdown as he cemented himself as the top corner for the Lumberjacks most of his career.

While the numbers may not be considered elite, they are still excellent numbers, as Walker was an extremely productive player. Along with that come his overall measurables, which make this signing more intriguing than most. At 6-2 and 200 pounds, Walker not only has the ideal size you look for in a corner, but also brings with him a more physical nature than most of today's corners play with.

Given how the Dennis Allen defense operates, having players who play with a physical nature is key, and Walker embodies that physicality that Allen loves to have. Along with that comes his 4.49 40 speed. You wouldn't consider that blazing speed, but that is excellent speed, as he should be able to keep up with some of the faster wide receivers in today's game.

Seen as a possible late sixth- or even seventh-round pick, Walker ultimately went undrafted, which is not uncommon for late-round players. Whenever that happens, it allows all 32 organizations to swoop in and secure as many talented players as possible, with Walker being one of those players.

No one is expecting Walker to come in and challenge for a starting job. However, when it comes to the undrafted free agent market, Walker is about as good as it gets and could be viewed as a sleeper to make this team. Whether that be on special teams or even filling a role as a basic depth piece, Walker has the talent and potential to not only make this team but also become a nice rotational piece for Allen.