Like every other NFL front office member, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles was a busy man over the last 48 hours. Poles and the Bears worked to finalize the initial active roster on Tuesday, but did more tinkering the next day with a couple of waiver claims and a free agent signing.
On Wednesday, the Bears claimed safety Quindell Johnson from the Los Angeles Rams and Khalid Kareem from the Indianapolis Colts. They also signed recently released punt returner Trent Taylor from the Cincinnati Bengals. In order to make room for the two waiver claims, the Bears waived safety A.J. Thomas and defensive end Terrell Lewis. No corresponding roster move has been made as of this writing for Taylor’s arrival.
Buy Bears TicketsThe Bears were looking for depth at a couple of defensive positions and had a need for a new punt returner. Poles was able to accomplish that and fortify his team for their upcoming Week 1 matchup against the Green Bay Packers.
As for the players themselves, did the Bears hit the mark? Or were there other options on the market that would have been better pickups? Here are our initial grades for Wednesday’s acquisitions.
Trent Taylor: A-
Out of the three acquisitions on Wednesday, Taylor made the most sense and should make the biggest impact right out of the gate. The former Cincinnati Bengal was a surprise release on Tuesday, despite being one of the better punt returners in the league. Taylor was sixth in the NFL in average yards per return with 10.3 and has been reliable since coming into the league in 2017 with the San Francisco 49ers. Special teams coordinator Richard Hightower worked closely with Taylor when they overlapped in San Francisco and has to feel good about a reunion.
The Bears had a need at punt returner given the injury to Dante Pettis, the struggles of Velus Jones Jr., and the uncertainty of Tyler Scott. Taylor may not remind fans of Devin Hester, but as Poles said in his press conference on Wednesday, you can look away and feel confident that he’ll do the simple things well, and that was far from a given in 2022. The only downside with Taylor is his limitations as a receiver. He’s totaled just 189 yards the last three years and doesn’t figure to be a threat on offense.
Quindell Johnson: B+
All throughout camp, the Bears had a battle for the final safety spot on the team between players like A.J. Thomas, Kendall Williamson, Bralen Trahan, and Adrian Colbert. It turns out that the winner of the competition, Thomas, was only able to celebrate for less than 24 hours. The Bears decided to go in a different direction and claim former Los Angeles Rams safety Quindell Johnson off waivers, who took Thomas’ spot on the roster.
Johnson was an undrafted rookie free agent and fits what the Bears need at safety depth. They have Eddie Jackson and Elijah Hicks as solid free safetymen, but they didn’t have a thumper to play behind Jaquan Brisker. Johnson can be that type of player as a box safety, but he also has the versatility to perform well in coverage. His last year in college at Memphis, Johnson totaled 77 tackles (5.5 for loss), four interceptions, and five pass breakups, according to Sports Reference.
Given last year’s injuries to Jackson and Brisker, Johnson could be called upon at some point to play meaningful snaps on defense. As an undrafted rookie, he still needs some seasoning, but he’s an upgrade over someone like Williamson, whom the Bears used a seventh-round pick on and is now on the practice squad. Look for Johnson to get started on special teams, with the chance to earn reps on defense down the road.
Khalid Kareem: B-
The defensive line was a hot-button issue for Bears fans when roster cutdowns were first announced. The team waived two of their better-performing defensive ends from the preseason, first Trevis Gipson on Tuesday and then Terrell Lewis a day later. Lewis was waived for Khalid Kareem, a veteran edge rusher who was cut by the Indianapolis Colts.
The Bears got a close view of Kareem during their joint practices with the Colts in mid-August. He had a nice day against them in the preseason game, too. Kareem had five total tackles (one for loss), one sack, and two QB hits. Though he was able to get after the passer, Kareem’s strength is his run defense, which the Bears could use. Poles saw a need to shore up that area after multiple teams gashed the Bears defense in the run game this preseason. Kareem should have a positive impact there, though his tape is limited.
After playing all 16 games in his rookie season in 2020 with the Cincinnati Bengals, Kareem has played sparingly the last couple of years, primarily due to injuries, only appearing in 11 games between 2021 and 2022. But Poles and the Bears saw enough this preseason to bring him in. He could have a role on early downs at some point, but chances are he remains at the bottom of the depth chart for the first part of the season.
