Just because the primary portion of the off-season is over doesn’t mean the Chicago Bears are done acquiring players. They proved that last year when they signed Yannick Ngakoue right before training camp. GM Ryan Poles is always looking for ways to help his team. No avenue is off-limits. That includes other leagues. He’s dabbled into the Canadian market a couple of times since taking over. He has also looked into the upstart spring leagues for help. Two years ago, the Bears signed linebacker DeMarquis Gates fresh off a stellar year with the Birmingham Stallions. Now, another name is making noise in the rebranded United Football League, and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron has inroads to him.
Chris Garrett isn’t well-known among casual NFL fans. That isn’t a surprise. He went to Concordia-St. Paul in college and was a 7th round pick of the Los Angeles Rams in 2021. Garrett bounced around the league for two more years, including two training camps with the Seattle Seahawks, where Waldron coached. Then he headed off to the USFL, eventually landing with the St. Louis Battlehawks. He has earned recognition as the UFL’s Special Teams Player of the Year, collecting 14 tackles and two blocked punts.
Shane Waldron can help the Bears lure Garrett to Chicago.
This organization prioritizes special teams. With the NFL changing its kickoff rules to encourage more returns, adding a player with proven coverage ability should be a focal point. The fact he is also a linebacker will appeal to head coach Matt Eberflus. He’s a good athlete with great size for the position and has some pass rush chops. He collected 36.5 sacks in college. That would give the Bears plenty of options to use him beyond the benefits he’d bring to the special teams unit.
Besides, it’s not like he would cost a lot to acquire. A minimum NFL contract is significantly larger than what he is making in the UFL. That league is meant to help players keep playing while they await another opportunity to join the big league. Garrett has enough talent to deserve another chance. It just took a long time for him to find his calling. Special teams weren’t even a consideration for him until he turned pro. The time spent in the new league seems to have unlocked his potential. Now Shane Waldron and the Bears can take advantage.
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I’m starting to feel bad for Erik, he must be bored as hell.
Well, I’m not overly worried about Garrett’s measurables. How do they compare with Jack Sanborn’s? Sanborn is a solid player because of his instincts and awareness, not because of his athleticism. That said, if Garrett could only make it as a special teams player in the UFL, what leads us to believe that he could be equally effective in the NFL, where pretty much everyone is better than their UFL counterparts? The players I would look for in the UFL are the players who are clearly the best on their team and the best in the league at their position.… Read more »
To finish the article his RAS/Measurables are not very impressive.
Physical traits, 40-time etc…?