Getty Tyson Bagent of Shepherd participates in a drill during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 04, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The Chicago Bears added 10 new rookies — including a trio of defensive tackles — to next season’s roster during the 2023 NFL draft, but more young blood is on the way with the undrafted rookie signing period officially underway now.
Minutes after the draft ended, the Bears were hard at work trying to fill the remaining 15 spots on their 90-man offseason roster. While UDFA signings are traditionally guys who will become depth pieces or training-camp bodies, there are the occasional diamonds in the rough — such as linebacker Jack Sanborn — who survive the odds and carve out meaningful roles for themselves on Chicago’s 53-man roster.
Here is a running tally of the Bears’ undrafted rookie signings for 2023:
Andre Szmyt, PK, Syracuse
Szmyt — a Vernon Hills, Illinois native who won the Lou Groza Award for the best kicker in college football in 2018 — attended the Bears’ local pro day and will now have the chance to compete with veteran Cairo Santos for the starting placekicker job. The Bears will most likely let the two of them compete throughout training camp, but they may be tempted to move on from Santos with $4 million in salary cap savings available if they release him after June 1. If Szmyt can put up a good fight, he might just win.
The #Bears are set to sign Syracuse kicker Andre Szmyt as an undrafted free agent, a source tells @on3sports
Tyson Bagent, QB, Shepherd
Bagent is now officially the fourth man in the Bears’ quarterback room. While it would be the surprise of the 2023 offseason if he legitimately challenged for a roster spot, he could push Nathan Peterman for the privilege of becoming their No. 3 quarterback on the practice squad. The Division II quarterback was a high-output passer in 2022, completing 400 of his 572 passes for 4,580 yards and 41 touchdowns over his 15 starts.
Micah Baskerfield, LB, LSU
The #Bears are already off to the UDFA races, signing LSU LB Micah Baskerville.
Like this signing a lot! Athletic LB who’s a tad raw but plays really hard and offers good value in coverage. Had a late-round grade on him.
De’Jahn Warren, CB, Jackson State
Robert Burns, FB, UConn
#Bears signing Connecticut running back Robert Burns, per a league source
Macon Clark, S, Tulane
#Bears signing Tulane safety Macon Clark, per a league source
Jalen Harris, DE, Arizona
Arizona defensive end Jalen Harris is signing with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent.
Gabe Houy, OG, Pittsburgh
Pitt offensive lineman Gabe Houy will sign a free agent contract with the Chicago Bears, per source.
Thyrick Pitts Jr., WR, Delaware
Justin Broiles, DB, Oklahoma
Justin Broiles from Oklahoma is signing with the Bears @DraftDiamonds
Lorenz Metz, OT, Cincinnati
Cincinnati #Bearcats OL Lorenz Metz signs as a UDFA with the Chicago Bears, joining UC draftee and WR Tyler Scott.
Bobby Haskins, OL, USC
#Bears sign @uscfootball OL Bobby Haskins @haskins_b @TTNLNetwork
Nicholas Amoah, OC, UC Davis
Aron Cruickshank, WR, Rutgers
A couple more Rutgers players have signed as undrafted free agents, per source:
WR Sean Ryan to the Ravens
WR Aron Cruickshank to the Bears
Damien Caffrey, TE, Stony Brook
𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐍𝐄𝐃 ✍️
We’re so proud of our guy @damiencaffrey on signing a contract with the @ChicagoBears!
🌊🐺 x #ProWolves x @NFL
Deshun Kitchings, WR, Newberry
#Bears add Newberry wide receiver Deshun Kitchings on an undrafted deal, per a league source
Rookies Invited to Attend Bears’ Minicamp in 2023
Desmond Bessent, OL, Buffalo (Source: Chicago insider Daniel Greenberg)
Jadan Blue, WR, Virginia Tech (Source: Aaron Wilson of KPRC-2)
Danny Kittner, WR, UMary (Source: David Brown of Midco Sports)
D’Jordan Strong, CB, Coastal Carolina (Source: Aaron Leming of 247Sports)
De’Anthony Jones, DE, Houston (Source: Matt Lombardo of Heavy Sports)
Dominic Quewon, LB, Southern Mississippi (Source: Aaron Wilson of KPRC-2)
Bralen Trahan, DB, Louisiana (Source: Louisiana Football)
Tre Wortham, CB, UConn (Source: Aaron Wilson of KPRC-2)
Callahan O’Reilly, ILB Montana State (Source: Ryan Vidales of Draft Diamonds)
Todd Simmons Jr., WR, Dubuque (Source: Jacob Infante of Windy City Gridiron)
N’Kosi Perry, QB, FAU (Source: N’Kosi Perry)
Sammy Wheeler, TE/LS, Kansas State (Source: Joseph Potts of TopSpeed)
Josh Lugg, OL, Notre Dame (Source: Notre Dame football)
Chris Toth, OT, Aurora (Source: Chicago insider Daniel Greenberg)
Donny Navarro, WR, Northwestern (Source: Eric Edholm of NFL.com)
Andrew Clair, RB, Northwestern (Source: Northwestern football)
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Bears 2023 UDFA Tracker: Enticing Rookie QB Added to Roster