Bears Work Out Ex-Dolphins WR Amid Claypool Injury: Report

Getty Former Dolphins wide receiver Isaiah Ford had a workout with the Bears on Monday, July 24.

The Chicago Bears are evaluating a veteran wide receiver and a young tight end as potential additions to their 90-man roster ahead of 2023 training camp.

According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Bears hosted former Miami Dolphins wide receiver and 2017 seventh-round pick Isaiah Ford for a workout on Monday, July 24, one day before their veteran players are scheduled to report for the training camp.

The 27-year-old Ford caught 63 passes for 681 yards and two touchdowns over his four seasons with the Dolphins between 2018 and 2021. He was also traded to the New England Patriots for a conditional seventh-round pick prior to the 2020 trade deadline, but he was waived about a month later and re-joined the Dolphins in the offseason.

Ford wasn’t the only tryout player in the building for the Bears to start the week. Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reported that Chicago also worked out second-year tight end Roger Carter Jr. on Monday. The 24-year-old spent his first season with the Los Angeles Rams but was a practice-squad player who only saw one game-day elevation, playing on two offensive snaps and 11 special team snaps in the regular season.

The Bears will officially hold their first training-camp practice on Wednesday, July 26, and are set to play their first preseason game against the Tennessee Titans on August 12.

Isaiah Ford Could Add More Fuel to WR Competition

The Bears are sitting in a much better place than they were last year in terms of their receiving talent heading into their first training-camp practices. Chase Claypool was placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list with an undisclosed injury, but the presence of D.J. Moore, Darnell Mooney and rookie Tyler Scott gives quarterback Justin Fields a competent trio with which to work until Claypool is healthy again.

Still, it couldn’t hurt to add someone like Ford to the 90-man roster to intensify the back-end roster competition and give them another camp body with which to work.

Ford held a minor rotational role for the Dolphins in both 2020 and 2021, playing in 23 games during that stretch and securing more than half (40) of his career receptions. He essentially fell off the map in 2022, though, after signing with the Indianapolis Colts before the start of last year’s training camp and getting cut before the 53-man deadline.

If signed to the Bears’ roster, Ford would likely have to beat out one of Velus Jones Jr., Equanimeous St. Brown or Dante Pettis to have a chance at making the active roster heading into Week 1’s opener. Fortunately, he has enough playing experience to suggest he is capable of holding his own against some of the other bottom-roster hopefuls, such as Daurice Fountain, Nsimba Webster and Thyrick Pitts.

Roger Carter Jr. Set Tight End Records for Georgia State

Carter has flown under the radar since reaching the NFL level, but his impressive career at Georgia State could be one of the reasons why the Bears have taken an interest.

Carter was a three-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection over the final three seasons of his five-year career at Georgia State and finished as the program’s career leader in both receptions (96) and receiving yards (1,224) for a tight end. While he lacked the top-end speed to be a true vertical threat for the Panthers, he proved to be plenty reliable as a pass-catcher in their offense when not asked to create a massive amount of separation.

More enticing than his pass-catching skills, though, is how Carter handled himself as a blocker. The 6-foot-2, 250-pound tight end was a critical part of Georgia State’s strong rushing campaigns during his five seasons with the team, disrupting run-stoppers off the edge and showing a willingness to pick up downfield blocking assignments.

The Bears do not have a dire need for another tight end heading into camp. They signed former Green Bay Packers starter Robert Tonyan Jr. in free agency and are set to have a pair of capable veterans leading the position group between him and Cole Kmet. It could be useful for them to add another body to the room, though, with Jake Tonges and Chase Allen currently the top candidates to win the third spot on the roster.