Getty CB Jayson Stanley is working out for the Bears at their rookie minicamp.
In the first of what will likely be a flurry of roster moves, the Chicago Bears have waived offensive lineman Tyrone Wheatley Jr., according to the NFL’s daily waiver wire on May 6.
Wheatley, who played tight end in college, began his career at Michigan, where he played from 2015 to 17, before transferring from the FBS to the FCS, attending Stony Brook his senior year in 2018. He went undrafted and spent some time in the Spring League after graduating from college, where he converted to offensive tackle, before the Bears signed him to their practice squad at the start of the regular season.
He signed a reserve/future contract with the Bears in January, but after general manager Ryan Poles drafted tackle Braxton Jones, offensive linemen Ja’Tyre Carter and Zachary Thomas and center Doug Kramer in the draft this year, there was little need to keep Wheatley around.
The team also brought two veteran defensive backs, Maurice Canady and Jayson Stanley, in for workouts during rookie minicamp.
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Canady: Background & Stats
A sixth-round pick for the Baltimore Ravens (209th overall) out of Virginia in 2016, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound Canady spent over three seasons in Baltimore, playing in 24 games and starting two.
Canady, who turns 28 on May 26, was waived by the Ravens over halfway through the 2019 season and was picked up shortly after by the New York Jets. He landed with the Dallas Cowboys the following year, opting out in 2020. He played in eight games in 2021, where his role was primarily on special teams. He registered six tackles in limited opportunities on defense, while playing 48% of the team’s special teams snaps last year.
Over his five years in the league, Canady has played in 40 games, starting four. In that time, he has amassed 86 total tackles (70 solo, three for loss), three QB hits, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery six passes defensed and an interception.
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Stanley: Background & Stats
An undrafted free agent out of the University of Georgia, Stanley had a cup of coffee with the Atlanta Falcons in 2019 before having brief stops on the practice squads of the Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars before landing with the Seattle Seahawks in 2020. He played in eight games for the Seahawks that year, playing seven snaps on defense and 129 snaps on special teams.
Stanley, 25, had a brief stint with the Green Bay Packers last season, spending less than a week on their practice squad.
The 6-foot-2, 207-pound corner was a Swiss Army Knife of sorts, playing wide receiver, while also serving multiple roles on special teams, including gunner on punt coverage and as a downfield blocker on returns. He finished his collegiate career with four rushes for 81 yards (20.3 yards per carry) and three-point catches for 32 yards and a score. Coincidentally, his lone TD reception at Georgia came on a 9-yard pass from former Bulldogs quarterback Justin Fields, shortly before Fields transferred to Ohio State.
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