Getty Alec Ogletree just had a tryout with the Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are shaking the tree — as in the Ogletree. According to NFL insider Albert Breer, the Bears had three tryouts Friday, all linebackers, with former Rams first-round pick Alec Ogletree the most intriguing name on the list.
Today’s tryout/visit list.
• LB Alec Ogletree with the Bears.
• WR Donte Moncrief with the Jets.
Devante Bond, who the team recently released, and Gabe Sewell, an undrafted linebacker out of the University of Nevada, were the other two linebackers who worked out for Chicago Friday.
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Alec Ogletree: Would He Be a Good Fit in Chicago?
GettyAlec Ogletree performed well in his two seasons with the New York Giants. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Ogletree, who was drafted in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft, (30th overall), spent his first five seasons with the Rams. In that time, he started 67 games and compiled six interceptions, 12 forced fumbles, 5.5 sacks and two defensive scores. He then spent two years with the New York Giants, where he started 13 games in both 2018 and 2019 (26 total starts) before being released.
During his two seasons in New York, Ogletree was a solid contributor, picking off six passes, scoring two touchdowns (one of which was a pick-six on then-Bears quarterback Chase Daniel in 2018), 10 tackles for loss and seven quarterback hits. He also served as a team captain.
Would Ogletree be a good fit in Chicago? Absolutely. The Bears need depth at inside linebacker, and he would provide that, as well as some invaluable veteran savvy. If his tryout went well, he would be an excellent pick up for a Bears team in major need of depth. Behind Roquan Smith and Danny Trevathan on the inside, the Bears have Josh Woods and Joel Iyiegbuniwe bcking them up, so Ogletree would very likely become LB3 instantly. Woods and Iyiegbuniwe are fine, but they are nowhere near as proven as Ogletree.
What About Devante Bond & Gabe Sewell?
Sewell and Bond both lack the experience Ogletree has, but both do have youth on their side. Bond was a sixth-round draft pick for the Tampa Bay Bucs in 2016. He started six games for the Buccaneers over his first two seasons before he was waived last fall. Chicago then picked him up, and he played in three games, with his only snaps coming on special teams.
In his 2018 and 2019 seasons with the Wolf Pack, Sewell had 146 tackles, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and three sacks. He hasn’t played a down in the league, but he could be a potential practice squad addition.
Obviously, Ogletree would be the best of the bunch, as long as he’s healthy. He hasn’t seen any other offers, so he’d be easy on the salary cap, and could wind up being a key role player on an already loaded defense.
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