The Chicago Bears have brought in a few interesting undrafted free agents, with Wyoming offensive lineman Caden Barnett being one of them.
Barnett, 6’3″ and 316 lbs, scored an impressive 9.54 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) out of 10.00 and signed a $277.5k guaranteed contract. The plan, according to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, is for Barnett to get reps on the interior, as Barnett has played at both right guard and right tackle in college.
“I definitely think I’m an interior player,” Barnett said in an interview with NFL Draft SI Justin Melo. “Whether that’s at guard or center, I have the versatility needed to play all three. I’m very versatile in that way. If I need to bail us out of a jam, I believe I can play tackle in a pinch, if needed. I probably see myself playing guard as my primary position, but I can play all five.”
With the youngsters practicing for the first time at rookie minicamp, Ben Johnson didn’t hold back on his feelings regarding Barnett.
Bears HC Ben Johnson Makes Feelings Clear on Caden Barnett
When speaking about Caden Barnett, Ben Johnson believes his coaching staff can help take Barnett to another level.
“He plays the way we want to play it. So there’s a physical demeanor about him. That’s what stands out, first and foremost. I think we got a couple really good offensive line coaches. When you have a guy that has traits like that that are harder to coach that you can help clean up the technique and things of that nature. When the mind’s right, I have a lot of confidence in our coaching staff to get the rest of it.”
Barnett is not a perfect prospect by any means, but the traits and athleticism he brings to the table are very intriguing to the Bears’ coaching staff. There’s a good chance Barnett squeezes in the 53-man roster and takes the last spot on the offensive line.
Bleacher Report, The Athletic Believe Barnett Has a Shot at Making the Roster
Two major sports outlets, Bleacher Report and The Athletic, both have Caden Barnett as the Bears’ UDFA with the best chance at making the 53-man roster.
BR: “While Barnett certainly won’t push Jonah Jackson or Darnell Wright out of a job in the foreseeable future, he’ll have a chance to stick as a swing backup who provides depth behind the two right-side standouts.”
The Athletic: “A long-armed lineman, Barnett was a two-year starting right tackle at Wyoming before finishing his career as an all-conference right guard. A former wrestler with big-time power in the run game, Barnett (6-3, 316) is a great move who can compete for a roster spot.”
The praise can continue to pour in for Barnett, but he’ll have to prove to the Bears he deserves more than just a nice 277k paycheck to stay in Chicago.
The Bears boast one of the top offensive lines in the NFL, so making the roster won’t be easy. But with some hard work and the openness to take in all the criticism from offensive line coach Dan Roushar, Barnett could be the next UDFA success story in Chicago.
Bears HC Ben Johnson Makes Feelings Clear on $277k UDFA