The Chicago Bears trimmed their roster on Friday by parting ways with defensive lineman Ego Ferguson.
We have waived DL Ego Ferguson. pic.twitter.com/uOBIWhP1Rw
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) March 31, 2017
Ferguson’s career never really took off with the Bears. He played in 16 games as a rookie in 2014, but played in only four more games in the next two seasons. Ferguson missed 12 games in 2015 and ended the season on injured reserve because of a knee injury. Nearly a month after his season was over, Ferguson was suspended by the NFL for a PED violation that cost him $143,000 in salary. Things didn’t get any better from a health standpoint for Ferguson, who missed the entire 2016 season due to a shoulder injury.
The LSU product only made one start and collected only two sacks in his brief stint with the Bears.
Ferguson was a second-round pick (51st overall) by the Bears in 2014 and was part of Phil Emery’s final draft class in Chicago. In hindsight, it’s tough to see Ferguson off the roster already when second round picks chosen after him including Green Bay receiver Davante Adams (53rd) and Cincinnati running back Jeremy Hill (55th) are budding productive players.
If you weren’t already feeling bad about cutting ties with a former second-round pick, consider that the New England Patriots plucked quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo only 11 picks after Ferguson was chosen by the Bears. Ouch.