NEWSLETTER
The NFL roster churn never ends, which has its perks in my humble opinion. Because while fans of other teams obsess over their upcoming playoff matchups, the Chicago Bears’ seemingly never-ending roster tweaks find ways to hold my interest. And while not all moves tickle my fancy, their latest transaction does.
Wide receiver Joe Reed is joining the team on a reserve/futures contract, the team announced on Thursday:
Reed, 25, was a fifth-round pick in 2020 out of Virginia. The UVA product went 22 spots off the board before the Bears took Darnell Mooney in the same NFL Draft class. But unlike Mooney, Reed played at a high level in a power conference. And for some talent evaluators, having that on his résumé matters. Reed was a two-time All-ACC performer at Virginia, earning first-team honors in 2019. He earned the Jet Award as college football’s top return specialist in 2019. In that season, he also picked up first-team All-American honors as a returner. Reed’s pro career hasn’t been much to write home about at this point. However, I suppose it doesn’t take much to find a path to a roster spot when looking at the state of the Bears right now.
Even if Reed doesn’t make it as a wideout, his speed (ran a 4.47 40-yard dash) and return experience could make him someone who battles for a roster spot next summer. And that could be fun to track as part of a new wave of Bears players looking to carve a niche. But we’ve got a long time to go before we get to that point. Even still … I can see a scenario where a down-the-depth-chart wideout with special teams experience could play his way onto the roster. It isn’t the prettiest way to make the team, but those summertime camp stories tend to follow.
It doesn’t hurt to have a sizzle reel like this:
