Bears Blitz

Published by Jake Perper on March 14, 2012
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

Day two of the NFL‘s free agency period wasn’t as crazy for the Bears as it was during the first day.

The Bears re-signed veteran QB Josh McCown and TE Kellen Davis today. They also inked WR/KR Eric Weems to a contract.

Let’s breakdown the Bears signings and rumors by position.

QB: Josh McCown signed with the Bears late last season off the street. He started two games and completed 63.6 percent and two touchdowns. He will likely serve as the No. 3 quarterback. Second-year quarterback Nathan Enderle will likely be the fourth arm in training camp.

RB: Michael Bush visited with the Bears today as well as the Bengals. Bush could be looking for starter money considering he is one of the best free-agent running backs available. Bush ran for nearly 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns a season ago. Bush might be out of the Bears price range. The interest in a running back likely signals the end of Marion Barber. Stay tuned to the rumors swirling around the running back position.

WR/KR: Eric Weems was inked to a three-year deal. He will take over Sam Hurd’s role on special teams and will likely get a shot to return kickoffs with Johnny Knox’s recovering from his back injury. Look for the Bears to add another receiver either through the draft or through free agency.

TE: Kellen Davis was re-signed to a two-year deal. He will likely be the No. 1 tight end once again. He caught only 18 touchdowns a season ago, but he reeled in five. Davis wasn’t going to be a starter on the teams he visited (Pittsburgh, Dallas and Cincinnati). Look for the Bears to possibly add another blocking tight end through the draft.

Offensive Line: Anthony Herrera is a veteran offensive guard, who was coached by Bears offensive coordinator Mike Tice. He visited with the Bears today. The move might not make sense considering the Bears already have Chris Spencer, Chris Williams, Roberto Garza, Edwin Williams and Lance Louis under contract at guard.

CB: Kelvin Hayden was at Halas Hall today—a place he visited last off-season. He had some medical issues then, so the Bears passed on him. He has been coveted by Lovie Smith and the Bears for a while now. Don’t be shocked if he is added to the roster on a short-term deal in the next coming days.

S: Laron Landry has interest from five teams—one is reportedly the Bears. He won’t come cheap that’s for sure. With Major Wright and Chris Conte the only safeties under contract for next season, the Bears need to think about adding a veteran to the mix. Craig Steltz is an unrestricted free agent, but he isn’t a legit starter. With Major Wright having injury problems so far in his young career, adding a crafty veteran like Landry might not be a bad idea. Landry could be visiting Halas Hall sometime soon.

Final Thoughts

The Bears didn’t make a lot noise today, but they made some needed moves. The quarterback position is set, special teams is improving and the tight end position is that much closer to complete.

Running back, safety, offensive line and defensive end will be position that will be targeted over the period of free agency. Remember the Bears still have all seven draft picks because the 2012 third-round pick they traded for Brandon Marshall was originally Carolina‘s (Greg Olsen trade).

Look out for updates on day three of free agency tomorrow.

Jake Perper is the owner and head writer for Bearsbacker.com. Follow him on Twitter, @Bearsbacker and on Facebook for up to the minute news about the Bears.

Read more Chicago Bears news on BleacherReport.com