Bears agree to terms with two draft picks
Bears agree to terms with two draft picks
By: Larry Mayer
The Bears on Tuesday agreed to terms with two of their draft picks, fourth-round tight end Evan Rodriguez and seventh-round cornerback Greg McCoy, on four-year contracts.
In three seasons at Temple, Rodriguez caught 69 passes for 871 yards and seven touchdowns in 37 career games. The 6-2, 244-pounder had 35 receptions for 479 yards and two TDs last year as a senior.
After the draft, general manager Phil Emery called the pick the “right role and right fit for a player and a team” and revealed that the Bears envision Rodriguez as a combination of a fullback and ‘F’ tight end, which is generally categorized as primarily a receiver who’s capable of lining up in the slot position.
McCoy was a four-year starter at TCU, where he recorded 92 tackles, seven interceptions and 17 pass breakups in 51 career games. The 5-10, 181-pounder was also a top kick returner, averaging 28.9 yards with three touchdowns on 52 returns.
The Dallas native was named Mountain West special teams player of the year last season as a senior after averaging 30.6 yards with two TDs on 37 kickoff returns. His two scores came on returns of 99 yards against UNLV and 94 yards versus Louisiana-Monroe.
McCoy and sixth-round pick Isaiah Frey of Nevada will join a crowded cornerback position that was recently bolstered by the signings of free agent veterans Kelvin Hayden and Jonathan Wilhite.
“[McCoy] is going to have every opportunity to compete for that fifth or sixth corner depending on how many we keep,” Emery said following the draft. “We have kept as many as six. Normally we keep five. There’s going to be an awfully good competitive mix since we brought in Jonathan and Kelvin to find out who makes that team.”
With Rodriguez and McCoy joining second-round receiver Alshon Jeffery, the Bears have now agreed to terms with three of their six draft picks. First-round defensive end Shea McClellin, third-round safety Brandon Hardin and Frey remain unsigned.
Bears agree to terms with two draft picks
