Bears to sign defensive tackles McCargo and Pressley

Bears to sign defensive tackles McCargo and Pressley
By Brad Biggs, Tribune reporter

9:40 p.m. CDT, May 10, 2012
The Bears weren't able to add help at defensive tackle during the draft, so they found some on the street.

An NFL source told the Tribune the team agreed to terms Thursday night with John McCargo, a former first-round draft pick of the Bills, and DeMario Pressley, former teammates at North Carolina State. Both players will receive one-year contracts.

McCargo and Pressley are in position to battle for a roster spot because the Bears have only three experienced tackles: Henry Melton, Matt Toeaina and Stephen Paea, last year's second-round draft pick.

The Buccaneers released McCargo this month. The Bills drafted him 26th overall in 2006, and his most productive season was 2007, when he played in all 16 games and made 29 tackles with 2 1/2 sacks. The 6-foot-2, 307-pounder appeared in four games for the Bucs last season.

Pressley was a fifth-round pick of the Saints in 2008 and played in seven games in their 2009 Super Bowl season. He has been with the Colts, Broncos and appeared in one game last season with the Panthers.

McCargo and Pressley were part of a tryout Thursday at Halas Hall that also included defensive tackle Trey Lewis and defensive end Cheta Ozougwu, sources said.

Chicago Bears: Bears sign defensive tackles McCargo and Pressley - chicagotribune.com

Well at least these guys have some NFL experience.

Which tackle position will they play?

Don't know anything about Pressley but as badly as a Broncos have needed Dlineman if he didn't cut it here I'd say he's just meat for camp. McCargo has be a disappointment with a capital D ever since he was drafted. He played behind Kyle Williams in Buffalo but when they drafted Marcel Dareus last year he was sent packing.

He's a NT and I would be shocked if he made the team. He's generally been considered a bust wherever he's played so I guess I don't see the rationale behind either of these signings.

John McCargo #79 DT
Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Official Team Site
Height: 6-2 Weight: 307 Age: 28
Born: 8/19/1983 Meherrin , VA
College: North Carolina State
Experience: 6th season
High School: Randolph Henry HS [Charlotte Court House, VA]

TCKL
5

SCK
0.0

FF

INT
--

Profile
Career Stats
Game Logs
Game Splits
Situational Stats

Recent Games more

WK OPP RESULT Tackles Interceptions Fumbles

Comb Total Ast Sck SFTY PDef Int Yds Avg Lng TDs FF

12 http://i.nflcdn.com/static/site/4.0/img/video.gif @TEN L 17-23 3 1 2 0.0 -- 0 -- -- 0.0 -- -- 0

13 http://i.nflcdn.com/static/site/4.0/img/video.gif CAR L 19-38 1 1 0 0.0 -- 0 -- -- 0.0 -- -- 0

14 http://i.nflcdn.com/static/site/4.0/img/video.gif @JAC L 14-41 0 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0.0 -- -- --

Career Stats more

Season Team Tackles Interceptions Fumbles

G GS Comb Total Ast Sck SFTY PDef Int Yds Avg Lng TDs FF

2011 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4 0 5 3 2 0.0 -- 0 -- -- 0.0 -- -- 0

2010 Buffalo Bills 1 0 1 0 1 0.0 -- 0 -- -- 0.0 -- -- 0

2009 Buffalo Bills 11 1 11 7 4 0.0 -- 0 -- -- 0.0 -- -- 0

2008 Buffalo Bills 7 0 0 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0.0 -- -- --

2007 Buffalo Bills 16 0 29 20 9 2.5 -- 4 -- -- 0.0 -- -- 1

2006 Buffalo Bills 5 0 6 5 1 0.0 -- 1 -- -- 0.0 -- -- 0

TOTAL 52 35 17 2.5 0 5 0 0 -- 0 0

Recent Games more
WK	OPP	RESULT	Tackles	Interceptions	Fumbles
	Comb	Total	Ast	Sck	SFTY	PDef	Int	Yds	Avg	Lng	TDs	FF
12	http://i.nflcdn.com/static/site/4.0/img/video.gif @TEN	L 17-23	3	1	2	0.0	--	0	--	--	0.0	--	--	0

13	http://i.nflcdn.com/static/site/4.0/img/video.gif CAR	L 19-38	1	1	0	0.0	--	0	--	--	0.0	--	--	0

14	http://i.nflcdn.com/static/site/4.0/img/video.gif @JAC	L 14-41	0	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	0.0	--	--	--

Career Stats more
Season	Team		Tackles	Interceptions	Fumbles
	G	GS	Comb	Total	Ast	Sck	SFTY	PDef	Int	Yds	Avg	Lng	TDs	FF
2011	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	4	0	5	3	2	0.0	--	0	--	--	0.0	--	--	0

2010	Buffalo Bills	1	0	1	0	1	0.0	--	0	--	--	0.0	--	--	0

2009	Buffalo Bills	11	1	11	7	4	0.0	--	0	--	--	0.0	--	--	0

2008	Buffalo Bills	7	0	0	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	0.0	--	--	--

2007	Buffalo Bills	16	0	29	20	9	2.5	--	4	--	--	0.0	--	--	1

2006	Buffalo Bills	5	0	6	5	1	0.0	--	1	--	--	0.0	--	--	0

TOTAL	52	35	17	2.5	0	5	0	0	--	0	0

They both won't make it to the final roster. Reminds me of the Vernon Gholston signing last offseason.

Via the bears website they also signed DE Cheta Ozougwu... a former Mr. Irrelevant from 2011. He didn't play a snap in 2011 due to injury and was cut by the Texans.

Be interesting to see if any of these guys make the final cut. The more you read about the team's plans for Shea it sounds like Lovie/Marinelli intend to move Idonije inside for some downs rather than taking him off the field.

Quote:

Originally Posted by draw2anderson35

Via the bears website they also signed DE Cheta Ozougwu... a former Mr. Irrelevant from 2011. He didn't play a snap in 2011 due to injury and was cut by the Texans.

Be interesting to see if any of these guys make the final cut. The more you read about the team's plans for Shea it sounds like Lovie/Marinelli intend to move Idonije inside for some downs rather than taking him off the field.

Yeah I don't know if I agree with doing that. A fresher Izzy to me at DE is more important than moving him back to DT to make up the snap deficit. Plus his ST role (at least blocking kicks on FG's). They really could have gotten someone at DT.

I'd think practice squad guys would stand a better chance than McCargo- McGruber and Pressley.

Quote:

Originally Posted by draw2anderson35

Via the bears website they also signed DE Cheta Ozougwu... a former Mr. Irrelevant from 2011. He didn't play a snap in 2011 due to injury and was cut by the Texans.

Be interesting to see if any of these guys make the final cut. The more you read about the team's plans for Shea it sounds like Lovie/Marinelli intend to move Idonije inside for some downs rather than taking him off the field.

Yeah, here's the article from the Trib. None of these guys have much to their credit except the fact that they have made NFL rosters so I guess that puts them a notch above rookies. Looks like they're gonna look for younger guys and no bring anyone like Harris or AA back. At least no for now.

Bears add DE Ozougwu to roster

http://www.trbimg.com/img-4fad1535/t...120511-001/600 DeMario Pressley with the New Orleans Saints after Super Bowl XLIV. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images / May 11, 2012)

By Brad Biggs Tribune reporter 8:21 a.m. CDT, May 11, 2012

The Chicago Bears added three players to the roster after a large workout Thursday, adding defensive end Cheta Ozougwuto the mix.The Tribune reported Thursday that veteran defensive tackles John McCargo and DeMario Pressley would be signed and the club announced all three players Friday.

Ozougwu was Mr. Irrelevant in the 2011 draft, a seventh-round selection of the Houston Texans. They brought him in to play outside linebacker and the Bears will try the 6-2, 255-pounder at end. Ozougwu was released before the start of the season last year. He had 11 sacks during his career at Rice.

The team will get a look at the veterans during the voluntary offseason workout program and at the mandatory minicamp next month. The Bears will host a rookie minicamp this weekend at Halas Hall. Unofficially, the Bears now have 87 players on their roster, three short of the limit. There will be probably more than 20 players at rookie minicamp on a tryout basis and it’s possible a few could get contract offers before the weekend is over.

bmbiggs@tribune.com
Twitter @BradBiggs

Whatever questions there may be about these signings I think Lovie answers here. We just signed three "bodies".

May 11, 2012 Bears sign three defensive linemen

By: Larry Mayer | Last Updated: 5/11/2012 3:49 PM

The Bears have bolstered their defensive line by signing three free agents to one-year contracts: tackles John McCargo and DeMario Pressley and end Cheta Ozougwu.

McCargo, 28, spent his first six NFL seasons with the Bills (2006-10) and Buccaneers (2011), recording 52 tackles and 2½ sacks while appearing in 44 games with one start. His most productive season was in 2007 when he had 29 tackles and 2½ sacks while playing in all 16 games for the only time in his career.

http://www.chicagobears.com/userfile...Cargo_head.jpg

John McCargo

The Bills selected McCargo 26th overall in the 2006 draft with a pick they obtained from the Bears in exchange for choices in the second and third rounds (Nos. 42 and 73) that turned into safety Danieal Manning and defensive tackle Dusty Dvoracek.
Pressley, who played with McCargo at North Carolina State, spent his first three NFL seasons with the Saints (2009), Texans (2010) and Panthers (2011), registering 20 tackles in eight games with no starts.
Pressley, 26, won a Super Bowl ring with New Orleans after being selected in the fifth round of the 2009 draft. He also spent time with the Colts and Broncos last offseason.
Ozougwu, 23, was selected by the Texans with the final pick in the 2011 draft from Rice, making him Mr. Irrelevant. He was waived injured by Houston and did not appear in any regular season games as a rookie.

"We're just trying to get as many good players as we can in the mix," said coach Lovie Smith. "When you bring in veteran players that have had some success in the league, it helps. We felt like we needed a few more bodies on that defensive front and we were able to get that."