Bears boost secondary depth by signing safety Nelson

Bears boost secondary depth by signing safety Nelson
By Brad Biggs, Tribune reporter

3:57 p.m. CST, January 29, 2013

The Chicago Bears have signed safety Tom Nelson, who played at Hersey High School in Arlington Heights, to a reserve/futures contract.

Nelson, who was released by the Philadelphia Eagles in August after suffering a high ankle sprain, gives the Bears some additional depth to consider in the secondary. The signing was first reported by ESPNChicago.com and confirmed by an NFL source.

Nelson was signed after a tryout. The Bears also had three other players in, according to an NFL source. Linebacker Sergio Kindle, defensive back Brandon Hogan and offensive tackle Trevis Turner were also in for workouts.

An undrafted free agent from Illinois State in 2009, Nelson spent the first two seasons of his career with the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bears had shown interest in him prior to the arrival of general manager Phil Emery and coach Marc Trestman.

Nelson signed with the Eagles in December 2011 but didn’t make it through preseason last summer.

The 5-11, 200-pound Nelson played in 12 games as a rookie in 2009, making three starts for the Bengals. He registered 20 tackles with one interception and two passes broken up. He played in eight games for the Bengals in 2010 and then appeared in the final four games of the 2011 season for the Eagles.

Nelson has played an extensive role on special teams in the past.


Chicago Bears news: Bears boost secondary depth by signing safety Tom Nelson - chicagotribune.com

Never heard of him before.

Camp player with enough experience to maybe make it as a STeams guy and backup SS. Hardin will be back if he can stay healthy this time and Walters looks like he's gonna stick but Steltz is vulnerable because he can't cover all that well. Nelson could be an upgrade guy.

This time of year, it never hurts to pick up guys like this. He was a small school guy that now has three years in the league to acclimate to this level. Picking up guys like this give you an opportunity to occasionally find a diamond in the rough with absolutely no risk. At the very minimum, he could be a nice ST addition. Local guy too, so coming home as a last chance could spark something to be his best.

Ran a 4.38 40 coming out in 2009.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 4DaBERS

This time of year, it never hurts to pick up guys like this. He was a small school guy that now has three years in the league to acclimate to this level. Picking up guys like this give you an opportunity to occasionally find a diamond in the rough with absolutely no risk. At the very minimum, he could be a nice ST addition. Local guy too, so coming home as a last chance could spark something to be his best.

Ran a 4.38 40 coming out in 2009.

---

Great points. Emery has been busy over the past few weeks signing some other guys like this, who may be worth a look in TC.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 4DaBERS

This time of year, it never hurts to pick up guys like this. He was a small school guy that now has three years in the league to acclimate to this level. Picking up guys like this give you an opportunity to occasionally find a diamond in the rough with absolutely no risk. At the very minimum, he could be a nice ST addition. Local guy too, so coming home as a last chance could spark something to be his best.



Ran a 4.38 40 coming out in 2009.

---

Maybe "White Men Can't Jump" but at least this proves that they can run. :lol-027:

Plus, he's gotta be shittin' himself that he could be a Bear.

Not a bad pickup. These types of signings are good for Training Camp becasue who knows you may find the next gem.