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Bear Digest

Bears' Interest in Scotty Miller Best Explained by Roster Inventory

A look at positions with number shortages reveals why they reportedly plan to take a look at the Barrington native and former Super Bowl winner.
Gene Chamberlain|
Former Steelers, Falcons and Buccaneers receiver hauls in a pass in Atlanta training camp.
Former Steelers, Falcons and Buccaneers receiver hauls in a pass in Atlanta training camp. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

The Bears are bringing in free agent receiver Scotty Miller for a visit next week according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, that is if he doesn't sign first with Detroit.

It's the annual postdraft roster fill, which includes both undrafted free agents and lower cost free agents who are still available. Receiver is probably the position they most need to address through free agent signings simply to fill out roster spots.

Miller visited Detroit first on Tuesday. Either way, Miller's role has been at the bottom of three teams' rosters or on the practice squad and there are several backup receivers already on the Bears' 90-man roster who have the advantage of system knowledge over Miller.

Miller, a Barrington native, is known for good speed but has had more than 11 receptions in a season only once since his lone big year, a 33-catch second season with Tom Brady at quarterback for the Super Bowl champion Buccaneers in 2020. He had 23 catches in 2022 for Tampa Bay and has 99 receptions in his seven-year career.

This could be one of several receivers the Bears add before training camp. There will be plenty of receivers in on a tryout basis at their May 8-9 rookie minicamp and this could be position where they add some of those players.

They drafted burner Zavion Thomas, who ran the combine 40 in 4.28 seconds. They carried only six receivers into the draft. In past years the Bears have had 11 to 13 wide receivers for their 90-man rosters, so adding a few more who may or may not even make the roster was necessary.

The undrafted wide receivers they added to date are Michigan State's Omari Kelly, per NFL.com, and Florida State's Squirrel White, according to his school.

Kelly played at Middle Tennessee State and Auburn prior to Michigan State. He had two strong seasons to finish his career, one with Middle Tennessee State when he had 53 catches for 869 yards and four touchdowns. Last year he had 47 receptions or 626 yards for the Spartans. The 6-foot, 188-pounder ran a 4.48-second 40.

White is only 5-9, 175 pounds and had a large impact at Tennessee before he had almost no role last year for the Seminoles. He had 67 catches for 803 yards and two TDs as a sophomore in 2023 for the Vols and made 131 of his 136 receptions for them. He was also a return man but never made more than seven punt returns for either school.

The Bears carried only six receivers most of last year. Luther Burden, Rome Odunze, Thomas and Kalif Raymond rate top four with Jahdae Walker and Maurice Alexander returning, as well. They also still have JP Richardson, who was on their practice squad and got into one game.

They could add two or three more from the coming rookie camp or the lower-end free agent market.

More deficiencies

If there's a position where they most need to add players besides wide receiver, it's safety and defensive tackle and/or end.

After drafting safety Dillon Thieneman in Round 1, they still need one or two more for depth and to work with backups in camp. They signed Oregon State safety Skyler Thomas, according to the Oregonian's James Crepea. Thomas missed the entire 2023 season due to injury but played the last two years an in 2021 and 2022. He was an immediate impact safety for the Beavers and led them in tackling the last two years.

He also fit the Dennis Allen mold because he can play numerous secondary positions, and his 6-foot-2 height helps both at safety or when he lined up on a receiver man-to-man in the slot.

He had 191 total tackles, three interceptions and 17 pass breakups.

The safety group now includes Thieneman and Coby Bryant as starters, Elijah Hicks, backup slot and safety Cam Lewis, Thomas and 2025 practice squad player Gervarrius Owens.

Up-front issues

They brought aboard an undrafted defensive tackle in Wake Forest' Jayden Loving, a 6-1, 309-pounder who NFL.com's Lance Zierlein says possesses "...a rare blend of quickness and explosiveness," but his "...short arms fall below the NFL standard."

He made 4 1/2 sacks and 12 tackles for loss at Western Kentucky and Wake Forest.

Loving's 4.8-second time in the was astounding but his production didn't live up to his athleticism. Either way, a defensive tackle at the rookie minicamp on tryout could rate a chance to earn a camp spot.

The case at defensive end isn't a quantity deficiency as much as it's a quality deficiency. After two strong starters in Montez Sweat and Austin Booker, there two players who may not be able to practice until training camp in Dayo Odeyingbo and Shemar Turner, and six four more who have a combined 1 1/2 sacks in the NFL. Jonathan Garvin had the sack and a half for Green Bay in 2021 and Daniel Hardy, Jamree Kromah and Jeremiah Martin have never made one.

Signing a veteran edge looks like the way to go because they need quality over the quantity for pass rush.

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Published
Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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