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Sam Roush Is Last Bears Rookie Unsigned as Rare Round 3 Bottleneck Forms

Dillon Thieneman and Logan Jones signings mean only third-round pick Sam Roush remains unsigned. along with a handful of other NFL third-rounders.
Gene Chamberlain|
Sam Roush runs with a catch in drills during rookie minicamp. He remains the only unsigned Bears draft pick.
Sam Roush runs with a catch in drills during rookie minicamp. He remains the only unsigned Bears draft pick. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

If the Bears sign tight end Sam Roush by the end of this week, they can have the earliest fully signed draft class since Ryan Poles took over as GM.

Regardless, they appear to have avoided last year's near holdout situation in Round 2 with Luther Burden that resulted from an unusual and extensive bottleneck with Round 2 signings.

The signing Friday of first-round safety Dillon Thieneman for a reported four years and $19.5 million and of second-round center Logan Jones for four years and $8.468 million left Roush the only unsigned Bears player. Jones' signing means their second-round pick has signed before any other second-rounder under Poles. Now it's the third-rounder who must sign.

Roush's signing is delayed only by a small bubble atop Round 3, with the top six players in the round remaining unsigned as of Sunday morning, and seven total in Round 3. It's not nearly the serious situation last year's bottleneck in Round 2 was.

Right now Arizona quarterback Carson Beck holds the key to ending the small third-round bottleneck. Once he signs as the first pick in Round 3, the picks right after him should fall in order. Roush would be fifth in that group, right after Eagles tackle Markel Bell.

Last year's rare Round 2 holdup with signings was unique because it resulted from players wanting to wait to see if the player drafted ahead of them had received a fully guaranteed contract so they could demand one. Jayden Higgins, the 34th pick, was the first to sign in Round 2 and the first ever to get a fully guaranteed contract in Round 2.

Not quite like last year's Round 2 mess

Because of players waiting to see how far down into Round 2 the fully guaranteed deals would go last year, Burden didn't get signed until just before training camp. He did receive the fully guaranteed deal at No. 39.

Said guarantees haven't reached all the way down to the 57th pick this year, because Jones' deal this year isn't fully guaranteed. It's guaranteed for two-plus years.

So obviously this exact situation is not causing this Round 3 jam up now, but they could be waiting to see the exact percentage of guaranteed money for the first pick of the round.

Beck is the first player taken after Seattle's Bud Clark, the last pick in Round 2, signed for $7.88 million, a deal 70% guaranteed according to Spotrac.com.

The earliest the Bears had their first- an second-round picks signed under Poles until Friday had been June 15, when the 2023 class had first-rounder Darnell Wright signed by then, as well as defensive tackle Gervon Dexter and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson.

The earliest Round 1 signing by the Bears under Poles was Colston Montgomery last year on May 8 and the latest draft signing overall was safety Jaquan Brisker on July 26.

Either way, it shows Poles and contract negotiator Matt Feinstein remain on top of their game with contract and cap issues after the draft and free agency.

If only Poles could now come up with an extra edge rusher. There should be plenty of time to negotiate said deal considering they have only a third-round contract to complete now. Then they can get to work on Wright's contract extension to prevent him from reaching free agency next March.

The Bears have $8.2 million to spend, according to Overthecap.com.

Bears signings dates under GM Ryan Poles

First-round

(Earliest to latest)

TE Colston Loveland, May 8, 2025

T Darnell Wright, May 15, 2023

S Dillon Thieneman, June 5, 2026

QB Caleb Williams, July 17, 2024

Second-round

(Earliest to latest)

C Logan Jones, June 5, 2026

DT Gervon Dexter, 2023, June 15, 2023

CB Tyrique Stevenson, 2023, June 15, 2023

CB Kyler Gordon, June 25, 2022

T Ozzy Trapillo, July 17, 2025

WR Luther Burden, July 18, 2025

S Jaquan Brisker, July 26, 2022

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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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