The Chicago Bears held their 2024 rookie minicamp on May 10 and 11, and they added some intriguing new talent after it was over.
NFL Draft Buzz’s Cam Marino was first to report that the Bears are signing cornerback Leon Jones Jr., an undrafted free agent out of Arkansas State.
The Bears are also signing former Buffalo Bills tight end Tommy Sweeney. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, who first reported Sweeney’s signing, referred to it as “a comeback story,” as Sweeney has suffered multiple setbacks since entering the league in 2019.
Additionally, speed and agility trainer Lamont White made a post on Instagram that the Bears had signed his client, defensive tackle DaShaun Mallory, but the post has since been deleted, and White’s signing hasn’t been corroborated or confirmed by anyone else. So, we’ll see if any future reports also tie him to the Bears.
With White a question mark, lets take a closer look at what Jones and Sweeney could bring to Chicago’s roster.
CB Leon Jones Highlights Bears’ 2024 Minicamp Signings
The 6-foot-1, 192-pound Jones spent his three collegiate seasons at Arkansas State, appearing in 33 games. In 13 games last season, Jones finished with 26 total tackles and six pass breakups.
A big corner with solid ball skills, Jones made some eye-catching plays at Chicago’s minicamp, including this one detailed by Nicholas Moreano of CHGO Sports: “Jones intercepted Austin Reed on Day 1 of rookie minicamp. Reed’s pass went right through the hands of his intended receiver, and then the ball was deflected in the air, and Jones came down the the pick.”
The Bears are currently stocked at CB. They inked veteran starter Jaylon Johnson to a four-year, $76 million extension this offseason, and returning starters Kyler Gordon and Tyrique Stevenson are each under contract for several more years.
With Josh Blackwell, Terell Smith and Greg Stroman Jr. also on the roster, Jones has his work cut out for him. Still, he could challenge Blackwell and Stroman for a roster spot if he plays well against the vets during training camp.
Bears Also Added Tight End Tommy Sweeney
TE Tommy Sweeney is signing with the Bears after a tryout at rookie minicamp, per source. A comeback story. Sweeney was with the Giants most of last year but sat out after he collapsed and had a “medical event” on the practice field.
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) May 12, 2024
A seventh-round pick out of Boston College for the Bills in 2019, Sweeney hauled in eight passes for 114 yards in six games as a rookie that year.
A foot injury and a bout with myocarditis kept him off the field for the entirety of his 2020 campaign, however.
Sweeney returned to action in 2021, playing in 13 games for Buffalo (three starts), catching nine passes for 44 yards and his first career touchdown. He played minimally the following year in 2022, catching just one pass for seven yards in five games.
Sweeney, who turns 29 in July, caught on briefly with the New York Giants in 2023, after his release from the Bills. During a team practice with New York last August, he had to be carted off the field and attended to by trainers due to what the Giants referred to as a “medical event.”
He didn’t play at all during the 2023 regular season.
Now, he’ll get a new opportunity in Chicago. Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett are the clear top TEs on Chicago’s roster, but there’s room to add more talent at the position.
The Bears don’t have a reliable blocking tight end with Marcedes Lewis gone, and UDFAs Brendan Bates and Stephen Carlson will challenge Sweeney for a roster spot. Still, it would be an incredible story if Sweeney could battle back and make an NFL roster again. Stay tuned.
