1 undrafted free agent who will make Bears’ 2024 roster

Rookie free agent linebacker John McCartan has a chance to make a contribution for the Bears The Chicago Bears have been the NFL’s dominant team throughout the offseason. They had the Nos. 1 and 9 selections in the recently completed NFL Draft and they selected USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick. He is expected to become the team’s QB1 this season and great things are expected. They also added wide receiver Rome Odunze from Washington as one of team’s top pass-catching targets.

The draft came after the Bears signed free agent wide receiver Keenan Allen from the Los Angeles Chargers. Allen has been one of the top receivers in the league, and the combination of Odunze, Allen and holdover D.J. Moore should give Chicago one of the top receiving trios in the league.

But bringing in a top veteran free agent and drafting potential stars was not the only thing that general manager Ryan Poles was responsible for in the offseason. In addition to drafting five rookies, Poles signed 14 rookie free agents.

While it’s not likely that most of these players will make the team’s final roster there should be an opportunity for one or more to make the team. One of those players is Oregon State linebacker John McCartan.

1 undrafted free agent who will make Bears’ 2024 roster

The Bears made significant progress on defense last year, and that area became a strength for head coach Matt Eberflus by the end of the season. However, the Bears are going to have to continue to make progress in this area during the 2024 season. Even though Williams and Odunze are likely to help the Bears build a dangerous offense, having a defense that can either shut down or at least slow down opponents will take pressure off the offensive demands on the team’s young stars.

Linebacker John McCartan, Oregon State

The Bears hope that McCartan will be able to show off his talent in minicamp and later in training camp this summer. McCartan checks in at 6-5 and 243 pounds, and he clearly has the kind of size and strength that will help him make plays at the next level.

McCartan had a solid season with the Beavers last year, registering 47 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble and 1 pass defensed.