The Chicago Bears haven't wasted a lot of time with the 2020 offseason. They started things off fast when they drastically overhauled their coaching staff. No fewer than four new faces were added, all to the offensive side. They gave an extension to safety Eddie Jackson. Now it appears they've already landed one of the free agents they coveted when the offseason began. Only it's not a name a lot of fans are familiar with. Not NFL fans anyway.
The Canadian Football League is known mostly for its high octane offenses. However, its been known to produce some really good defensive players over the years. The most famous being star pass rusher Cameron Wake. Well it turns out that the Bears just gave the largest contract to a CFL free agent since Wake when they secured the services of cornerback Tre Roberson from the Calgary Stampeders according to Adam Schefter.
A notable move considering no fewer than nine other teams were involved.
Chicago Bears may have secured a potential stud in Roberson
Roberson was almost an instant sensation at cornerback when he arrived in Canada. His first season saw him grab three interceptions. Then this past year he jumped up to seven including two returned for a touchdown. His play was a huge reason the Stampeders won the Grey Cup in 2018. At 6'0 he has good size, plenty of athleticism and an obvious nose for the football. At 27-years old, he's also in his physical prime.
The Bears likely had a leg up in these negotiations from the start considering Roberson comes from Indianapolis and went to Illinois State in college. He spent his entire career as a quarterback, taking his team to the FCS playoffs twice. However, he knew his odds of making it to the NFL were slim at that position. So like his former teammate Cameron Meredith, he decided to make a switch. In this case, he chose cornerback. He did enough to sign on as an undrafted free agent with the Minnesota Vikings in 2016.
Sadly a stacked roster made his odds of making the team unlikely. So he made the decision to head north where he became a star. Now he's returning home with a strong chance to become a big contributor to one of the best defenses in the NFL. What a cool story.
