Bear Digest

Bears Add Another Running Back to Their Training Camp Mix

Former Browns and UCLA back Demetric Felton has signed with the Bears, bringing along a reputation as a back who contributes as a pass catcher.

Gene Chamberlain

Former Browns back Demetric Felton Jr. breaks the tackle attempt of Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Zech McPhearson. Felton has signed with the Bears.
Former Browns back Demetric Felton Jr. breaks the tackle attempt of Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Zech McPhearson. Felton has signed with the Bears. / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
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The Bears added more pass-catching ability to their running backs group with Sunday's signing of Demetric Felton.

The 2021 sixth-round draft choice of the Cleveland Browns caught 20 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns in two seasons, then last year was waived by the Browns at the end of August and was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals to the practice squad.

Felton is your typical undersized scatback or third-down back at 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds. He made eight rushes for 20 yards in his two seasons.

When Felton came out of UCLA in 2021, there was plenty of discussion about whether he was actually a running back or a wide receiver. The Browns played him at a hybrid type of position where he lined up as both at times but when he went to the Bengals he became only a running back.

Felton had 1,101 yards rushing with seven touchdowns and 99 catches for 958 yards and eight touchdowns at UCLA.

The move also gives the Bears another player with return ability. Felton averaged 23.5 yards on 26 kick returns in college. In the NFL, he made 39 punt returns for a 6.9-yard averaged and 10 kick returns for an 18.3-yard average.

The new kick return rule always is potential factor this year in the signing of a player who returns. The Bears could see Felton as the type of return man who could take advantage of the new kick alignment.

The Bears have D'Andre Swift, Khalil Herbert, Roschon Johnson, Travis Homer and undrafted rookie back Ian Wheeler on their roster at running back besides Felton.

They have room on the roster for this move because they received an international player exemption for punter Tory Taylor, who is from Australia.

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Gene Chamberlain

GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher 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.