Bear Digest

Bears Tryout Signings Include Former Caleb Williams Teammate

The Bears signed a group of players they had at rookie minicamp on a tryout basis, including a teammate and friend of Caleb Williams from USC's 2022 season.

Gene Chamberlain

John Jackson looks to get out of a crowd against UNLV last season for Nevada.
John Jackson looks to get out of a crowd against UNLV last season for Nevada. / JASON BEAN/RGJ / USA TODAY NETWORK
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It's all about familiarity and comfort for Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, and even their signings after rookie minicamp reflect it.

The Bears officially signed his friend and former USC teammate, wide receiver John Jackson. Over the two days of rookie minicamp, Jackson had been part of the work only on a tryout basis.

The Bears also signed five other players participating on a tryout basis, including veterans Freddie Swain and Tommy Sweeney.

Swain played from 2020-21 with Seattle, including one season in the offense of Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. He had 25 of his 42 NFL receptions in that season, then was with Denver and Miami the next year.

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Sweeney, a 6-foot-5, 255-pound tight end, was a seventh-round draft pick by the Bills and made 18 catches in three seasons before injuries and illness derailed his career.

Jackson only caught one pass from Williams in 2022 for 3 yards before leaving the school for Nevada, and he had 35 receptions for 267 yards (7.6-yard average) with the Wolf Pack last season. He made just five catches for 42 yards in his USC career over three seasons. His father was actually with the Bears briefly as a player in 1996 and got into five games as a reserve receiver after starting his career in three seasons with the Cardinals.

The other players the Bears signed who had been in camp on a tryout basis were Arkansas State cornerback Leon Jones, Michigan State/Arizona State defensive tackle Dashaun Mallory and Notre Dame/Georgia Tech linebacker Paul Moala.

Jones made an interception in the two-day camp and had another pass breakup. The 6-foot-1, 192-pounder made an interception and 20 pass breakups for the Red Wolves.

Mallory is from Bolingbrook. He is a 6-foot-2, 285-pound 3-technique type tackle who had 43 tackles, five for loss and 2 1/2 sacks for Michigan State, then in his final year 48 tackles with 10 for loss and two sacks for Arizona State.

Moala is a smaller, 5-11, 224-pound linebacker who started out as a defensive back with Notre Dame. He was with the Irish for 10 games in three seasons and had 22 tackle, including one for loss, and scored a touchdown on a fumble return. With Georgia Tech last season, he had 65 tackles, including 11 for loss and four sacks to go with two pass breakups.

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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.