More Veteran Linebacker Depth

Former Packers and Cowboys backup added to Bears roster.

The Bears found more veteran linebacker help among the ranks of street free agents on Tuesday by signing linebacker Joe Thomas.

The 30-year-old has been a backup and a special teams player throughout most of his career, starting more than four games only in 2015 as a second-year player with Green Bay out of South Carolina State.

Thomas has experience playing in both a 4-3 and 3-4 and played for Houston in Lovie Smith's 4-3 last year. He was with Dallas in a 4-3 under defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli in 2018-19 and then a 3-4 in 2020.

Thomas has 218 tackles, 12 for loss and 1 1/2 sacks to go with 10 pass breakups.

Baltimore had Thomas last year for two games after Houston released him Oct. 16.

With a 4-3 defense in place now the Bears need more players who can play both middle linebacker and either strong side or weak side in the 4-3.

Christian Jones, Joel Iyiegbuniwe and Alec Ogletree are all 3-4 Bears inside linebackers on the roster who are unrestricted free agents. They also signed linebacker Noah Dawkins last week.

Danny Trevathan, Roquan Smith and Caleb Jones are linebackers under contract butit's often been speculated Trevathan could be cut for salary cap savings and also because most of his experience has been as an inside linebacker in a 3-4. He did play in a 4-3 in Denver at the very start off his career.

Bears outside linebackers are defensive ends in the new alignment, which leaves them short of players for outside in a 4-3.

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