Standing Up the Pats?

Bears sign another punter and long snapper with both long snapper Patrick Scales and punter Pat O'Donnell slated to hit free agency.

USA Today

It could be a changing of the guard on Bears special teams or possibly some very good job competition for Patrick Scales and Pat O'Donnell.

The Bears on Wednesday signed a pair of street free agents with NFL experience in punter Ryan Winslow and former Titans long snapper Beau Brinkley.

Both Scales and O'Donnell are scheduled to be unrestricted free agents in March if they do not get signed by the Bears.

Winslow has not really established himself, although he has punted for three different teams in games and also kicked off. He averaged 41.6 yards for 22 punts.

It's Brinkley who has plenty of time logged. The 6-foot-4, 260-pounder was long snapper from 2012 through seven games in 2020 for the Titans. Brinkley, who is 32 years old, was cut after Week 8 in 2020 during the season after a low snap on a punt against Pittsburgh, followed by another low snap on an extra point the following game with Cincinnati. He signed on last year for a three-game replacement stint during the season with the Arizona Cardinals but was later released.

Scales is 34 years old and has been the long snapper for the Bears since 2015. He missed the 2017 season due to a torn ACL.

O'Donnell, who will be 31 this season, has been with the team since 2014. Last season O'Donnell's punting average was 46.2 yards, 15th in the league. The Bears had problems covering punts last year and allowed the second-most return yardage (375 yards). O'Donnell's net punting average of 38.5 yards was 25th in the league.

Last year O'Donnell's cap hit was the 16th highest for a punter at $1.075 million. Scales was tied for 12th highest long snapper cap hit at $987,500.

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