The Chicago Bears AAF connections were tragically short. After just eight official games, the existent of the upstart Alliance of American Football came to an end. It’s still not quite clear why the league shut down so quickly but it appears their biggest financial backer did not wish to continue any further after losing a reported $70 million.
This move has suddenly made a host of football players jobless once again. While that is tragic news for a lot of them, many of whom never had a hope of playing in the NFL, others did enough during their short runs to get attention from teams for this upcoming season.
While it’s no guarantee any of them will suddenly become studs upon a return to the big stage, there is a chance their extra polish in the AAF could land them a prime rotational spot as a backup. It would be foolish for the Bears to at least not have an interest in such help. So who among the newly freed up players should they be targeting?
Kameron Kelly (S)
A big defensive back who originated from San Diego State, Kelly went undrafted last year. This despite many believing he was talented enough to go as high as the 5th round. He spent the offseason with the Dallas Cowboys but was among their final cuts. Rather than try latching on to another team, he took an opportunity to play in the AAF.
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He was originally intended to play wide receiver for them due to his impressive ball skills in college (9 interceptions). However, that changed when injuries struck the defense. He was moved to cornerback and ended up tying for the league lead with four interceptions including a pick six against Salt Lake. He’s only 22-years old too.
De’Vante Bausby (CB)
A lot of Bears fans will remember Bausby. He was an undrafted discovery of Ryan Pace back in 2015. He spent two seasons with the team and had a couple of strong showings in the preseason. Yet he only managed to appear in four games, never cracking the top of the depth chart. Finally, after a brief stint in Philadelphia, he joined the San Antonio Commanders.
He ended up tying for the league lead with four interceptions. This included a huge one against Atlanta to preserve a win. One that would’ve resulted in a playoff berth had the league not folded. It’s clear what the Bears saw in him wasn’t a mirage. Maybe it’s time for a second chance.
Jayrone Elliott (EDGE)
Elliott is one of the more curious cases in recent NFL memory. Undrafted out of Toledo in 2014, it always looked like he had something to offer as a pass rusher. He had 8.5 sacks across five preseasons playing for the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys. If that weren’t enough, he had 15 pressures and four sacks in 203 total pass rush snaps. That’s actually pretty good.
Aaron Lynch had 203 pass rush snaps last year and he had 16 pressures and three sacks.
Elliott finally decided to seek playing time in the AAF with the San Antonio Commanders. He ended up leading the league with 7.5 sacks in eight games. He’s still just 27-years old. It is clear he has something to offer.
Damontre Moore (EDGE)
Expectations were high for Moore when the New York Giants drafted him in the 3rd round back in 2013. After a quiet rookie year, things seemed to get going in the right direction in 2014 where he had 5.5 sacks. However, that proved to be his ceiling. He lasted just one more year for the Giants and spent the next 3.5 after that with four different teams.
Needing a fresh start to sort of get himself on track again, Moore signed with the San Diego Fleet. The gamble paid off. He tied for the league lead with 7.5 sacks including five over his final four games. Moore always had talent and is still only 26-years old. It might be worth giving him a proper look.
Nick Rose (K)
The Bears appear to have changed tactics. Rather than sign one kicker of some note, they’ve instead begun collecting multiple kickers as part of greater competition. They have two already in Redford Jones and Chris Blewitt. It wouldn’t be a surprise if they added a couple more before training camp begins.
Nick Rose is a name that surfaced on NFL radars for one season in 2017. He spent part of the year with the Los Angeles Chargers and the rest with the Washington Redskins. During that time he went 11-of-14 on field goals. He eventually landed back with the Chargers where he handled kickoff duties in the playoffs before signing a deal to play for San Antonio.
In eight games for them, he went a perfect 14-of-14 including 2-of-2 from beyond 50 yards. Including his brief NFL stint, he was 3-of-4 from 50+. Something worth noting.
