Ryan Poles was going to utilize that top waiver wire position. It was only a matter of how many times. Once final cuts went through, reports surfaced that the Chicago Bears had claimed two players. One was former Colts defensive end Khalid Kareem. The other was former Rams safety Quindell Johnson. It won’t be a surprise if most people focus on Kareem. He’s a versatile defensive lineman who fits what this team likes to do. The Bears need as much help up front as they can get. However, it also won’t be a surprise if Johnson becomes the better acquisition.
I first mentioned him back in January during one of my (many) mock off-seasons. After watching the safety enough times, I was convinced he was a perfect fit for the Bears. He had size at 6’1, 195 lbs, length, and 4.47 speed. Yet that wasn’t the biggest selling point. Johnson is a ballhawk. Across four seasons at Memphis, he racked up 10 interceptions and four forced fumbles. Watch the Mississippi State game last year for an idea of how often he finds his way to the football. Matt Eberflus always preaches turnovers. It felt like a match made in heaven.
Quindell Johnson feels shockingly overlooked.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com rated him as a 5th round prospect. The primary concerns were his average cover speed and lack of discipline as a tackler. That didn’t stop him from collecting 320 tackles in college, including 15.5 for a loss. Nothing about his game suggests he should’ve gone undrafted. The only explanation could be that 19 other safeties were drafted. It’s possible he got lost in the shuffle. Whatever the reason, Chicago has a legitimate talent that is an ideal fit for what they do.
Even his play in the preseason proved it. He made eight tackles on defense, three run stops, a pass breakup to prevent a touchdown, and two special teams tackles. All of that in only 153 total snaps. Quindell Johnson can play. The question with him is whether he gets an opportunity to get on the field. It won’t happen right away. Eddie Jackson and Jaquan Brisker are firmly entrenched as starters. However, if he takes to the system as he should, don’t be surprised if he starts popping up later this season.
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This is another example of a player who maybe better than his draft status. Scouting is not an exact science. There is always misinformation out there. Every year there are players who slip through the draft process only to out perform their status. This is why scouting and evaluations are so important and Poles understands this
Would love to hear why the teams let these players go – what did they not like in them?