People likely think the Chicago Bears basically threw a dart at a board when scooping up Tyson Bagent as an undrafted free agent. He was an extra arm for training. Nothing more. The truth flies directly in the face of that assumption. His addition to the roster resulted from months of hard work by the organization. Shepherd head coach Ernie McCook spoke to CHGO about his former quarterback and credited three men with being instrumental in luring him to Chicago, where he has since become a preseason sensation.
The first is Luke Getsy. This isn’t a huge surprise. The Bears offensive coordinator was a head coach at the Senior Bowl a few months ago. Bagent was one of his quarterbacks that week. He went 17-of-22 for 124 yards, showcasing his precision and accuracy. His only blemish was an interception in the final seconds when the game was well out of reach. After that, credit for bringing in Bagent shifted to two Bears scouts who reportedly recruited him hard and pushed GM Ryan Poles to make him a priority after the draft.
Adam Hoge revealed after the interview who those two men were.
Bradway likely spearheaded the Tyson Bagent pursuit.
After three years with the Las Vegas Raiders, he became the Bears’ northeast area scout in May of 2022, so this was his first proper off-season with the team. Poles seemed to trust him right out the gate, adding wide receiver Tyler Scott from Cincinnati in the 4th round. Bradway is a former wide receiver himself, so it would make sense that he has a keen eye for the quarterback position. He would’ve been the first on the ground watching Bagent since Shepherd is located in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. Once he was certain Bagent was legit, he likely pulled King into the mix, given his higher status in the front office.
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Once it became clear the kid fit everything they wanted in a quarterback, they made their pitch to Poles. The GM gave his blessing and joined the recruiting process, as did Getsy. Everything worked out. Tyson Bagent signed with the Bears shortly after the draft. A few months later, he put together two solid preseason performances and is now pushing for the backup quarterback spot. This is a good reminder of why smart GMs put great trust in their area scouts. If Bagent continues ascending, Bradway may have a promotion in his future.
Funny how a system without politics can work so well when each person does his job. Bagent is a winner and will work his way up. Glad to have him. Nice job by the scouts.