The Chicago Bears made waves with their new rookie draft picks, but there’s also one undrafted free agent signing that continues to generate buzz: Former Wyoming offensive lineman Caden Barnett, who was considered a top-two UDFA signing at his position.
Barnett, known as the “Vanilla Gorilla,” brings a nastiness to the offensive trenches and has the athleticism that Ben Johnson, Ryan Poles and the Bears have coveted this offseason. Barnett also brings versatility to the table, having played both right tackle and right guard during his time at Wyoming.
Head coach Ben Johnson explained what attracted the Bears to Barnett, and it sounds like he could carve out a role for himself along this offensive line.
“I think he plays the game the way we want to play it,” Johnson said. “So, there’s a physical demeanor about him. That’s what stands out first and foremost. I think we got a couple really good offensive line coaches that when we have a guy that has traits like that, that are harder to coach, that you can help clean up the technique and things of that nature. So when the mind’s right, I have a lot of confidence in our coaching staff to get the rest of it right.”
Barnett played both right guard and right tackle at Wyoming, making him a versatile option along the offensive line. As for where he’ll line up, Johnson said they’ll start him at guard but isn’t ruling out moving him around.
“We’ll probably line him up inside initially, but with all these guys, the best way to make the roster, if you’re not going to be a starter, is to showcase versatility. So whether that’s showing that he can snap the ball or he can bounce outside, the more versatility that we have in our backup offensive line, the better off we are.”
Barnett has a great chance to make the 53-man roster, and his contract speaks for itself. The Bears signed Barnett to a $277,500 deal and a $30,000 signing bonus. Only five UDFA signings received more guaranteed money in their contracts. He’s certainly someone to watch this summer.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Ben Johnson explains why the Bears signed UDFA Caden Barnett
Reporting by Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
