Tag: Kendall Williamson

Chargers make roster moves ahead of Week 16 game vs. Broncos

The Chargers made a few roster moves ahead of their Week 16 game against the Broncos on Thursday night.

The Chargers made a few roster moves ahead of their Week 16 game against the Broncos on Thursday night.

Los Angeles activated tight end Hayden Hurst from injured reserve.

Hurst has been out the past few weeks with a hip injury, but his return should help the positional room, which has been thin since Will Dissly sustained a shoulder injury against the Chiefs.

Additionally, the team elevated cornerback Dicaprio Bootle and safety Kendall Williamson from the practice squad.

In five games this season, Bottle has three tackles. He spent time with the Chiefs and Panthers before joining the Chargers.

Williamson spent time with the Bears and Bills before joining the Chargers practice squad.

Bills sign 13 players to reserve/future contracts

Full list:

(Update 1/24, 6:30 p.m.): The Bills have also signed QB Shane Buechele to a reserve/future contract:

Previous coverage: 

The Buffalo Bills had inked 11 players to reserve/future contracts earlier this week. Then on Tuesday, two more were added to the bunch.

A reserve/future contract guarantees that a player cannot be signed by another team. The deal goes into effect once the new league year begins and will count towards the next season’s salary cap and 90-man roster for the offseason and training camp.

Of the 13, 11 were on the team’s practice squad during the 2023 season. Two of them, wide receiver KJ Hamler and safety Kendall Williamson, were not.

Here’s the full list of the 13 players the Bills have signed to reserve/future deals:

Bears rookie report card from preseason win vs. Titans

How did the Bears 2023 rookie class look during Saturday’s game? Here’s our report card.

When the Chicago Bears took the field against the Tennessee Titans for their first preseason game, it was the first chance many fans were able to see the team’s 2023 rookie class in action. After nearly four months since general manager Ryan Poles made his 10 selections, the rookies took their first test to show their progress at the professional level.

Though veteran stars Justin Fields and D.J. Moore stole the show early on in the Bears’ 23-17 win, it was the rookies who had the majority of the playing time as the game progressed. Some of them shined in their debuts, while others could have gotten off to better starts. Here is our report card of the team’s rookie class after their preseason debut.

Bears training camp: Tracking rookie progress after first week

We’re taking a closer look at the 2023 Bears rookie draft class to see how they’ve performed in training camp up to this point.

Training camp is in full swing for the Chicago Bears, who have now completed seven days of practice since reporting to Halas Hall last week. Early on, the offense stole the show with big plays in the passing game, but the defense caught up once pads came on the last couple of days.

Players like Justin Fields, D.J. Moore, Chase Claypool, Tremaine Edmunds, Jaquan Brisker, and Kyler Gordon have stolen the headlines at one time or another after each practice, but what about the Bears rookie class? General manager Ryan Poles selected 10 players in total earlier this spring, most notably tackle Darnell Wright with the No. 10 overall pick.

Wright has been a starter at right tackle from Day 1 and he’s been one of the more intriguing players as camp has gotten underway. There’s more to the rookies than just the first-round pick, though. Here’s an overview of each Bears rookie performance up to this point in camp.

Chicago Bears 2023 training camp preview: Safety

Up next in our Bears position previews is safety, led by the formidable duo of Jaquan Brisker and Eddie Jackson.

Chicago Bears training camp is just around the corner, so it’s time to start looking ahead at the roster the team is bringing to Lake Forest.

We’re unveiling our Bears 2023 training camp position previews, breaking down every player by position and examining the group’s biggest question.

Rounding out the defense is the safety position, which looked vastly improved in 2022 thanks to rookie Jaquan Brisker and a return to form for veteran Eddie Jackson.

Brisker and Jackson once again are leading the way, but a couple of young players such as Elijah Hicks and Kendall Williamson could show something in camp as reserves.

Here’s a closer look at the Bears’ safeties heading into training camp:

8 Bears players on the roster bubble heading into training camp

These Bears players will need a strong camp to secure a spot on the initial 53-man roster.

Chicago Bears training camp is drawing closer each day and it’s only a matter of time before players report to Halas Hall and begin practicing. While fans are eager to see players such as Justin Fields, D.J. Moore, Tremaine Edmunds, and Jaquan Brisker, training camp will be vital for those near the bottom of the depth chart looking to make the initial 53-man roster.

From former first-round picks to undrafted free agents, everyone will need to do their part to earn a roster spot when practices get underway. Here are eight players on the roster bubble heading into camp that will be worth watching.

Projecting the 2023 roles of Bears’ 10 rookie draft picks

Here are our projections about the roles the Bears’ 10 draft picks will serve in their rookie seasons.

The Chicago Bears welcomed 10 new faces to their roster during the 2023 NFL draft, where general manager Ryan Poles found some impact players and got great value.

Whether it was landing studs like Darnell Wright, Gervon Dexter, Tyrique Stevenson and Zacch Pickens on the first two days or finding great value on Day 3 with Roschon Johnson, Tyler Scott, Noah Sewell and Terell Smith, Poles’ second draft class has the potential to be an impactful one.

With that in mind, here are our projections about the roles that the Bears’ 10 draft picks will serve in their rookie seasons.

Bears 2023 seventh-round pick: S Kendall Williamson

The Bears selected S Kendall Williamson in the seventh round of the NFL draft. Here’s a quick rundown on Williamson:

The Chicago Bears selected Stanford safety Kendall Williamson with the 258th overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

Here’s a quick rundown on Williamson:

Height: 6-0
Weight: 203
Age: 23
From: Snellville, GA

Breakdown: Williamson is a high-character, high-motor player that is solid in run support but doesn’t have the coverage skills expected from an NFL safety. Culturally, Williamson is a great late-round pick. He will compete in minicamp and possibly training camp on special teams. He’s a high-energy player who will embody the HITS principle, but talent-wise, he seems destined for the practice squad or out of the NFL. — Nate Atkins

Dane Brugler’s scouting report: N/A

Lance Zierlein’s scouting report: “Williamson offers good measurables and testing numbers, but he’s lacking in production and consistency. He plays with good route recognition when hovering in off-man coverage, but he might not have the range needed to handle expanded areas of responsibility. He’s willing in run support but overestimates his pursuit speed and misses tackles.”

They said it: “Size-speed-range” and is “going to be really good on special teams as well.” — Bears GM Ryan Poles

RAS card

Highlights

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Bears sign four rookie draft picks to contracts

The Bears signed four rookies to four-year deals, including Noah Sewell, Terell Smith, Travis Bell and Kendall Williamson.

The Chicago Bears signed four rookie draft picks to four-year contracts ahead of this weekend’s rookie minicamp.

That included fifth-round linebacker Noah Sewell and cornerback Terell Smith, as well as seventh-round defensive tackle Travis Bell and safety Kendall Williamson.

Sewell, a three-year starter at Oregon, has the potential to be a steal for the Bears. He’s a high-motor, hard-hitting linebacker, who will provide solid depth on this Bears defense.

Smith has a nice combination of size (6-1, 204-pounds), speed (4.41), and length (32 7/8) that Matt Eberflus will love. He’s got developmental upside and could prove to be a late-round steal for Chicago.

Bell, the first player drafted from Kennesaw State in NFL history, provides depth to the defensive line. He’s the kind of high-character guy that Ryan Poles covets.

Williamson, drafted one spot before Mr. Irrelevant, was a great late-round addition. He’s a high-energy player who has real value on special teams.

The Bears have six draft picks who remain unsigned: offensive tackle Darnell Wright, defensive tackles Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, running back Roschon Johnson and wide receiver Tyler Scott.

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Scouting reports for Bears 2023 rookie draft class

Here’s a look at scouting reports for every player in the Bears’ 2023 rookie draft class.

The Chicago Bears welcomed 10 new rookies to the roster during the 2023 NFL draft, where general manager Ryan Poles addressed some important needs.

That started with right tackle Darnell Wright in the first round and continued on Day 2 with defensive tackles Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens, as well as cornerback Tyrique Stevenson.

Chicago also found great value on Day 3 with running back Roschon Johnson, wide receiver Tyler Scott, linebacker Noah Sewell, cornerback Terell Smith, defensive tackle Travis Bell and safety Kendall Williamson.

Here’s a look at scouting reports for each of Chicago’s rookie draft class from our Nate Atkins, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler and NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein.