{Photo Courtesy of CBS Sports}
The Release of Evan Rodriguez is one of many roster moves the Bears have made since Sunday.
LAKE FOREST- With the mandatory full team mini-camp less than 24 hours away, the Bears have been very busy during the previous 24 hours. It all began on Sunday night when the Bears traded offensive lineman Gabe Carimi to Tampa Bay in exchange for a sixth round draft pick.
With Carimi gone, that means that all of the first round draft picks of former Bears general manager Jerry Angelo are no longer with the franchise. The good in all of this is that the Bears now have eight draft picks for 2014.
Earlier today, the Bears continued to make changes to it’s personnel. It began with the release of troubled fullback Evan Rodriguez. I received an e-mail directly from the Bears about his release this afternoon.
Rodriguez was entering his second season in the National Football League. Originally drafted as a tight end out of Temple University, the Bears made the 24-year-old into a fullback and used him as mostly a run blocker.
With a new coaching staff in place for 2013, Rodriguez was expected to become a bigger part of the Bears offense in more of an H-Back role. Sadly, Rodriguez has been arrested twice this offseason for alcohol related incidents. The charges from his first arrest have been dropped.
The charges from his most recent arrest are a little more serious. Rodriguez was arrested for DUI a couple of weeks ago after being pulled over for speeding on the Kennedy Expressway.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Rodriguez was spotted at a Chicago-area night club 48 hours after his arrest. Although the Bears have not officially stated the reason for waving the 240 pounder, it is widely believed that his legal issues played a part.
Perhaps his upcoming court appearances on the issue could have been a distraction to the team. In his place, the Bears signed fullback Tony Fiammetta. Fiammetta previously played for Dallas and Carolina. It appears as if he will compete with Harvey Unga for the starting fullback position.
During last week’s OTAs, the Bears limited the amount of field time for Evan Rodriguez. He is now a free agent for the first time in his career. Hopefully he will work on his personal issues before signing with another team.
The Bears also let go of wide receivers Demetrius Fields and Dale Moss. They have now been replaced by Jerrell Jackson and Devin Aromashodu. If that last name sounds familiar to you, it should.
Aromashodu played for the Bears during the 2009 and 2010 seasons. In 2009 he caught 24 passes for 298 yards and four touchdowns. In 2010 he struggled with injuries and was eventually released.
Aromashodu suited up for the Minnesota Vikings in 2011 and remained with the team through the 2012 season. Heading into 2013, Aromashodu was expected to contend for a higher spot on Minnesota’s depth chart now that Percy Harvin was gone.
Instead he was released and now he will be wearing a Bears uniform for the second time in his eight-year career. Jackson on the other hand is only in his second-year in the NFL.
He was signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Houston Texans in 2012. He only appeared in preseason games before being released and scooped up by Jacksonville.
He only appeared in one game for the Jaguars before he was given his pink slip. The only roster spot that is still open is the one vacated by Gabe Carimi. More than likely the Bears will use a defensive tackle to fill that role, but a fourth quarterback is also a possibility.
Tomorrow’s mini-camp will be quite the media circus. For Bears updates anytime follow me on Twitter @GabeSalgado82
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