The Bears had five players in for tryouts on their day off Thursday as general manager Ryan Poles continues to adjust the roster. The most notable candidate was 2016 first-round pick Vernon Hargreaves.
The Buccaneers drafted Hargreaves, a cornerback out of Florida, at No. 11 overall. He started every game and was voted to the Pro Football Writers of America’s all-rookie team but slipped from there as he battled injuries.
He started every game again for the Texans in 2020, then split time between them and the Bengals last season while playing 12 games (six starts) and logging 391 snaps on defense and 49 on special teams. Hargreaves, 27, played in one playoff game for the Bengals during their run to the Super Bowl.
The Bears have Jaylon Johnson and rookie Kyler Gordon locked in as their top two corners and are evaluating several players to see who fits best behind them.
In addition to Hargreaves, the Bears worked out fellow defensive backs Davontae Harris (Illinois State) and Isaiah Johnson (Houston), defensive tackle Trevon Coley (Florida Atlantic) and defensive end Josh Mauro (Stanford).
Mauro, 31, is the most accomplished of the group and has been in the league eight years. He has played 83 games, including playoffs, but only appeared in eight over the last two seasons.
