Still looking for speed at wide receiver, the Bears signed Damiere Byrd, who caught 47 passes for 604 yards for the Patriots last season, to a one-year deal Tuesday.
Byrd has played for three teams in as many years, including the Panthers in 2018 — where he caught one pass in eight games — and the Cardinals in 2019. In Arizona, he caught 32 passes for 359 yards.
Byrd has returned punts and kicks intermittently in his career, which started in 2015 when the Panthers signed him as an undrafted free agent out of South Carolina.
The 5-9, 175-pounder was used by the Patriots more last year than at any point in his career. He played 901 offensive snaps, up from a career-best 455 in his lone season with the Cardinals.
Byrd ran track — he has top-10 finishes in school history at the 40-meter and 60-meter dash — and played football for the Gamecocks. He ran a blistering 4.28-second 40-yard dash at his pro day.
His speed will help him compete for a roster spot in a receiver room whose only veteran addition this offseason has been Marquise Goodwin. The Bears drafted receiver Dazz Newsome from North Carolina in Round 6 on Saturday.
The veteran free agent market was goosed Monday, the first time teams could sign players without them counting against the 2022 compensatory draft formula.
NOTE: The Bears agreed to sign cornerback Rojesterman Farris II, his agent Tweeted. The Hawaii alum signed with the Falcons after the 2020 draft.
