The Chicago Bears announced roster changes the day after winning their preseason opener against the Houston Texans in the Hall of Fame game.
According to Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Bears have signed Ro Torrence, an undrafted rookie cornerback. Chicago waived long snapper Cameron Lyons to make room on the roster for Torrence.
With 90 players on the roster, veteran Patrick Scales is the sole long snapper left.
Torrence joins a congested CBs room, with Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, and Tyrique Stevenson already established as starters.
“He’s a massive cornerback at 6’3” and 208 lbs with insane length,” lead draft analyst at Windy City Gridiron, Jacob Infante, wrote about Torrence. “He’s physical in press along the boundary and maintains good body control jamming near the LOS.”
The long corner spent his final two collegiate seasons at Arizona State after starting his 2021 season with the Auburn Tigers. Torrence recorded 37 total tackles (two for loss), 2.0 sacks, an interception, and four pass breakups in 12 games for Arizona State last season.
Last season, Torrence allowed only 20 receptions in coverage, the lowest among Pac-12 cornerbacks with 300+ regular season snaps, according to ASU’s website. Last year, he allowed only four plays of more than 15 yards, which tied for sixth in the FBS (regular season).
The Seattle Seahawks signed him soon after the draft. Torrence spent OTAs and a mandatory minicamp with the Seahawks before being dismissed in June. Now he’ll have a new opportunity in the Windy City.
Torrence Can Play Either CB or Safety
Torrence is unlikely to play much in the slot, having played only 38 snaps there over the previous three seasons.
Nonetheless, he could be a useful addition to the defense. Prior to this year’s draft, he touted his versatility to play both cornerback and safety, implying that certain organizations had expressed interest in him playing safety especially.
“I can play both positions,” the rookie CB told Justin Melo of The Draft Network in April of 2024. “I’ve been hearing a little bit of both positions from NFL teams. I can play cornerback and safety. I’m a football player at the end of the day. I’ll go out there and play any position. I love playing cornerback.”
Leave a Reply