It wasn't the splashy trade deadline for the Chicago Bears that some fans were hoping for, but the team still managed to address their weakness at pass rush by trading for Joe Tryon-Shoyinka from the Cleveland Browns. With Dayo Odeyingbo landing on the injured reserve, the Bears will have a revamped rotation in the second half of the season.
Following the deadline, the Bears made another roster move, placing practice squad offensive lineman Ricky Stromberg on IR and signing guard Kyle Hergel, per The Chicago Tribune's Brad Biggs. While this move was purely for emergency depth purposes, it is still noteworthy due to Hergel's connection with Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.
Dennis Allen Has a Huge Role in Bears' Roster Building
Allen has been leaving his footprint on the roster since joining the team. The 53-year-old coach spent ten years in New Orleans, seven as a defensive coordinator and three as a head coach, before getting fired in the middle of the 2024 campaign. He has been utilizing his Saints connection to the fullest in Chicago, getting the Bears to bring in several of his former players.
In the offseason, Tanoh Kpassagnon and D'Marco Jackson were two former Saints that the Bears signed after hiring Allen. Kpassagnon didn't last in Chicago as he was released a few weeks ago. Last week, however, the Bears signed CJ Gardner-Johnson, who worked with Allen for three years in New Orleans. Considering how poorly Gardner-Johnson's most recent two stints went with the Texans and the Ravens, it's safe to assume that Chicago wouldn't have taken a chance on him if it wasn't for Allen.
Now, Hergel is the latest former Saint that Allen is bringing to Chicago. The Canadian offensive lineman was not selected in the 2024 NFL draft but signed with New Orleans last season. He bounced back and forth between the main roster and the practice squad, playing in eight games with the Saints. The lineman had played for five straight weeks leading up to Allen's firing in November.
Hergel is unlikely to play a substantial role for the Bears, but it's fascinating that Allen has such a major influence on roster building. When Ben Johnson was hired as the head coach, many assumed he would bring in a lot of former Lions to build off the success he enjoyed in Detroit. That largely hasn't been the case. Instead, it is Allen and his Saints connection that is putting a stamp on the 2025 Chicago Bears.