Bears Acquire LB Matthew Wells From Patriots
By Chris Emma--
BOURBONNAIS, Ill. (CBS) -- The Bears have traded reserve guard Ryan Groy to New England in exchange for 2015 sixth-round selection Matthew Wells, a linebacker out of Mississippi State.
The deal was made official on the NFL's official transaction wire on Monday afternoon.
Wells played a full 13-game season in each of his four years with Mississippi State, where he became a starter at outside linebacker and was a key special teams player.
One source said that Wells is a "freak athlete" who was clocked at a 4.35-second 40-yard dash time during the offseason. He's expected to compete for a reserve role at outside linebacker with the Bears and will surely fight for special teams duties with Chicago.
Wells is legally blind in his right eye, where he can see but struggles with reading from it. However, it hasn't impacted his play at linebacker.
An undrafted free agent signed out of Wisconsin 2014, Groy was primarily a practice squad player last season. He wasn't seen at practice Monday morning, when the deal was being finalized.
The Bears have yet to confirm the deal.
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