Dalyn Williams did enough to pique the Chicago Bears interest after all.
After bringing Williams, an undrafted rookie free agent quarterback from Dartmouth, in on a tryout basis for their post-draft rookie minicamp in mid-May but not immediately signing him, the Bears added Williams to the roster on Thursday.
Williams replaces Matt Blanchard as the fourth quarterback on the roster, behind starter Jay Cutler, recently added veteran No. 2 Brian Hoyer and second-year man David Fales, who spent most of last season on the practice squad before a late-season call-up to the 53-man roster.
Williams, who went undrafted after throwing for 7,458 yards and accounting for 75 touchdowns (56 passing, 19 rushing) in 39 games at Dartmouth, had gone to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ rookie camp on a tryout basis last month as well.
Blanchard, who grew up in the northwest Chicago suburb of Lake Zurich, began his NFL career on the Bears’ practice squad in 2012. He returned to the Bears late last season after Fales’ promotion to the 53-man roster, and he opted to sign a futures deal to stay with the Bears in January despite garnering interest from other teams.
Blanchard, who led Wisconsin-Whitewater to three straight NCAA Division III national championships, spent last offseason and part of training camp with the Green Bay Packers and impressed Green Bay’s coaches during his stint.
The Packers went with Scott Tolzien and rookie Brett Hundley last year behind Aaron Rodgers, but with Tolzien now in Indianapolis and Hundley having been elevated to the No. 2 spot, Green Bay could have an interest in bringing Blanchard back.
