9:45pm: Wilson’s deal is for $955K and is not guaranteed, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
3:19pm: The Bears have added a pair of free agents to their roster, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve signed veteran safety Adrian Wilson and tight end Jeron Mastrud to contracts. Terms of the agreements aren’t yet known.
Wilson, 34 was set to play for the Patriots in 2013 after spending 12 years in Arizona, but was sidelined with a foot injury in the preseason and missed the entire ’13 campaign. The Pats released Wilson back in April, and Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports reported at the time that the longtime Cardinal would be healthy for the 2014 season and wanted to continue his playing career. While the idea of a player in his mid-30s coming off a major injury may not inspire a ton of confidence, Wilson isn’t far removed from his most recent Pro Bowl season (2011), so it’s reasonable to think the former third-round pick could contribute if he’s healthy.
As for Mastrud, the tight end played for the Raiders in 2013 after spending his first three NFL seasons in Miami. While Mastrud only has seven career receptions on his NFL resumé, six of which came last season, he logged significant time as a blocker, playing 554 snaps on offense in ’13, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Mastrud’s positive grade as a pass-blocker buoyed him to a rank of 34th among 64 qualified NFL tight ends.