The Bears signed Sedrick Ellis to give the defensive line some depth, but he forced them to make changes on the first day of camp. Ellis didn't report to camp and told the Bears he intended to retire. In response, the Bears signed defensive tackle Jamaal Anderson.
Like Ellis, Anderson was a first-round draft pick. He was picked eighth overall by the Falcons out of Arkansas, and spent four season in Atlanta. He then went to the Colts and Bengals, but was limited last season because of a quadriceps injury.
In 2011, his last full season, he had three sacks and 24 tackles. Much like Ellis, Anderson is expected to work in the defensive tackle rotation with starters Henry Melton and Stephen Paea.
The most surprising part is that Ellis retired. He's just 28 and was about to enter the his fifth season in the NFL. He was set to make more than $1 million from the Bears this year, including $500,000 in a signing bonus. Now the Bears don't have to pay that.
