Veteran cornerback Porter signs with Bears

The Bears added another veteran to their cornerback competition Monday when they signed injury-prone Tracy Porter to a one-year contract.

Porter signed a two-year, $6 million deal with Washington last off-season with the expectation that he would be the starting nickel corner. But he was released late last month after a disappointing 2014 season.

A nagging hamstring injury kept him out of all but three of the first 11 games. Shortly after returning, he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.

In 2013, Porter started all 16 games for the Oakland Raiders and had 2 of his 10 career interceptions. In 2012, he played in just six games for John Fox's Denver Broncos after an unexplained preseason seizure caused him to miss 10 games. Later that season he suffered a concussion.

Porter's best season was in 2009 with the New Orleans Saints, who drafted him in the second round out of Indiana a year earlier when Bears general manager Ryan Pace was in the Saints' personnel department.

Porter had a career-best 4 interceptions in the 2009 regular season, but it was his 2 postseason interceptions that highlighted his career. Porter helped clinch the NFC title game against Minnesota when he intercepted Vikings quarterback Brett Favre.

Then, in the Saints' Super Bowl victory over the Indianapolis Colts, Porter picked off a Peyton Manning pass in the fourth quarter and returned it 74 yards for a crucial touchdown.

Earlier in the off-season, the Bears signed eight-year veteran Alan Ball, who could end up starting across from 2014 first-round draft pick Kyle Fuller.

Ten-year veteran Tim Jennings slumped last season after back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons, and he could wind up playing nickel corner this season or retain the starting job he had for the previous five years with the Bears.

Veteran special teams standout Sherrick McManis is also in the cornerback competition, along with promising young players Al Louis-Jean and Demontre Hurst.

• The Bears also signed wide receiver Ify Umodu to a three-year contract and waived linebacker Jamil Merrell. Umodu was a tryout player last month at rookie minicamp.

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