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Bears sign backup quarterback Brian Hoyer

Coach John Fox didn't make many specific demands on general manager Ryan Pace leading up to the draft, but he did make a general request for "throwback players."

Explanation?

"Well, so much of this game is dependability," Fox said. "And, if they're in the training room or not at practice ... We have a sign in our locker room: 'Fail to prepare, prepare to fail.' Well, if you're not out there, it's hard to prepare real well. That's dependability, and that's playing through 'owies,' I call them. I think that's critical."

It appears Pace delivered, as he added a total of nine players, including six on the final day Saturday who exhibit similar attributes.

"The common trait with all these guys I would say is toughness and instincts," Pace said. "That's something we've emphasized and something we've drafted (Saturday) for sure."

The Bears also added a veteran quarterback in Brian Hoyer, who signed a one-year $2 million deal to be Jay Cutler's top backup.

The Bears went defense with all three of their fourth-round picks Saturday, which included some throwbacks, starting with West Virginia linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski.

"He definitely fits that mold," Pace said. "The No. 1 trait when you're looking for a linebacker is instincts. You can't coach that. He just reacts so quick, and he attacks downhill.

"We traded up (four spots to 113) to get him. We had a lot of conviction in him. A three-year starter, a team captain, tough, hard-nosed player."

Eleven picks later the Bears took Miami safety Deon Bush, whose slender build belies his playing style.

"A very physical player," Pace said. "Love the fact that he throws his body around and plays with toughness, plays with instincts and plays fast on the field. Another guy we were fired up to get."

Though the Bears used five of their first six picks on defense and six of nine altogether, they also got a throwback butt-kicker on offense. Fifth-round running back Jordan Howard rushed for 2,800 yards in his last two seasons; 2014 at Alabama-Birmingham and 2015 at Indiana after the UAB program disbanded.

"Howard is that physical pounder," Pace said of the 6-foot, 230-pound sledgehammer. "We just love that style of play. He brought (us) a little bit of a different dimension. He has really good vision, and he runs really hard. That's a pretty good combination."

The addition of the 30-year-old Hoyer gives the Bears a proven veteran presence at quarterback that young David Fales and Matt Blanchard could not.

Hoyer has started 26 games over seven season with a 15-11 won-loss record and has a career passer rating of 82.2 with 38 TD passes and 26 interceptions. In nine starts with the Houston Texans last year, Hoyer went 5-4 with a 91.4 passer rating, throwing 19 touchdowns passes and 7 interceptions.

"A lot of starting experience with him," Pace said. "(He has) familiarity with (offensive coordinator) Dowell Loggains (Cleveland Browns in 2014), and he was productive when he played last year. We're happy to have an experienced quarterback in that role."

Hoyer also previously played with the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals.

• Follow Bob's Bears reports on Twitter @BobLeGere.

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