Bears re-sign QB Shaw, long-snapper Scales

INDIANAPOLIS - Even though Corey Davis caught 45 passes for 6 touchdowns and scored 3 more TDs on kick returns as a senior at Wheaton-Warrenville South, the only FBS scholarship offer he received was from Western Michigan.

He accepted that offer, and it's worked out pretty well for him. Davis started all four years and set the all-time FBS record with 5,285 receiving yards on 326 receptions. He scored 52 touchdowns in 50 games and averaged 16.0 yards per catch.

In next month's draft, the 6-foot-3, 213-pound Davis is expected to become just the second Mid-America Conference wide receiver drafted in the first round, joining Randy Moss. What sets Davis apart from other wide receivers is his work ethic that is fueled by the bitterness of being overlooked four years ago.

"It has to do a lot with that chip on my shoulder," Davis said. "Coming from the high school that I did (a perennial powerhouse in football), we were a high-caliber offense, and I thought I deserved more than one offer.

"Throughout those four years at Western, I've always had that chip on my shoulder. I've always worked like I'm the best guy in the county. That's the approach I took."

Another trait that sets Davis apart at a position that has more than its share of prima donnas is his eagerness to block.

"It's kind of the receivers' only time and only chance to really hit someone," Davis said. "I definitely take full advantage of it. Blocking has a lot to do with want-to and effort, and that's something I've learned in college. I love doing it."

He'll be back:

Backup quarterback Connor Shaw, who was set to become an exclusive rights free agent March 9, announced on Twitter that he has re-signed with the Bears.

The 25-year-old Shaw played impressively last preseason but suffered a fractured leg against the Kansas City Chiefs in the third game and spent the season on injured reserve. Before the injury, Shaw completed 11 of 16 passes for 127 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions for a 132.0 passer rating.

Shaw and Jay Cutler are the only two quarterbacks under contract for the Bears, and Cutler is expected to be released since he would be due $16 million this year.

Brian Hoyer, who was the Bears' most effective quarterback last season while making five starts before suffering a fractured arm, and Matt Barkley, who started six games, are both set to become free agents Thursday.

Shaw's only regular-season action came in the 2014 season finale in a start for the Cleveland Browns, who originally signed him as an undrafted free agent out of South Carolina. Shaw got the start after injuries to Brian Hoyer and Johnny Manziel, and he completed 14 of 28 passes for 172 yards and a 55.2 passer rating.

Shaw is undersized at 6-foot and 206 pounds but has excellent mobility and the ability to extend plays.

In his senior season at South Carolina, Shaw threw 24 touchdown passes and just 1 interception, while completing 63.4 percent of his passes.

The Bears also re-signed Patrick Scales, their long-snapper for all 16 games last season.

Putting it up: If Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes' name sounds familiar, it might be because his father, Pat Mahomes, had an 11-year career in Major League Baseball, and he spent 2002 with the Cubs.

Playing in a pass-heavy, spread offense, Mahomes threw for 9,705 yards and 77 touchdowns in the past two seasons while throwing 1,164 passes. The knocks on Mahomes are that he played in a gimmicky offense and did not take snaps from under center.

But he has a live arm and a riverboat gambler mentality that has drawn some comparisons to Brett Favre, and his stock appears to be rising lately with some analysts predicting he could sneak into the first round and that he might be better than one of two of the top three QBs - DeShone Kizer, Deshaun Watson and Mitch Trubisky.

"I threw the ball a lot of times at Texas Tech and that's got that gunslinger mentality," he said. "And I've done a lot of things scrambling outside of the pocket, but I've really worked on my mechanics."

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