Bears sign a tight end after Rodriguez arrest
It was an eventful few hours from late Wednesday night to Thursday morning for Bears tight ends and former teammates from Temple University.
Steve Maneri, a blocking tight end formerly with the Kansas City Chiefs, was signed to a two-year contract early Thursday morning. Hours earlier, Evan Rodriguez, the Bears fourth-round pick a year ago, was arrested in Miami Beach.
Rodriguez played in 12 games and started five as a rookie, playing fullback and tight end while catching 4 passes for 21 yards. Police said Rodriguez was charged with resisting arrest and disorderly intoxication after interfering with police who were investigating a traffic accident that involved a car in which Rodriguez was a passenger.
According to the police report, Rodriguez interfered with officers questioning the driver of the car and, when asked for identification, Rodriguez told them, “I don’t need this, I’m an NFL player.”
An agitated Rodriguez left the scene after he had been ordered to remain, but then returned shortly and was told several times to move away from officers who were administering sobriety tests to the driver of the car. He was told multiple times to wait on the sidewalk but said, “I’m hardheaded like that, and I don’t have to listen.”
In college, Rodriguez transferred from West Virginia to Temple after an alleged physical altercation with a female resident adviser in a student dorm in 2007. He had a felony assault charge reduced to a misdemeanor disturbance and trespassing charge, but left West Virginia and redshirted at Temple in 2008. The following year he was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct.
The 6-foot-7, 280-pound Maneri, who was signed by the Texans after going undrafted in 2010, spent the last two seasons with the Chiefs, playing in 19 games and starting nine times. He had 6 receptions for 52 yards.
He is expected to fill the role of blocking tight end that was held the previous two seasons by Matt Spaeth, who was released last week.