Chicago Bears Free Agency: Bears Sign Veteran Guard Chilo Rachal

The Chicago Bears have added some interior offensive line depth by agreeing to a one-year deal with Chilo Rachal, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.

Rachal was originally drafted in the second round of the 2008 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers after starring at USC. However, he has been only a part-time starter at guard throughout his career.

A four-year veteran, Rachal has played in a total of 55 games with 38 career starts. In 2011, he was mostly relegated to a backup role behind Adam Snyder in San Francisco, and made just three starts despite appearing in every game.  

After red-shirting as a freshman, Rachal became a regular starter and standout for USC. He left the program after his junior season, in part to help care for his parents, who were each undergoing medical hardships. He was the only Trojan to declare early for the NFL draft that season. 

The 6'5", 320-pound 26-year-old figures to vie for a starting guard job in Chicago, and will likely compete for the position along with Chris Spencer, Chris Williams and Lance Louis.

The Bears have worked to beef up a line than in the past has struggled to protect quarterback Jay Cutler, but that has fared better in the ground game.