Duke

Shelley

Indy signed fellow CB Tre Herndon as well. David Long Jr. was placed on injured reserve and fantasy folk hero Albert Okwuegbunam was cut in a pair of corresponding moves. Shelley was drafted by the Bears in 2019 and got some run as a nickel corner. He later posted an impressive season with eight psas breakups and one intercpetion with Minnesota in 2022. Shelley has since struggled to earn playing time on other teams and will be fighting for a roster spot this summer.

A sixth-round pick for the Bears in 2019, Shelley’s role grew for three years in Chicago before he joined the Vikings for the 2022 season. He posted his best campaign to date, breaking up eight passes and logging 31 tackles. Shelley got a one-year deal with Vegas in the offseason, but the Raiders cut him to reach their 53-man roster. He’ll serve as a solid depth option for a talent-bereft LA secondary.

Shelley joined the Vikings last offseason after three years in Chicago. He made five starts across 11 appearances in Minnesota last year. Shelley broke up eight passes and notched one interception while primarily playing outside corner. Pro Football Focus gave him a stellar coverage grade and ranked him as their No. 4 cornerback on the year. If the Raiders can get a similar performance from him, this will go down as an underrated signing.

The Bears now have their entire draft class under contract. Shelley is undersized but has good speed and was effective in the pass-happy Big 12. Even so, he will need to earn a special teams role to make the roster.

Shelley is severely undersized at 5-foot-9, 163 pounds, though he does boast 4.45 speed. PFF College charted him with the second-lowest passer rating allowed when targeted among Big 12 CBs in 2018 (52.0). Shelley was productive and effective in a pass-happy conference, but he will have to establish himself as a special teamer/grinder before getting a shot in the slot.

Shelley is severely undersized at 5-foot-9, 163 pounds, though he does boast 4.45 speed. PFF College charted him with the second-lowest passer rating allowed when targeted among Big 12 CBs in 2018 (52.0). Shelley was productive and effective in a pass-happy conference, but he will have to establish himself as a special teamer/grinder before getting a shot in the slot.

His failure to appear stems due to citations for having no proof of liability insurance, an expired tag and owning a vehicle that isn’t registered. He was freed after posting a $500 bond. Shelley (5'9/180) has missed the last two games because of a leg injury, but before that was playing extremely well, ranking among the Big-12 leaders in several categories. There’s no word yet on when Shelley can return from the leg injury, and no word yet on whether or not there will be disciplinary action for the recent arrest.

Shelley (5'9/180) was excellent against the Cowboys, and Pro Football Focus was also highly complimentary of the senior cornerback’s effort. “It was a breakout game for Shelley who entered the season graded as a priority free agent but played non-descript football the first month,” Pauline writes. “Shelley measures under 5-feet, 9-inches which puts him at a disadvantage but offers solid ball skills and ability as a return specialist.” Pauline believes that Kelley could be a dime back at the next level, and also contribute on special teams.