Hey, there’s a Chicago Bears roster move to talk about.
Sorry, it doesn’t involve adding a right guard.
#Bears roster moves:
We have waived RB Napoleon Maxwell and have activated RB Artavis Pierce from Reserve/COVID-19.— Chicago Bears (@BearsPR) August 2, 2020
The Chicago Bears announced they have activated running back Artavis Pierce from the reserve/COVID-19 list. And to clear space for Pierce on the roster, the team waived fellow undrafted rookie Napoleon Maxwell.
Pierce became the first Bears player to go on the COVID-19 list on July 27. And while landing on the list does not mean said player tested positive for coronavirus, placement opens up a roster spot until they clear protocols. In case you missed it, a player must test negative for coronavirus three times in a four-day period before gaining admittance into a team’s training facility. Pierce has cleared those hurdles and now joins the roster. But in a corresponding move, Chicago parted ways with the other rookie running back on its roster.
Part of me is surprised Maxwell was waived. Because while I was unsure of his potential role, removing Maxwell from the roster leaves the Bears with just four running backs as camp starts. David Montgomery and Tarik Cohen are at the top of the depth chart, while Pierce and Ryan Nall now appear positioned to battle for a reserve role.
With teams around the league angling to trim rosters to 80 players, it will be worth watching to see if other backs become available. Because as things stand now, the depth at that particular position appears lacking.