NEWSLETTER
Shortly after releasing their first “unofficial” depth chart of the preseason, the Chicago Bears continued their roster churn:
Roster Update: We have signed OL Jack Allen and waived DL Bunmi Rotimi.
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) July 27, 2018
The team announced the signing of offensive lineman Jack Allen, who spent some time with the New Orleans Saints in 2016 and 2017.
Allen is a local product from nearby Hinsdale who played his high school ball at Hinsdale Central. From there, he moved onto Michigan State where he put together a quality college career. Allen was a four-year starter who earned first-team All-American honors from the Associated Press in 2015 while playing center. He also was named first-team All-Big Ten that year, but still went undrafted.
With Hroniss Grasu reportedly sitting out practice with a calf injury, it makes sense that the Bears added another lineman to the mix. And to get one who played at a high level in the Big Ten surely doesn’t hurt. The move could allow James Daniels to take more snaps at left guard, the position he was projected to start at when he was drafted in the second round in April.
The Bears waived defensive lineman Bunmi Rotimi in order to clear room on the roster for Allen. Rotimi was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Old Dominion, where he was a Conference USA honorable mention in each of the last two seasons. However, Rotimi was listed behind Jonathan Bullard, Roy Robertson-Harris, and Cavon Walker on the depth chart of defensive ends opposite of Akiem Hicks.
