NEWSLETTER
The Chicago Bears receivers room thinned out a little bit on Tuesday, as the team announced it has waived wide receiver Tre McBride.
A corresponding move hasn’t been announced, which leaves a spot open on the 53-man roster.
Chicago poached McBride on the waiver wire from the Tennessee Titans after the final preseason roster cut-down. McBride played three games, caught eight passes, and gained 144 yards. His biggest reception was a 45-yard gain against the New Orleans Saints in Week 8, which was part of a three-catch, 92-yard game that came in a loss.
McBride played on 64.6 percent of the offensive snaps since the start of Week 5, but saw that number cut to 11.7 percent against the Green Bay Packers and 30.2 percent against the Detroit Lions. He did see a significant up-tick in playing time against the Eagles, playing 43 snaps (78.2%) but catching two of six targets for 20 yards. But apparently, the Bears have seen enough to place him on waivers.
The Bears could look to the practice squad for McBride’s replacement, which could be necessary if Josh Bellamy hasn’t recovered from his concussion and misses his second consecutive games.
Tanner Gentry, DeMarcus Ayers, and Nelson Spruce are receivers currently on the practice squad who could step in and take McBride’s roster spot. Wide receiver Mario Alford was recently pushed off the practice squad in favor of defensive back Alex Carter.
If Gentry gets the call, it would be his third stint with the team this season. He has played 182 snaps, but doesn’t have much to show for it as far as receptions or yards is concerned. Spurce joined the group in November.
Ayers is one of the most recent additions to the squad … and arguably the most intriguing of the bunch. He was a seventh-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2016 and caught six passes for 53 yards and a touchdown in two games (including one start) as a rookie last season. Ayers caught 97 passes for 1,221 yards and six touchdowns in his final season at the University of Houston, making him the kind of reclamation project that could see playing time at Soldier Field as the season winds down.
