NEWSLETTER
The 3 p.m. CT Saturday deadline in which NFL teams had to submit their 53-man rosters passed a few hours ago, and the Chicago Bears have finally unveiled the roster they will take into the season-opener against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday.
Well, kinda.
The waiver period opens up tomorrow, so it is possible the Bears aren’t quite done shuffling the roster.
But for now, let’s check out what things look like for the moment.
QUARTERBACKS (2)
Despite a strong performance in the finale, Tyler Bray was the odd-man out as the Bears opted against carrying three quarterbacks.
RUNNING BACKS (4)
FULLBACK (0)
Do you guys remember when Michael Burton was a thing?
WIDE RECEIVER (6)
This is the deepest and most talented group of wide receivers the Bears have had in quite some time. Soak it in, friends. We have come a long way from the days of Cameron Meredith being the only pass-catcher worth throwing the ball to at a given moment.
TIGHT END
Jesper Horsted made a name for himself over the final two weeks of the preseason, but it wasn’t enough to land him a spot on the season-opening roster. But still … the Princeton product should be proud of himself for his efforts
OFFENSIVE TACKLE (4)
OFFENSIVE GUARD (2)
CENTER (3)
This is not what I expected this group to look like today. Lucas struggled throughout the preseason, while undrafted rookie Alex Bars displayed an ability to play guard and tackle during the preseason. I’m #NotAScout and am willing to yield to Offensive Line Coach Harry Heistand’s wisdom, but choosing Lucas over Bars just doesn’t look right to me.
On the bright side, maybe Rashaad Coward will have recovered from his elbow injury in time to return to practice this week.
Also, don’t freak out about the Bears having just one center. Cody Whitehair and Ted Larsen can provide interior flexibility in case something unfortunate happens. Though, I’d prefer to not travel down that line of thinking..
DEFENSIVE LINE (6)
Jonathan Bullard, a third-round pick in 2016, was a surprise cut. Because even though he didn’t play to a third-round grade, he had his moments and looked to be an admirable depth piece. With Bullard out of the picture, Bilal Nichols and Roy Robertson-Harris are primed for breakout campaigns with additional game reps they’ll take over in Bullard’s absence.
OUTSIDE LINEBACKER (4)
James Vaughters made plays throughout the preseason and looked to be in a position to snag one of the final spots on the 53-man roster, but the Bears decided against carrying five outside linebackers.
INSIDE LINEBACKER (6)
The Bears bulked up inside after carrying just four inside linebackers at this time last year. If Kevin Pierre-Louis and Josh Woods provide a boost to the special teams unit, Chicago will be better for it.
CORNERBACK (5)
SAFETY (5)
A pair of Alabama-made Pro Bowl safeties (Eddie Jackson, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix) at the top of the depth chart, followed by depth with Deon Bush, DeAndre Houston-Carson, and concerted nickel cornerback Sherrick McManis.
SPECIALISTS (3)
It’s OFFICIALLY OFFICIAL: Eddy Piñeiro is the Bears’ kicker.
Well, at least for now. As Matt Nagy said on Thursday, “a lot can happen” between now and when Week 1 kicks off. Though, it’s tough to imagine the Bears finding someone they like more than Piñeiro on the waiver wire tomorrow.
INJURED RESERVE
