The new provision in the CBA that allows practice squad players to move to the active roster is one of my favorite tweaks.
Essentially, it turns the game day 53-man roster into a 55-player squad. It might not look like much on the surface, but the additional flexibility isn’t nothing.
And once again, the Chicago Bears are taking advantage of this stipulation by adding depth to the linebacking corps.
The team announced Devante Bond was promoted to the active roster. And in a corresponding move, Larry Mayer tweets linebacker Josh Woods is out because of personal reasons.
Bond returned to the organization earlier in the week as a member of the practice squad. He originally signed with the team in February. Back then, we viewed the signing as quality depth help. With Danny Trevathan, Nick Kwiatkoski, and Kevin Pierre-Louis were on the cusp of hitting free agency, the Bears needed bodies at the position. Even with Trevathan’s return, the overall depth at the position doesn’t inspire much confidence.
Ultimately, Bond’s return and Woods’ absence should serve as a reminder of how fragile the ILB depth chart is behind Trevathan and Roquan Smith.