Because the NFL roster churn never stops, it is always a good idea to keep tabs on players popping in and out of Halas Hall.
Tuesdays tend to be the day when NFL teams have tryouts. And this Tuesday was no exception for the Chicago Bears, who reportedly had linebackers Kuony Deng and Blake Lynch in for workouts:
Deng, a 6-foot-6, 240-pound linebacker, was a UDFA rookie in Falcons camp this summer until he was part of Atlanta’s cutdown to 80 players during the preseason. In his final season at Cal, Deng was an outside linebacker. But prior to that, he had experience playing inside for two years. Figuring his role in the NFL isn’t as simple as cutting and pasting him from a college lineup to the pros. However, having versatility to dabble in multiple positions could help him on his path.
Lynch has two years of pro experience under his belt, having played 20 games for the Minnesota Vikings in 2020 and 2021. The Baylor University product played everywhere for the Bears, but appears to have settled into making it in the NFL as a linebacker. Perhaps taking prior snaps at cornerback, safety, wide receiver, and running back could help Lynch carve out a special teams role (in addition to linebacker duties).
Linebacker probably isn’t at the top of many fans’ shopping lists, but it is a sneaky need for the Bears. It wasn’t a group that was all that awe-inspiring to start the year, and recent injuries (most notably Matt Adams’ hamstring) have Chicago shuffling the deck. Earlier, they promoted Joe Thomas from the practice squad. So it is possible the Bears are looking to fill the taxi squad spot vacated by Thomas. And if that isn’t what happens, well, at least the Bears are updating their linebacker rolodex for future reference.,