The Chicago Bears have plenty of details to sort out over the next two months. Competitions are forthcoming across the entire roster, both in training camp and the preseason. Some battles may not go as expected. There could also be some unfortunate injuries. It's the NFL. That is how this goes. Still, even now, with minicamps concluded, it's often easier to get an idea of how the final 53-man roster will eventually shake out. Sure, there might be one or two swerves along the way, but the big picture is largely set.
So in the spirit of a down time of year, it's time to take a real stab at how Matt Eberflus and Ryan Poles will shape the depth chart come September.
Chicago Bears 53-man projection features some tweaks this year.
Quarterbacks:
- Justin Fields
- P.J. Walker
No surprises here. The Bears carried two quarterbacks on the active roster and a third on the practice squad last season. The only unanswered question will be whether it's Nathan Peterman or Tyson Bagent getting that final spot. Fields and Walker were pretty much set at the top two spots by the end of March.
Running backs:
- Khalil Herbert
- D'Onta Foreman
- Roschon Johnson
- Travis Homer
- Khari Blasingame
Eberflus had only four backs on the roster last season. Things have changed somewhere. They're much deeper now. Foreman replaces the departed David Montgomery, while Johnson is a significant upgrade over Trestan Ebner. Homer would be the extra guy. Not only is he a solid receiving threat as a back, but he's also an excellent special teams player. The Bears will want to keep that around.
Wide receivers:
- D.J. Moore
- Darnell Mooney
- Chase Claypool
- Tyler Scott
- Velus Jones
- Dante Pettis
Nobody will dispute the top four spots. Moore and Claypool are big trade acquisitions. They're staying. Scott was a 4th round pick. He isn't likely to go anywhere. It's the last two spots that are tougher to determine. Jones still has significant upside as a receiver and is already an established kick return threat. Pettis has a solid connection with Fields. He's not a starter, but he can be a serviceable backup.
Tight ends:
- Cole Kmet
- Robert Tonyan
- Jake Tonges
To accommodate more running backs, the Chicago Bears must make a sacrifice elsewhere. That will be at tight end. Kmet and Tonyan form a solid one-two punch and will eat up most of the snaps. Tonges has decent versatility and some blocking experience. It won't be a surprise if the team holds two tight ends on the practice squad to offset the lack of depth on the main roster.
Offensive line:
- Braxton Jones
- Teven Jenkins
- Cody Whitehair
- Nate Davis
- Darnell Wright
- Lucas Patrick
- Ja'Tyre Carter
- Larry Borom
- Gabriel Houy
The starting five appear set in stone, with Davis and Wright being the new arrivals. Having Patrick as the primary backup is a very good thing. Carter seems to have taken a step forward in his development. Borom brings pedigree and starting experience. The big surprise here is Houy, an undrafted rookie from Pitt. Don't let the status fool you. When he was healthy in college, he played some really good football.
Defensive line:
- Trevis Gipson
- DeMarcus Walker
- Gervon Dexter
- Andrew Billings
- Justin Jones
- Zacch Pickens
- Dominique Robinson
- Free agent/Trade addition*
Poles did a solid job revamping the defensive tackle spot. It's much younger, deeper, and more athletic than last season. At the very least, it should be much better at stopping the run. The big issue is defensive end. Walker will help somewhat, but everybody can plainly see this group lacks any true difference-maker. That is why I believe they will add a notable name at some point before the season, either via free agency or a trade.
Linebackers:
- Tremaine Edmunds
- T.J. Edwards
- Jack Sanborn
- Noah Sewell
- Dylan Cole
- Sterling Weatherford
An interesting battle is developing for the final outside linebacker spot between Sewell and Sanborn. Either way, both should make the roster. The final two spots will be reserved for special teams guys. Chicago signed Cole expressly for this purpose, so he's in. Weatherford had four tackles in the third phase last year despite dealing with injury problems. The team appears to like what he brings to the table.
Cornerbacks:
- Jaylon Johnson
- Tyrique Stevenson
- Kyler Gordon
- Terrell Smith
- Jaylon Jones
- Josh Blackwell
Johnson and Gordon are starters who played well toward the end of last season. Stevenson and Smith are both draft picks this year. Both have also looked good in early practices. There isn't much drama to be had at cornerback outside of the final two spots. Even those appear relatively secure, given how well Jones and Blackwell stepped up as reserves last season. Blackwell also has major special teams value.
Safeties:
- Eddie Jackson
- Jaquan Brisker
- Elijah Hicks
- Kendall Williamson
- A.J. Thomas
Jackson and Brisker have a chance to be one of the best safety tandems in the NFL this year. Hicks was a pleasant surprise last season as well, emerging as a quality presence on special teams. He should fill the void left by DeAndre Houston-Carson. Thomas showed some progress there, while Williamson should also carve out a role in that department as well. There is a lingering concern about inexperience in this scenario, but it's a risk they can afford.
Special teams:
- Cairo Santos
- Trenton Gill
- Patrick Scales
No changes from last season. Santos seemed to settle himself after some extra point issues midway through the season. Scales remains as remarkably consistent as ever. Gill wasn't overly great as a rookie, but he was decent enough to warrant another season to continue growing.
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