The Chicago Bears are running out of time. Training camp is winding down and the coaches have to start the difficult task of whittling the roster from 80 players to 53 before September 6th. That leaves them just four days to go and thus far no moves have been made. People are left to wonder who could be in or out.
One thing that makes it especially difficult is the COVID-19 realities. Depth is more crucial than ever before given the risks of the virus. It comes down to where the Bears feel they need more depth than normal. Or will they go with a somewhat standard layout and use the expanded practice squad to their advantage?
Here is my final 53-man roster projection. Get ready for a few surprises along the way.
Chicago Bears 53-man roster projection
Quarterback:
- Nick Foles
- Mitch Trubisky
Obviously the starting job remains a big question mark for the Bears. That being said, nobody can argue they have way better depth at quarterback than the past two years. Both Foles and Trubisky have starting experience and have shown they can win games if presented with favorable circumstances. Expect Tyler Bray to be standing by on the practice squad though.
Running back:
- David Montgomery
- Tarik Cohen
- Artavis Pierce
- Cordarrelle Patterson
- *Player yet to be named
This is the position that is hardest to nail down. Largely thanks to the recent groin injury suffered by Montgomery. With him in question for the opener, a lot of people are wondering if the Bears will make some sort of counter move. That is why a player who isn't yet named will be added at some point in the next 11 days. The big surprise here is Pierce, the undrafted free agent who has reportedly stood out a lot in camp.
Wide receiver:
- Allen Robinson
- Anthony Miller
- Darnell Mooney
- Ted Ginn Jr.
- Riley Ridley
- Javon Wims
Robinson and Miller are obvious locks. The same can be said for Ginn whom Matt Nagy seems to really like. Mooney is probably the biggest surprise of camp. He's looked outstanding in practice. Far better than a typical 5th round pick should. As for Ridley and Wims? It initially looked like the Bears might have to choose one or the other. Yet they have turned up the juice in camp to a point where keeping them both feels like the right play.
Tight end:
- Jimmy Graham
- Cole Kmet
- Demetrius Harris
- J.P. Holtz
Tight end may have gone from a weakness to a strength in one offseason for the Bears. Graham and Kmet have ripped up camp all summer, looking like a legitimate duo. Demetrius Harris is a nice red zone target who doubles as a great blocker. That leaves Holtz who will be a reserve tight end but also their fullback in the running game. So what about Jesper Horsted or Eric Saubert? They'll be on the practice squad.
Offensive line:
- Charles Leno Jr.
- James Daniels
- Cody Whitehair
- Germain Ifedi
- Bobby Massie
- Rashaad Coward
- Alex Bars
- Jason Spriggs
The best way to describe the offensive line to this point is anticlimax. What few signs of competition there were have quickly faded. Ifedi seized the right guard job almost immediately, which left every starting spot accounted for. That just meant figuring out who the reserves would be. Given the lack of moves made to this point, it seems they plan to go with Coward and Spriggs at tackle while Bars may have done enough to earn a spot on the interior.
Defensive line:
- Akiem Hicks
- Bilal Nichols
- Roy Robertson-Harris
- John Jenkins
- Brent Urban
Not a ton of surprises here. The defensive line took a hit when Eddie Goldman opted out. Still, their depth was always strong. Nichols has shifted to nose tackle and reportedly been a force all camp long. The same can be said for Robertson-Harris. Jenkins and Urban both serve as quality veterans who should be able to step in and start if injuries were to hit.
Outside linebacker:
- Khalil Mack
- Robert Quinn
- Barkevious Mingo
- Trevis Gipson
It's expected to be the Mack and Quinn show for the Bears this year. If those two can stay healthy, the havoc they can create is almost limitless. Where it's a bit murkier is the depth behind that. Mingo isn't a pass rush specialist but his value on special teams can't be ignored. Gipson is the Bears' 5th round pick. He has lots of upside. That should give him the nod despite a somewhat quiet camp.
Inside linebacker:
- Roquan Smith
- Danny Trevathan
- Joel Iyiegbuniwe
- Josh Woods
- Rashad Smith
Smith and Trevathan are the obvious starters. Woods has carved out a nice role as a reserve while Iyiegbuniwe is a prime special teams ace for the team. The biggest surprise is Smith. Few gave him much attention as an undrafted free agent but he has made a lot of noise in practice. So much that he's earned a spot. Remember the Bears carried six inside linebackers last season. So five shouldn't be a huge deal.
Cornerback:
- Kyle Fuller
- Jaylon Johnson
- Kevin Toliver
- Buster Skrine
- Kindle Vildor
- Sherrick McManis
The cornerback position is a nice mix of solid veterans and promising youngsters. Fuller is still an outstanding player. Skrine remains dependable. Excitement is building with the rookie Johnson while Toliver hasn't backed down from competition. McManis stays on as a special teams stalwart. Vildor is a 5th round pick but he's also played quite well in practice. So he gets that final spot.
Safety:
- Eddie Jackson
- Tashaun Gipson
- Deon Bush
- DeAndre Houston-Carson
- Marqui Christian
The trio of Jackson, Gipson, and Bush has taken over practices at times in camp this year. They're making a lot of plays and that bodes well for the season. Houston-Carson provides trustworthy depth and yet another solid presence on special teams. Christian, despite being late to the party, has those exact same qualities. He's done enough to show why the Bears signed him despite knowing he'd be suspended the first two weeks.
Specialists:
- Pat O'Donnell
- Patrick Scales
- Eddy Pineiro
This was actually a bit harder than expected. O'Donnell and Scales were easy choices since neither have a competition to worry about. The difficult part was Pineiro. It has sounded like Nagy isn't all that high on the young kicker lately. Combine that with the presence of Cairo Santos whom the coach has prior ties to? It was tough not to make a surprise switch. In the end though, Pineiro keeps his job at least for the beginning of the year.
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