The Chicago Bears 53-man roster is finally in sight. GM Ryan Pace has assembled a full complement of 90 players. Now the process begins for the coaching staff on whittling that down to the best possible depth chart they can assemble. There are obvious names that are already locked in certain areas. Yet plenty of competition is out there and it will be a joy to see how they all play out in the next four months.
Obviously, things can change. The Bears might yet bring in another notable name that might change the formula. It wouldn’t be the first time for Pace. That said, with the current list of players it’s time to take a look at how the final 53 might end up by the opener in September. Presuming the league starts on time, of course.
Chicago Bears 53-man roster will look a lot faster
QB
- Nick Foles
- Mitch Trubisky
Traditionally the Bears have always carried two quarterbacks on the main roster under Matt Nagy, and nothing has happened to make one think that changes. Tyler Bray is always an extra arm they utilize for training camp and the preseason. This will be a two-man race between Foles and Trubisky. The winner claims the starting job for this season and the loser will be his backup. It really is that cut and dry.
RB
- David Montgomery
- Tarik Cohen
- Artavis Pierce
Running back is set at the top with Montgomery and Cohen. One is the tough and strong bellcow and the other is the quick and speedy passing game threat. The Bears feel if the blocking up front gets better, this tandem should perform quite well. The only question mark is the third spot. Here is a minor upset with undrafted rookie Pierce unseating Ryan Nall. Pierce is a determined run with decent size, speed, and pass catching ability. He also provided extra value on special teams.
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WR
- Allen Robinson
- Anthony Miller
- Ted Ginn Jr.
- Cordarrelle Patterson
- Darnell Mooney
- Riley Ridley
A series of moves have actually made wide receiver a tough position to predict. Robinson and Miller are locked in. Patterson is as well thanks to his elite return man capability. Odds are also good that 5th round pick Mooney and recent addition Ginn will be kept because of the speed they bring to the table. Presuming the Bears keep just six spots, that leaves one left. In this instance, Ridley, a 4th round pick last year, gets the nod over Javon Wims who kind of disappointed in 2019 despite extra playing time.
TE
- Jimmy Graham
- Cole Kmet
- Demetrius Harris
- J.P. Holtz
- Jesper Horsted
Like kicker last year, the Bears are bringing a massive competition into training camp at tight end. However, this time they’re not narrowing it down to one. Graham and Kmet are obvious locks. Harris with his blocking prowess should be safe. The tricky part is whether they keep four or five guys. I believe it will be five. Holtz will be a part-time tight end but also serve as a fullback replacement as he did last year. The final spot goes to Horsted. He showed a lot of potential last season and is cheaper than Ben Braunecker.
OL
- Charles Leno Jr.
- Bobby Massie
- Cody Whitehair
- Jason Spriggs
- James Daniels
- Germain Ifedi
- Rashaad Coward
- Alex Bars
- Lachavious Simmons
Juan Castillo is the new offensive line coach and he has a lot of things to sort through. While four of the five starting spots are pretty much locked in, the right guard position and all the backup jobs remain up for grabs. By most accounts, it will be Ifedi and Coward who battle for the starting guard spot. Spriggs should slide in their swing tackle replacement for the departed Cornelius Lucas. As for Bars and Simmons? Both have the developmental upside that the team might not want to risk letting get plucked away on the practice squad.
DL
- Akiem Hicks
- Eddie Goldman
- Bilal Nichols
- Roy Robertson-Harris
- Brent Urban
The defensive line is four men deep in terms of solid contributors with Hicks, Goldman, Nichols, and Robertson-Harris. Urban also earned his spurs last year with some quality reps whenever he got on the field. Typically the team doesn’t carry more than five guys at that position and it doesn’t feel like anybody else is a true threat to swipe a job from one of them. Urban is in the most danger but he’d either have to get hurt or really struggle during training camp and the preseason.
OLB
- Khalil Mack
- Robert Quinn
- Trevis Gipson
- Barkevious Mingo
Depth was constantly a problem for the Bears at outside linebacker in recent years. Hell, their starting spots were a problem too since Leonard Floyd just wasn’t that good. This has finally changed. Mack and Quinn make for a potentially lethal tandem. Gipson is a talented kid out of Tulsa with huge upside once he figures out how to use his hands. Mingo isn’t a great pass rusher but he is a versatile player who brings a ton of value to special teams.
ILB
- Roquan Smith
- Danny Trevathan
- Josh Woods
- Joel Iyiegbuniwe
The Bears took a considerable hit at inside linebacker this offseason. Their top reserve Nick Kwiatkoski finally got his chance to become a starter in Las Vegas with the Raiders. Also, Kevin Pierre-Louis took a bigger payday to join the Washington Redskins. Even so, despite that, they still look solid at the position. Smith and Trevathan are top starters. Iyiegbuniwe is a good special teams player and has upside on defense. Woods showed the last two years that he can also play when given chances. It’s a solid room despite the losses.
CB
- Kyle Fuller
- Jaylon Johnson
- Buster Skrine
- Tre Roberson
- Kevin Toliver
- Artie Burns
- Kindle Vildor
If the Bears end up overloading one position, it will probably be cornerback. They just seem to have a lot of talent. Fuller and Skrine were starters last year. Johnson is a 2nd round pick and an early favorite to replace Prince Amukamara. They paid a lot of money to secure Roberson from the CFL, so he should be safe. Toliver was a capable backup last season. Vildor is in as a 5th round pick and somebody they traded up to get. So why keep Burns? Mostly due to his still considerable upside and added skills on special teams.
S
- Eddie Jackson
- Tashaun Gipson
- Deon Bush
- DeAndre Houston-Carson
- Jordan Lucas
Pace did a good job sort of reshuffling the safety position. He lost Adrian Amos last year and got Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to fill the void. Now they lose Clinton-Dix and scoop up the underrated Gipson. He should form a nice pairing with Jackson. Bush is a quality third guy who can step in when needed. Houston-Carson and Lucas should both be key contributors on special teams. It’s a well-rounded group with guys who each know their place on the roster.
ST
- Pat O’Donnell
- Patrick Scales
- Eddy Pineiro
Continuity is always such a big key to success on special teams. That is what the Bears shoot for here. O’Donnell had a solid 2019 punting the ball and seems to have blossomed under Chris Tabor. Scale remains steady as their snapper. The Bears did bring in some competition for Pineiro but it doesn’t feel like a serious attempt. More of a reminder that they’re watching and he better bring his A-game. He will be the starting kicker on opening day.
