Projected NFL Cuts The Chicago Bears Should Be All Over

One more preseason game remains on the schedule for 2023. After that, teams must start making hard decisions about cutting down their rosters from 90 players to 53. The Chicago Bears are among them. Several players they may wish to keep will get released due to the numbers game. That said, GM Ryan Poles will also view the next couple of weeks as a big opportunity.

So many players getting released means a strong possibility that two or three of them will be higher quality than usual. The Bears have the top spot in the waiver wire pecking order. That means they’re free to scoop up anybody they want. While it’s hard to predict which names will hit the wire, here are a few that seem more than likely and why Chicago should be all over them.

The Chicago Bears could have interesting options available soon.

Josh Jones (OT, Arizona Cardinals)

Depth along the offensive line is becoming a concern for the Bears. Darnell Wright left practice with an ankle injury. Adding help there seems like an obvious choice. Arizona has a crunch at the position thanks to the arrival of 1st round pick Paris Johnson. That has put Jones on the bubble despite him playing really well this preseason, allowing only one pressure in 63 snaps. The former 3rd round pick has plenty of talent. He’s a big dude with long arms and lots of athleticism. His biggest concerns coming out were all technical. Those appear to have been resolved. Unfortunately, the regime that drafted him is gone.

Kevin Dotson (OG, Pittsburgh Steelers)

I already wrote a bigger article on Dotson this week. He was a decent starter for Pittsburgh last year, but roster changes and a contract situation seem to have him on the outside looking in. The veteran guard allowed only 16 pressures on 686 snaps last season. He’s a decent athlete that would fit the Bears’ offensive system well. If the coaching staff isn’t comfortable with their current depth options (Alex Leatherwood and Ja’Tyre Carter), this move would be a no-brainer. He’s young, cheap, and brings credible experience.

Jamison Crowder (WR, New York Giants)

Wide receiver is set at the top for the Chicago Bears with D.J. Moore, Chase Claypool, and Darnell Mooney. After them, it gets murkier. Velus Jones and Tyler Scott have failed to stand out this preseason. Nobody else has seized the opportunity. It’s still uncertain who the #4 receiver will be. Crowder is a proven veteran with at least 400 yards every year from 2015 to 2021. Last season ended early due to an ankle injury. By the time he returned to join the Giants, they’d added Jalin Hyatt in the draft and Cole Beasley as a free agent. Crowder is a reliable presence in the slot that can give the young Bears receivers another veteran leader.

Julian Okwara (EDGE, Detroit Lions)

Matt Eberflus loves to throw waves of pass rushers at the quarterback. That is why the Bears have worked hard to stack their depth chart with them. Okwara had a solid 2021 with five sacks and nine QB hits despite limited snaps. Last year, he was mainly on the bench because of rising youngster James Houston. Chicago still has depth questions behind new starters Yannick Ngakoue and DeMarcus Walker. Okwara could be a nice rotational piece for pass rush situations in the event of injuries.

Eli Ricks (CB, Philadelphia Eagles)

The Bears love their cornerbacks big and long. Ricks checks those boxes at 6’2 with 32-inch arms. He also has a nose for the football, producing four interceptions and two defensive touchdowns alone as a freshman at LSU. His pick-six in the preseason opener with Philadelphia was another reminder of this. He’s smooth and physical in press coverage. His zone awareness needs work, and his run supporter is inconsistent. Still, the talent is worth enough to explore since the Eagles have a strong track record of uncovering undrafted talent. Assistant GM Ian Cunningham would know, having worked for them for years.