The Chicago Bears practice squad may receive disinterest from a lot of people, but it can sometimes be of understated importance to a team. Injuries are a fact of life in the NFL and it sometimes helps to keep players who might help in case of emergencies. Others it can serve as the ideal developmental process for players the team likes but don’t think are ready for the big time.
Ben Braunecker was a practice squad guy early in his career. Now he’s their #3 tight end and a special teams stalwart.
Bryce Callahan started his career there before elevating to the main roster during the 2015 season and eventually becoming a starter.
Josh Bellamy? Yep. He was a practice squad guy too before finding a home as a primary reserve at wide receiver.
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There is a benefit to this system and now that the Bears are a deeper team than in years past, it only gains importance. So who are the current players on the roster who likely won’t make the cut but are prime candidates to return on the practice squad?
Chicago Bears practice squad names to watch
Ryan Nall
Nall is good enough to be a backup on offense. He’s big, strong, faster than he looks, and catches the ball pretty well. The problem is he doesn’t bring anything to the table on special teams. Not like Kerrith Whyte. The 7th round rookie has significant kick return prowess. Not to mention far more speed. Something the Bears covet. Nall doesn’t wow in any one area. He’s just a decent all-around back. That’s worth keeping on the practice squad in case injuries hit.
Thomas Ives
This kid is one of the bigger surprises of 2019, literally and figuratively. He’s one of the tallest receivers on the team at 6’5 and comes from humble origins at Colgate College. He’s stood out in practice and has four catches through two preseason appearances for 49 yards. That includes 21 after that the catch and three of the catches going for first downs. He’s averaging more yards per catch than any receiver in the preseason.
Jesper Horstead
All people knew about Horstead when he was signed by the Bears was that he’s a Princeton graduate. An Ivy leaguer. So intelligence certainly isn’t a concern. He’s got decent height too at 6’4. The big concerns were whether he could survive the NFL level at just 225 lbs, which is exceedingly light for a tight end. That didn’t stop him from making a splash in Indianapolis. He made three catches, two going for 1st downs and the other for a spectacular touchdown to put the game away.
Daryle Banfield
The Bears have been quite good at finding defensive linemen on the undrafted market. Nick Williams and Roy Robertson-Harris are recent examples. Daryle Banfield may be the latest. Out of Brown University, he was a complete mystery on arriving in camp. The preseason though has revealed a big man who has some juice rushing the passer with four pressures including a hit on the quarterback. He’s a major work in progress though, especially as a run defender.
Josh Woods
This may be the most painful cut for the Bears to make. Woods has done everything required to make the roster. He’s making lots of tackles, forced a fumble, had a sack and hasn’t looked bad on special teams either. Yet there’s just so much competition at inside linebacker that it feels like there’s no way short of the Bears choosing to carry five at the position that he can crack the final 53. The good news is he’s only in his second year, so he has more practice squad eligibility to go.
Clifton Duck
Duck is one of those players who has the instincts and ball skills of a Pro Bowler but is trapped in a body that is both too small and too short for the NFL. He’s made some great plays this summer including a spectacular interception against the Giants in week two of the preseason. It just feels like he doesn’t have the required range to play corner. Still, his ball skills are hard to ignore. It would be interesting to see if the Bears tried to make him a safety where the speed issue wouldn’t be as big a problem.
