Chicago Bears: 3 Difficult Cuts They Have To Make
By Erik Lambert
The Chicago Bears have a ton of work to do before they’re ready for the 2017 season. One that could be the most important in a decade.
Or at least that’s the perspective of head coach John Fox. There is no doubt that this may be the last chance the 62-year old coach has to run his own team. He needs to craft the absolute best roster possible. This could mean some difficult and unexpected cuts might be coming. Established veterans and young bucks alike. It doesn’t matter. This teams needs bodies they can rely on. So here are three names that, hard as it may sound, have to go.
Jeremy Langford (RB)
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After 2015 it looked like Langford was on top of the world. He was tagged as heir to Matt Forte and the unquestioned starting running back. Then he got hurt a month into the 2016 season, Jordan Howard came in and the rest is history. Since then Langford hasn’t practiced due to another injury. Suddenly another young running back in Tarik Cohen is making waves. Langford is learning the cold lesson that the quickest way off a roster is simply not being available. Can Ka’Deem Carey or Benny Cunningham be a solid #3 option? Yes.
Zach Miller (TE)
It is impossible not to feel several twinges of sorrow for Zach Miller. He’s such a model teammate and representative off the field with his charity work. He’s also a pretty darn good football player too. Problem is the Bears no longer trust his ability to stay healthy after another season-ending injury. This offseason they’ve added Adam Shaheen and Dion Sims to the mix, not to mention still having promising youngsters like Daniel Brown and Ben Braunecker. Miller feels more out of place than ever. It’s time to thank him and call it a day.
Harold Jones-Quartey (S)
It was almost the perfect story. A young safety from a tiny college goes undrafted. He’s one of the final cuts of his original team. Another (the Bears) claim him on the waiver wire and he works his way to the starting job. For a time it looked like Harold Jones-Quartey might actually be a hidden gem. It just never materialized. His inconsistencies never went away last year and he was a liability too often in coverage. Now the competition has grown so steep that it’s difficult to know where he fits on the roster. When that’s the case, it may be time to go.