Chicago Bears: Roster locks, bubble and who’s in trouble

The Chicago Bears roster is starting to take shape with two preseason games left. They have to start thinking about how they will shave it down.

Going from 90 players to 53 isn’t nearly as easy as some may think. There are a lot of hard decisions ahead for the Bears coaching staff. This will be the first time Matt Nagy has had to do something like this. Can he avoid personal bias and do what’s best for the team? Perhaps the best thing to do is separate the roster into sections. Who should be secure in a roster spot at this point? Who still has some proving to do and who need a big change of fortunes to survive?

That’s what this article will detail, covering all 90 names on the depth chart.

Locks:

QB:  Mitch Trubisky and Chase Daniel

It’s full steam ahead now for Trubisky as the starting quarterback. Everything done this past offseason was geared towards making the #2 overall pick a success. He’s established himself as a locker room leader and is unquestioned on or off the field. Daniel was signed to a $10 million deal for two years to be his mentor and help learn this offense as quickly as possible. His connection to head coach Matt Nagy also makes it certain he’s staying.

RB:  Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen

The Bears haven’t tried to showcase the pair much this preseason but that must be on purpose. Howard and Cohen have a chance to become one of the most dynamic running back tandems in the NFL this year. They combined for over 1,800 rushing yards in 2017 and could be an even bigger factor in the passing game this year. In fact they may be the focal point of the entire Bears offense despite the upgrades at wide receiver.

WR:  Allen Robinson, Anthony Miller, and Taylor Gabriel

Right now the wide receiver position is in a massive state of transition. That means only the names that were acquired this year can be considered safe. Robinson and Gabriel were prized pickups in free agency while the Bears traded up for Miller in the 2nd round of the draft. Those men have penciled in as big parts of the new offense already so they aren’t going anywhere. Beyond them, it becomes a bit of a guessing game.

TE:  Trey Burton, Adam Shaheen, and Dion Sims

The buzz around Burton continues to grow. Many thought the Bears were crazy to give him such a big contract but his play in the preseason has them retracting those statements. Together with Adam Shaheen, who will hopefully recover soon from an ankle injury, this offense has a pair of athletic tight ends with legitimate pass-catching prowess. As for Dion Sims, he’s a decent all-around player who can catch some passes and block.

OL:  Charles Leno, Cody Whitehair, Kyle Long, Bobby Massie, James Daniels, and Eric Kush

The Bears are returning four starters on the offensive line from last year in Leno, Whitehair, Long, and Massie. Nobody on the roster has risen to challenge them. That leaves the open left guard position where respected veteran Eric Kush and rookie 2nd round pick James Daniels are doing battle. Regardless of who wins, both have spots on the roster pretty well in hands given their talent and quality play up to this point.

DL:  Akiem Hicks, Eddie Goldman, Roy Robertson-Harris, and Bilal Nichols

This defense is strong everywhere but it might be at its strongest on the defensive line. Hicks probably should’ve gone to the Pro Bowl in 2017. Goldman is ascending as one of the best young nose tackles in football. Robertson-Harris is the talk of the preseason, notching 3.5 sacks in three games and looking dominant at times. Nichols is their 5th round pick and has looked surprisingly good in his limited action to this point.

LB:  Leonard Floyd, Danny Trevathan, Roquan Smith, Nick Kwiatkoski, and Sam Acho

The top part of the linebacker position for Chicago is in good shape. Floyd can be a solid pass rusher for them provided his stays healthy while Acho is a serviceable veteran. Trevathan is a playmaker whenever he’s on the field while Kwiatkoski has had the best training camp yet of his career. Smith rounds it out as the #8 overall pick of the draft, bringing loads of speed and instinct with him from Georgia.

DB:  Kyle Fuller, Eddie Jackson, Prince Amukamara, Adrian Amos, Bryce Callahan

For the first time in what feels like forever the Bears actually have stability in their secondary. They’ve managed to return every starter from the 2017 season on new contracts. Fuller and Amukamara should man the boundary corner positions well while expectations are high for Jackson to take a big step as their playmaking safety. Callahan and Amos will be under watch as both are entering contract years.