Chicago Bears: Roster locks, bubble and who’s in trouble
By Erik Lambert
Bubble:
QB: Tyler Bray
This depends entirely on whether the Bears will carry two or three quarterbacks on the roster. It’s unknown what Nagy’s stance is on that. Every head coach is different. Bray hasn’t done anything to kill his chances. He’s looked steady in training camp and has performed well in preseason. He’s got experience in the offensive scheme and would be an able third-string option.
RB: Benny Cunningham
Nothing has happened out of the ordinary to knock Cunningham out of his spot as the third running back on the roster. He’s a solid jack-of-all-trades player who can do a little of everything on offense and is a proven special teams anchor. That capability remains unchanged so he should end up making the roster unless something crazy happens.
WR: Kevin White, Javon Wims, Josh Bellamy, and Bennie Fowler
This new coaching staff has said one must earn his way onto the roster. Draft status won’t necessarily get you anything. That’s why White and Wims cannot be considered locked in despite their favorable camps and preseason showings. Bellamy is his usual survivalist self, showing just enough to keep the team interested. Fowler has ground to make up but he’s still alive.
TE: Daniel Brown and Ben Braunecker
The injuries to Shaheen and Sims have given extra opportunities to Brown and Braunecker to get on the field. They haven’t wasted them. Both have made impressive plays in the passing game, taking a liking to this new offense. There’s a chance the Bears could choose to carry four tight ends on this roster, so those two definitely have something to fight for.
OL: Bradley Sowell, Rashaad Coward, and Jordan Morgan
Coward is one of the best stories of the preseason. Here’s a former undrafted defensive lineman who was asked to play offensive tackle this year. He took on the challenge and has looked surprisingly good during each of his outings thus far. Sowell is the most experienced backup the Bears have at tackle so he should be safe. Morgan is their former 5th round pick from last year.
DL: Jonathan Bullard, John Jenkins, and Nick Williams
Bullard hasn’t been terrible but the former 3rd round pick hasn’t ascended like the Bears have hoped thus far. He’s still relatively safe but far from secure. Jenkins has experienced a slight career revival in Chicago, finally becoming healthy and actually producing some nice plays. Williams is a dark horse who has quietly looked good whenever he’s been on the field.
LB: Joel Iyiegbuniwe, Isaiah Irving, Kylie Fitts, Kaseem Edebali, and Aaron Lynch
Being current draft picks, it’s reasonable to assume Iyiegbuniwe and Fitts should be safe. They’ve looked decent in their preseason appearances, if obviously inexperienced. Irving is also one of their better edge rushers. Edebali hasn’t looked too bad either. Lynch is the wild card. He’s their big free agent addition but he only just got back to practice after missing all of training camp with a hamstring injury.
DB: Cre’Von LeBlanc, Sherrick McManis, DeAndre Houston-Carson, Deon Bush and Kevin Toliver
McManis remains a special teams stalwart who has consistently made the roster for that reason. LeBlanc isn’t perfect but he’s a reliable reserve who’s good for a big play now and then. Houston-Carson was having a great camp and preseason before breaking his arm. Bush seems to be in the high regards of Vic Fangio. As for Toliver, he’s been showing talents beyond his undrafted status.