With the Bears preseason finale today, I thought it was high time to see what the final roster could look like when Chicago hosts the Tennessee Titans on September 8.
Compared to last year, there has been a massive infusion of talent across the board, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, with five new starting players on that side. Overall, the starters on this Bears team are obvious; the question comes with how the depth will sort itself out on the offensive and defensive lines.
Chicago Bears Offense
Quarterbacks (3) - QB 1. Caleb Williams, QB2. Tyson Bagent, QB 3. Brett Rypien
Outside Looking In - Austin Reed
This has been the depth chart for the quarterback room since April 25. Caleb Williams has already shown flashes of his All-Pro talent in the two preseason games, with the latest being a 40+ yard bomb to Rome Odunze against the Cincinnati Bengals. It is one of the most insane throws I have ever seen from an NFL quarterback, let alone a Chicago Bears QB. Side note: for any Justin Fields defenders who say he could have done this, stop it. First of all, he couldn't, and second, let it go. Seeing Williams play all four quarters against the Titans will feed families in Chicago and across the league.
The undrafted Tyson Bagnet returns after a solid showing in his rookie year. Bagent played in five games in the middle of the season after Justin Fields was injured in Week 6 against the Minnesota Vikings. The Shepard University product played as well as you would expect a rookie backup to perform, with three touchdowns, six interceptions, a 51.8 QBR, and a 2-3 record (the wins coming against the Josh McDaniels Las Vegas Raiders and the Carolina Panthers). The new third-string veteran of the group will be former Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams signal-caller Brett Rypien. This will be Rypien's fifth year in the league, and he has amassed 950 yards, four touchdowns, and nine interceptions in 10 career games. Austin Reed will most likely be a practice squad after being undrafted out of Western Kentucky. He's only thrown for 60 yards so far this preseason as well.
Running Backs and Fullbacks (5) - RB 1. D'Andre Swift, RB 2. Khalil Herber, RB 3. Roschon Johnson, RB 4. Travis Homer - FB 1. Khari Blasingame
Outside Looking In - RB Ian Wheeler
Despite having one of the best rushing attacks in all of football over the last couple of seasons, the Bears have not had a 1,000-yard rusher at the running back since David Montgomery in 2020 (1,070). To remedy that, the Bears signed a 1,000-yard rusher from a season ago, D'Andre Swift.
Swift broke out with the Eagles after languishing with the Detroit Lions for the first three years of his career. Swift is a strong runner and a plus receiving back, racking up 1,412 yards and eight touchdowns in his short career. The potential problem with Swift is if his 2023 was just a product of running behind a top-5 offensive line in the league in Philly. His average yards per attempt matched his rookie year numbers, and he had the most carries ever in his career with 229. If he can stay healthy, then there is a world where Swift can prove he can be a consistent 1,000-yard rusher. Bringing in Swift also creates one of the deepest running back rooms in the league, with Khalil Herbet, Roschon Johnson, and Travis Homer. Herbert has been a starting running back in the league, with a career average of 4.9 yards per carry, while the second-year running back in Johnson put up 352 yards on 81 carries.
Homer will provide excellent value on special teams and the occasional passing situation if a situation ever arises. Khari Blasingame is one of the most consistent fullbacks in the league, a solid blocker who also brings some value on special teams.
Wide Receivers (6) - WR 1. DJ Moore, WR 2. Keenan Allen, WR 3. Rome Odunze, WR 4. Tyler Scott, WR 5. Velus Jones Jr., WR 6. DeAndre Carter
Outside Looking In - Collin Johnson, Nsimba Webster, Dante Pettis, Freddie Swain, John Jackson
This position group received the most love from GM Ryan Poles this off-season, and it was well-warranted. It was DJ Moore or bust last year in the wide receiver room, with Moore racking up 1,364 yards, eight touchdowns, and 96 catches. Outside of that, Bears receivers only put up 726 yards and two touchdowns, with Darnell Mooney falling off hard after 1,000 yards in 2021. To fix that problem, the Bears made two blockbuster deals in trading a 4th-round pick to the Chargers for Pro Bowler Keenan Allen, and then they used the 9th overall pick on former Washington University wideout Rome Odunze.
Allen will be in his 12th year out of Cal and has been one of the most productive receivers in the league. He has made the Pro Bowl six times and has had over 1,000 yards six times in his career. Allen will be a perfect security blanket out of the slot for Caleb Williams and will not be relied upon to be the No. 1 guy in the room.
After two slow seasons to start his college career, Odunze burst onto the scene in 2022 with 75 catches, 1,145 yards, seven touchdowns, and averaged 15.3 yards per catch. Odunze built onto that season to fully break out in 2023, with 92 receptions, 1,640 yards, 13 touchdowns, and even a rushing touchdown to help lead Washington to a National Title game birth. Odunze and Williams worked out together quite a bit in the off-season and even flew to the NFL Draft on the same plane. That connection is already building on the field with his new QB, especially on this ridiculous throw from Caleb Williams.
Tyler Scott and Velus Jones Jr return as solid depth pieces in the room, and DeAndre Carter returns to the Bears after a brief four-game stint in 2020 as a punt return specialist. While I believe the top 4 plus Carter are safe to make the roster, the battle between Jones Jr, Dante Pettis, and Collin Johnson will be something to watch, with Johnson starring in the Hall-of-Fame game and Pettis grabbing a touchdown against the Bengals.
Tight Ends (3) - TE 1. Cole Kmet, TE 2. Gerald Everett, TE 3. Marcedes Lewis
Outside Looking In - Stephen Carlson, Tommy Sweeny
The breakout for Cole Kmet we had been waiting for finally happened in 2023, as he set career highs in receptions and yards with 719 yards on 73 catches. The Lake Barrington, Illinois native finished tied with four others for the 2nd most touchdowns by a tight end last year with six, tying with Mark Andrews, Geroge Kittle, Hunter Henry, and David Njoku.
While the ageless Mercedes Lewis returns as a valuable blocking tight end, a new TE 2 is in town with the former Rams, Chargers, and Seahawks player Gerald Everett. Last year's backup, Robert Tonyan, was very unproductive, with 112 yards on 11 catches and dropped several key passes. Everett crossed paths with new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron during his time with the Rams and Seahawks and should have a deep knowledge of the Waldron playbook. Everett had a solid season as the No. 1 tight end for the Chargers, with 411 yards and three touchdowns. Even if Everett's stats dip to around 250-325 yards and three touchdowns, he can still be a valuable piece behind Cole Kmet.
Offensive Tackles (5) - RT 1. Darnell Wright, RT 2. Jake Curhan, LT 1. Braxton Jones, LT 2. Larry Borom, LT 3. Kiran Amegadjie (Placed on IR after making the roster)
Outside Looking In - Aviante Collins
Typically, heading into the season, a team would take four tackles into the season, but I have the Bears taking five to make the final roster. Last year's starters, Darnell Wright and Braxton Jones, return to start again, as the two had solid campaigns as starting tackles. The backups are where things get a little funky. Larry Borom returns as a solid swing tackle, while Jake Curhan is the backup tackle. The big decision comes with what to do with third-round pick Kiran Amegadjie, as he is still recovering from quadriceps surgery. He just made his debut at Bears practice on August 20, but there is doubt whether he will be able to get up to speed by the time Week 1 rolls around. I plan to place him on IR immediately after making the roster to give him four weeks to practice and ramp up physically. I'm doing this because if they place him on IR before the end of the preseason, he will be out for the rest of the season instead of just the normal four weeks. Once he is healthy, Jake gets sent down to the practice squad as quality depth.
Interior Offensive Linemen (5) - LG 1. Teven Jenkins, LG 2. Ja'Tyre Carter, C 1. Coleman Shelton, RG 1. Nate Davis, RG/C 2. Ryan Bates
Outside Looking In - Matt Pryor, Bill Murray, Doug Kramer Jr
The center position for the Bears has been a mystery to solve for some time now. LG/C Cody Whitehair was also cut along with Eddie Jackson to make room for Coleman Shelton and Ryan Bates. The big story on the interior has been the status of Nate Davis and his lack of attendance at practices due to a soft tissue injury. He seems to be in much better spirits and has continued to practice. It's been up and down for Davis, and he does have Ryan Bates as competition for that starting right guard position. So, we'll see how this battle turns out, but if Davis wants to keep his job, he better start looking a lot better than this snap against the Bengals.
Chicago Bears Defense
Interior Defensive Linemen (4) - DT 1. Gervon Dexter Sr, DT 2. Andrew Billings, DT 3. Zacch Pickens, DT. 4 Keith Randolph Jr.
Outside Looking In - Micheal Dwumfour, Dashaun Mallory, Byron Cowart
This group is a relatively unproven bunch outside of Andrew Billings, who became a very underrated signing for Ryan Poles and the Bears. Much will be relied upon by the pair of 2nd-year defensive tackles in Gervon Dexter Sr. and Zacch Pickens. Dexter had a relatively slow start to his career, not recording a 1/2 sack until Week 14 against the Detroit Lions. That's not to say Dexter had no impact, but it was mainly in the run game, limiting runs to just a yard or two yards. The former Florida Gator didn't have a single tackle for loss. Still, after slowly building momentum, Dexter had his best game as a Bear in Week 17 against the Atlanta Falcons (sorry Brayden), where Dexter recorded 1.5 sacks, two QB hits, and five total tackles a career-high in all stats for his career. That late-season momentum is seemingly carrying into training camp and the preseason:
Pickens was relegated to the DT. 4 with Justin Jones, Billings, and Dexter ahead of him on the depth chart, but with Jones now in Arizona, Pickens moves up a slot. The former Gamecock played in all 17 games but only played 30% or more defensive snaps in four, two coming in the last three games. In that time, Pickens only recorded 0.5 a sack back in Week 4 against the Denver Broncos. While the numbers weren't there, Pickens still made an impact as a good gap guy in the run game and, in several games, got a hand up to deflect a pass. There have been flashes of him being the Bears' missing three techniques that are vital to Matt Eberflus' defense. It's part of why the Indianapolis Colts traded for DeForest Buckner as a cornerstone of the Lovie Smith Tampa-2 defense. Look for Pickens to get a lot of looks at this spot this season to see what he is truly made of.
The last spot I'm giving to undrafted free agent Keith Randolph Jr from the University of Illinois. While I do see a world where the coaching staff opts to go with a vet in Micheal Dwumfour, I like taking a shot at the potential of Randolph Jr. He is a raw prospect coming out, but he does have a chance at being a good rotational defensive tackle in his rookie year, particularly against the run. In the clip below, he misses the tackle; the feet and hand movement are there already; I have to put it all together now.
EDGE (5) - EDGE 1. Montez Sweat, EDGE 2. DeMarcus Walker, EDGE 3. Jacob Martin, EDGE 4. Austin Booker, EDGE 5. Dominique Robinson
Outside Looking In - Daniel Hardy, Khalid Kareem
What a difference an in-season trade makes. After carrying one of the worst edge rushing groups into the season, headlined by Yannick Yngaouke, the Bears made a trade for former Washington Commanders edge rusher Montez Sweat, sending a 2nd round pick and then immediately extending him to a four-year $98 million deal. Sweat made history as the first player in NFL history to lead two teams in sacks for a season (6.5 with the Commanders in eight games, 6.0 in nine games with the Bears). Sweat turned a leaky defense into arguably a top-10 unit, as they were 10th in the league in December in passing yards allowed 950 yards, and Chicago finished the year 5-4 after a 2-6 start.
There isn't a true number two edge rusher next to Sweat, but a solid rotational group is behind him. DeMarcus Walker had 3.5 sacks and nine tackles for loss after joining the Bears from the Tennessee Titans. Outside of that, it's nearly an entirely new group with free agent signing Jacob Martin and 5th-round selection Austin Booker. Booker only became a Bear after the Bears traded back into the draft, sending a 2025 4th-rounder to the Buffalo Bills for the pick they gave up to get Ryan Bates at no. 144. After one season at Minnesota, Booker transferred to Kansas, where he finally got a chance to shine, putting up eight sacks and 12 tackles for loss for the Jayhawks. That strong play has generated to the preseason, as Booker has already racked up 2.5 sacks and eight total tackles. Sweat has even said that Booker is "lightyears ahead of where a rookie should be."
Martin has been a journeyman after being drafted in the 6th round by the Seattle Seahawks. Martin has played for three teams in the last two seasons, including the New York Jets, Denver Broncos, and Indianapolis Colts. Martin did have a strong stretch of three years with the Houston Texans from 2019-2021, where he racked up 10.5 sacks and forced four fumbles. While I do have former 2022 5th-round draft pick Dominique Robinson as the final guy making it, 2022 Rams 7th-round pick Daniel Hardy is making a strong push with a very productive preseason. Hardy already has 10 total tackles and 3.5 sacks so far.
Linebackers (5) - LB 1. Tremaine Edmunds, LB 2. T.J. Edwards, LB 3. Jack Sanborn, LB 4. Amen Ogbongbemiga, LB 5. Noah Sewell
Outside Looking In - Micah Baskerville, Carl Jones Jr., Paul Moala
One of the best linebacking cores in the league is back with additional depth this season. Tremaine Edmunds and TJ Edwards were part of a solid free-agency class that transformed the linebacking lineup after they traded away Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens. Edmunds intercepted a career-high four passes, including a pick-six against the "Elite" Joe Flacco, while still putting up 113 total tackles. The Lake Villa, Illinois native in Edwards returned home after going undrafted out of Wisconsin and playing four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. Edwards put up a career season in Chicago with three interceptions, a forced fumble, and 155 total tackles.
Third-year backer Jack Sanborn played in all 17 games, starting at linebacker in 10 of them. He had his first career interception and a career-high 65 total tackles. To add some depth, the Bears signed Amen Ogbongbemiga away from the Los Angeles Chargers. He has primarily been a special teams player, with only 10 total tackles in 32 games over the last two seasons. He has been getting some decent reps in the preseason, including an interception against the Bengals, and he has some value in the run game.
Former fifth-round pick Noah Sewell makes it in as the last linebacker, with the Bears running a 4-3 base defense. Sewell didn't have much of a chance to play with a deep linebacking group, as he played in just 13 games and made nine total tackles.
Cornerbacks (6) - CB 1. Jaylon Johnson, CB 2. Tyrique Stevenson, CB 3/SLCB Kyler Gordon, CB 4. Terell Smith, CB 5. Jaylon Jones, CB 6. Greg Stroman Jr./Josh Blackwell
Outside Looking In - Reddy Steward, Leon Jones
One of the best cornerback rooms brought the gang back together, with Jaylon Johnson signing a 4-year $76 million deal to headline the group. After Johnson just had one interception in three seasons, Johnson popped off four 4 INTs, including a pick-six against the Raiders. One of his interceptions has gone viral recently, as he was speaking with Richard Sherman on his podcast, where he picked off Josh Dobbs in "Palms" or a cover-two look to force throws into the flats. Jaylon has truly developed into one of the best corners in the league, and despite what Packers trolls on Twitter (yes, you, MJ), he is most definitely a top-100 player. According to Pro Football Focus, he even finished the season as the highest-rated corner.
After a slow rookie training camp and start to the season, Tyrique Stevenson came onto the scene as a strong second corner next to Johsnon. After not recording an interception in his first 10 games, Stevenson finished the year with four interceptions and recorded a pass defended in the final seven games. His physical style of play from his time at the "U" (Miami) translated beautifully with his 6-foot and 204-pound frame, as he led all rookies with 16 passes defended, and those four interceptions led all rookies as well (tied for 4th in the NFL).
Kyler Gordon has developed into a strong slot corner, and the Bears have a bevy of depth behind them. 5th-round rookie Terrell Smith had strong showings throughout the season with six passes defended; Jaylon Jones played in all 17 games and was a solid special teamer. The true battle on the depth chart will be who will fill in that 6th cornerback spot between Josh Blackwell and Greg Stroman Jr. While Stroman played in just seven games, he did record an interception for the second consecutive year after being drafted by the Washington Redskins in 2018. Blackwell hasn't recorded an interception yet in his two years in the league but could provide some value on special teams, so it will come down to what Matt Eberflus and Eric Washington want out of that last spot.
Safeties (4) - FS 1. Kevin Byard, FS 2. Johnathan Owens, SS 1. Jaquan Brisker, SS 2. Elijah Hicks
Outside Looking In - Adrian Colbert, Tarvarius Moore, Quindell Johnson, Douglas Coleman III
The Bears said goodbye to long-time free safety Eddie Jackson in February, cutting him to save $12.56 million heading into free agency. Jackson played with Chicago for seven seasons, making two Pro Bowls and an All-Pro First Team in 2018, where he nabbed six interceptions and two sixes. Despite his strong play, he missed 13 games over the last three seasons and was physically declining after a Lisfranc injury in November 2022.
After cutting him, they signed former Eagles and Titans safety Kevin Byard. While the Eagles' secondary was a turnstile down the stretch, Byard still finished the year as the 10th highest-graded Eagles player according to PFF with a 73.7 grade (A.J. Brown was the highest at 90.0).
Byard joins third-year safety Jaquan Brisker to make a talented starting safety pairing. Brisker has been a solid hybrid safety for the Bears. He was the third-leading tackler for Chicago, with 105 tackles while also posting a sack, an interception, and two forced fumbles. His coverage skills showed some noticeable improvement after acquiring Sweat, particularly in Week 14 against the Detroit Lions.
Jonathan Owens was signed in the Bears' annual tradition of signing former Packers players to a two-year deal. Owens was an undrafted free agent in 2018 who didn't make his NFL debut until 2019 with the Houston Texans. In 2022, he broke out with 125 tackles and four pass breakups before signing a one-year deal with the Green Bay Packers. The husband to seven-time Olympic gold medal gymnast Simone Biles still racked up 84 tackles (two for a loss), three passes defended, and a forced fumble.
Chicago Bears Special Teams
Specialists (3) - K Cairo Santos, P Tory Taylor, LS Patrick Scales
Outside Looking In - P Corliss Waitman
There will be only one newcomer to the Bears special teams, from the best player on Iowa's offense: punter Tory Taylor. The Aussie punter has already proven to be a pretty solid upgrade from last year's Trenton Gill. In three punts (excluding a penalty on his 57-yarder), Taylor averaged 47.6 yards per punt, nearly a full 10 yards ahead of Gill, who averaged 38 yards per punt. For further context, the NFL average yard leader was 45.1. While I doubt Taylor will keep that up, Taylor has the potential to be one of the best punters in the league this season.
Patrick Scales and Cairo Santos return as the long snapper and kicker with little to no competition on the roster. Santos is coming off a season after going 35-for-38 (92.1%) on field goals (two missed from 40-49 and one from 50+), finishing 9th in the league in field goal percentage.
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