Bear Digest

Final 2024 Bears 53-Man Roster Projection

A roster projection 3.0 for the Bears finds that a few players who stood out on Thursday night get jobs for the season, barring something unforeseen in the waiver wire process from elsewhere.

Gene Chamberlain

Did Tommy Sweeney find a way onto the Bears roster with his receiving and blocking in the preseason?
Did Tommy Sweeney find a way onto the Bears roster with his receiving and blocking in the preseason? / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
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The Bears have altered their practice schedule and now plan a light workout Saturday with Sunday's practice canceled, to be followed then by two more days off.

Ryan Poles, Ian Cunningham and Matt Eberflus will go through the process of roster shaping during this time. Cutdown deadline is Tuesday at 3 p.m.

Following Friday's trade for edge rusher Darrell Taylor, there are still possible personnel problems. However, this move, combined with the potential shown by Austin Booker, could eliminate edge rusher as a major need.

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A backup defensive tackle might be needed, depending on Zacch Pickens' health following an injury in practice earlier this week.

Guard and perhaps backup linebacker are areas of concern but rate more as potential issues. There are guards in place and when Ryan Bates has recovered from a preseason injury that need will vanish, as well.

At linebacker, Amen Ogbongbemiga is a solid fourth behind the two starters and Jack Sanborn, and after this they're looking at inexperienced players who have been around the team for a season.

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Most issues addressed and preseason in the books, here's one final roster guesstimate. It's Bears 2024 53-man roster projection 3.0.

2024 Bears Roster Projection 3.0

*Starter

Quarterbacks (3): Caleb Williams*, Tyson Bagent, Brett Rypien

Analysis: There's no reason to risk a QB who understands what they're doing on offense by putting him on the practice squad. Brett Rypien is too good for that. He and Bagent look pretty similar in the way they execute. Another team without a solid backup or with an injury to a starter in the regular season would be looking immediately to sign Rypien off their practice squad. Protecting him on the roster makes more sense and they can use him game day as the emergency QB. The notion of trading one of the QBs makes little sense. All a backup without much experience is worth is a late Day 3 pick at best. Some former starters might even be cut by early next week and then Rypien or Bagent would be even less valuable as potential backup supply increases.

Running Backs (5): D'Andre Swift*, Khalil Herbert, Roschon Johnson, Velus Jones Jr., Khari Blasingame (FB)

Analysis: It might hurt them to part ways with Travis Homer but he hasn't shown anything in preseason games after his only real contribution last year was special teams. Homer even dropped a pass Thursday and that's supposed to be his strength.

Wide Receivers (5): DJ Moore*, Keenan Allen*, Rome Odunze*, Tyler Scott, Dante Pettis

Analysis: DeAndre Carter's rough preseason finale, with an official muffed punt and just one 6-yard catch, might have cost him a spot on the team. His contract is a veteran's minimum and Pettis, who signed for roughly the same amount, out played him badly on offense. In fact, Pettis outplayed most receivers on the team in preseason. Having Velus Jones on the roster makes for a possible sixth wide receiver, as well.

Tight Ends (4): Cole Kmet*, Gerald Everett, Marcedes Lewis, Tommy Sweeney     

Analysis: Sweeney's blocking and receiving in the preseason, particularly the last game, may have won him a job on the team. Only a about a dozen reps for Stephen Carlson and the 63 Sweeney had, when he cleared the way on running plays and caught a TD pass, showed his versatility. It wouldn't even be a shock if offensive coordinator Shane Waldron kept Carlson and cut Blasingame, whose fullback position wasn't even on the Seahawks roster when Waldron was OC there.

Offensive Line (9): LT Braxton Jones*, LG Teven Jenkins*, C Coleman Shelton*, RG Nate Davis*, RT Darnell Wright*, C/G Ryan Bates, G/T Matt Pryor, T Kiran Amegadjie, G Ja'Tyre Carter.

Analysis: In Bates and Pryor, they have immediate backup ability covered for all the line positions. If Davis has injury issues, they still have Bates, Carter or Pryor who can be at guard. Pryor or Amegadjie can handle tackle. Experience is an issue this year for Amegadjie, particularly early because he hasn't been working with the team since the beginning of this week. Larry Borom is the odd man out here after his injury, possibly waived injured.

Defensive Line (9): DE Montez Sweat*, DT Andrew Billings*, DT Gervon Dexter*, DE DeMarcus Walker*, DT Byron Cowart, DT Zacch Pickens, DE Austin Booker, DE Darrell Taylor, DE Daniel Hardy.

Analysis: Walker is a sort of swing end, who moves inside to 3-technique tackle in passing situations when Booker or Taylor are on the field. Walker's strength as a run edge defender but he's a solid interior rush man. There will still be questions about their interior run and pass defense because Dexter and Pickens are unproven, but they should be able to put those to rest soon enough.

Linebackers (5): Middle Tremaine Edmunds*, Weakside T.J. Edwards*, Strongside Jack Sanborn, Outside-Inside Amen Ogbongbemiga, Outside-Inside Noah Sewell.

Analysis: They need one more draft pick linebacker who would have taken the spot Sewell has, after he didn't really participate in practice. This is a group with great speed and coverage abilty. They need to be sure with their tackles as even the best of them have had trouble here at times.

Secondary (10): CB Jaylon Johnson*, S Kevin Byard*, S Jaquan Brisker*, CB Tyrique Stevenson*, Slot CB Kyler Gordon*, CB Jaylon Jones, Slot CB Josh Blackwell, S Elijah Hicks, S Jonathan Owens, CB Reddy Steward.

Specialists: (3): P Tory Taylor, K Cairo Santos, LS Patrick Scales.

Analysis: Still there is no clarity on whether Scales will be ready to go after being sidelined. Taylor gives them a new weapon that started to show up in preseason, resulting in great field position. The kick returner is Jones and the punt returner is Pettis. If they need punt return help in case of injury, they can fall back to Blackwell, and kick return backup would be either Herbert or Scott. back on a practice squad if he's cut.

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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Gene Chamberlain

GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.