Cutdown Day Produces Strange Bears Roster
The cutdown to a 53-man roster by the Bears left the team with more question marks at cornerback than when training camp started, which is quite a bit because it was one of their most unproven areas at that point.
And what exactly do they plan to do with seven inside linebackers, anyway?
GM Ryan Pace will meet with media at 3 p.m. on Wednesday and could have more changes at this point before he explains the strange configuration.
With a week and a half still to go until the opener, there is time to bring in other players from the waiver wire list and some of those on the 53-man list at deadline may be gone.
Wide receivers Riley Ridley and wide receiver Dazz Newsome both were cut.
This means the darling of training camp and preseason, Rodney Adams, made it. But six of the seven wide receivers Pace has drafted since he became GM in 2015 are no longer with the team.
The only one with the team now is Darnell Mooney. The others were: Newsome (cut), Ridley (cut), Anthony Miller (traded), Kevin White (cut), Daniel Braverman (cut) and Javon Wims (cut).
Ridley was a fourth-round pick in 2019 and Newsome was a sixth-round pick in the 2021 draft.
Rookie cornerback Thomas Graham Jr. also was cut. Like Newsome, he was a sixth-round pick. Until this year's draft, every player Pace had taken in the sixth round or earlier had been given a year on the 53-man roster to prove themselves. All taken sixth round or earlier had at least been given the benefit of the doubt.
Even 2015 sixth-round tackle Tayo Fabuluje initially made it onto the roster before he played in only four games. Linebacker Kylie Fitts in 2018 was on the final 53-man roster, although he played only sparingly.
The cornerback situation seems scant.
Pace signed Desmond Trufant after the team cut Kyle Fuller for cap reasons, but Trufant left camp due to a difficult situation at home after he had not shown he deserved the starting left cornerback spot. Trufant left camp Aug. 13 and his father died Aug. 15, but he remained with the family and never did return to Halas Hall.
Prior to leaving, Trufant had been designated a second-team cornerback behind Vildor on the Bears' "unofficial" depth chart released a few days before the first preseason game.
Then they cut Artie Burns, who competed with Kindle Vildor for the starting spot once Trufant left, and also cut Marqui Christian, the safety who had been a backup slot cornerback challenging Shelley. Cornerback Xavier Crawford, who was on the roster last year, stuck on the roster again.
The Cuts
DE Daniel Archibong, WR Isaiah Coulter, OL Dieter Eiselen, DB Thomas Graham Jr., OL Arlington Hambright, TE Scooter Harrington K Brian Johnson.
WR Jon’Vea Johnson, LB Sam Kamara, WR Chris Lacy, RB Ryan Nall, WR Dazz Newsome, RB Artavis Pierce, WR Riley Ridley, DB Dionte Ruffin, LB Charles Snowden.
S Teez Tabor, LB James Vaughters, OL Tyrone Wheatley Jr.
CB Artie Burns, DB Marqui Christian, C Adam Redmond, CB Desmond Trufant, CB Tre Roberson^, DE LaCale London^.
Physically Unable to Perform List
RB Tarik Cohen
53-Man Roster
(At deadline)
Quarterbacks (3)
Andy Dalton, Justin Fields, Nick Foles
Running Backs (4)
David Montgomery, Damien Williams, Khalil Herbert
Wide Receivers (5)
Allen Robinson II, Darnell Mooney, Marquise Goodwin, Damiere Byrd, Rodney Adams
Tight Ends (5)
Cole Kmet, Jimmy Graham, Jesse James, J.P. Holtz, Jesper Horsted
Offensive Line (10)
T Jason Peters, G Cody Whitehair, C Sam Mustipher, G James Daniels, T Germain Ifedi, T Lachavious Simmons, G Alex Bars, T Larry Borom, T Elijah Wilkinson, T Teven Jenkins**.
Defensive Line (6)
NT Eddie Goldman, DE Akiem Hicks, DE Bilal Nichols, DE Angelo Blackson, DT Mario Edwards Jr.*, NT Khyiris Tonga.
Outside Linebackers (4)
Khalil Mack, Robert Quinn, Trevis Gipson, Jeremiah Attaochu
Inside Linebackers (7)
Roquan Smith, Danny Trevathan, Christian Jones, Alec Ogletree, Joel Iyiegbuniwe, Josh Woods, Caleb Johnson
Defensive Backs (8)
S Eddie Jackson, S Tashaun Gipson, CB Jaylon Johnson, CB Kindle Vildor, S Deon Bush, S DeAndre Houston-Carson, CB Xavier Crawford, CB Duke Shelley.
Specialists (3)
K Cairo Santos, P Pat O'Donnell, LS Patrick Scales
^Waived injured
*Suspended for first two games with PED violation
**Will go on injured reserve