Defensive Line Additions to Practice Squad

The Bears might wind up needing extra defensive linemen because of injuries to Eddie Goldman, Bilal Nichols and suspension to Mario Edwards.

USA Today

The Bears have begun a process of adding some experience to take advantage of the practice squad rules allowing for more veterans.

Teams can have six players on their 16-man practice squad with more than two accrued years in the league, and the first Bears practice squad was relatively inexperienced. However, Wednesday they addressed this by adding a pair of older veterans on the defensive line.

Second-year defensive lineman Auzoyah Alufohai was let go, along with second-year running back Artavis Pierce, and the Bears added defensive linemen Margus Hunt and Damion Square.

Square is a former Chargers undersized nose tackle at 6-foot-2, 293 pounds and played every game for four straight years, making 20 tackles last year. His career high for tackles was 31 in 2018 and he had a career-high 11 starts that season, as well.

Hunt is a 34-year-old, tall defensive end in the Brent Urban mold. He used his height to knock down four passes last year while playing for Cincinnati. Hunt is 6-foot-8, 295 pounds. Hunt made 26 starts and played in 104 games in eight seasons. He has 8 1/2 sacks and 11 pass breakups.

Signing two veteran defensive linemen to the practice squad could indicate a potential problem ahead for the Bears defensive line due to injuries.

They'll be down one defensive lineman until Mario Edwards Jr. returns from a two-game suspension for a PED violation.

Defensive end Bilal Nichols has battled a toe injury off and on throughout offseason and training camp while nose tackle Eddie Goldman was the only injured player who did not practice on Wednesday and has knee and ankle injuries.

More will be known on Goldman's injuries on Thursday as coach Matt Nagy no longer meets with media on Wednesdays.

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