Bears Release Kentrell Brice, Devante Bond, Alex Wesley

The Bears have dropped their roster to 85 by releasing three veterans they had acquired since last December.

Although the Bears reportedly can wait until Aug. 16 to cut their roster to 80, they've apparently decided to take the other option.

The Bears on Sunday released safety Kentrell Bruce, linebacker Devante Bond and wide receiver Alex Wesley and still need to cut five more to reach 80.

According to a Pro Football Talk, a memo the teams received Friday allowed them to either keep 90 players until Aug. 16 and then cut 10, or cut 10 by the July 28 start to camp. Apparently the Bears have opted to make the cuts now, and announced moves which reduced their roster to 85.

They had already traded tight end Adam Shaheen to Miami for what they said Sunday was a seventh-round draft pick which could become a sixth-round pick if Shaheen meets unspecified levels of play.

Also, they had cut tight end Ben Braunecker.

Bond has been with the team since last December when they claimed him after he'd been cut by Tampa Bay, which had drafted him in the sixth round in 2016.

Brice is a former Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety who signed in Chicago during the offseason.

Wesley is an undrafted free agent from Northern Colorado who had been with the New York Giants last training camp but was cut just before the regular season.

Bond had been one of three veteran inside linebackers who figured to compete for the backup spots held by Nick Kwiatkoski and Kevin Pierre-Louis last year. The Bears still have Joel Iyiegbuniwe and Josh Woods to compete for those spots along with undrafted rookie free agents Keandre Jones and Rashad Smith.

Brice figured to be a long shot after they also signed Tashaun Gipson and Jordan Lucas to go with several other veteran backup safeties. Deon Bush, DeAndre Houston-Carson and Sherrick McManis are still among the safety corps.

Wesley's speed had made him an attraction but the Bears later signed Ted Ginn Jr. in free agency and drafted Darnell Mooney to compete at the Z receiver position.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven