Bear Digest

Velus Jones Jr. Survives Bears Cutdown to 53 Players

The Bears roster is finalized but there can still be a few players moved around or waiver wire acquisitions coming on Wednesday.

Gene Chamberlain

Bears wide receiver and running back Velus Jones Jr. made the roster, but the Bears have four other running backs.
Bears wide receiver and running back Velus Jones Jr. made the roster, but the Bears have four other running backs. / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
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Apparently the Velus Jones Jr. experiment will continue at running back, or at least the opportunity is there.

The Bears have formed an initial 53-man roster without huge surprises in the process, but Jones is on the roster so they'll continue looking at him as a ball carrier in the backfield as well as a receiver.

They'll continue to trim around the edges, so to speak, with the potential for waiver wire acquisitions coming in the next day.

Among the players who made the roster were third-year wide receiver/running back Velus Jones Jr. as well as wide receiver/returners Dante Pettis and DeAndre Carter.

They trimmed both their third and fourth quarterbacks, cut deep at tight end and even waived the underdog hero of the preseason win over Kansas City, cornerback Reddy Steward.

If there was a surprise from training camp's beginning until the end, it was guard Bill Murray making the roster. He had been a practice squad player who was impressive throughout camp and preseason games.

The Bears will go with Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent at quarterback and will no doubt bring back either Brett Rypien or Austin Reed or both quarterbacks for the practice squad.

They released tight end Brenden Bates and fullback Khari Blasingame, although Tribune writer Brad Biggs has reported Blasingame's departure is simply procedural and he'll be back in a day or so on different contract terms. Biggs also reported Bates has teams interested in him and the Bears might not be able to stash the undrafted rookie from Kentucky on the practice squad, but sometimes agents will say this about players to squeeze a few extra dollars out of a team for a player who was cut and the is going on practice squad.

Other veteran contributors cut were cornerback Greg Stroman Jr., tight end Stephen Carlson and wide receiver Collin Johnson. All three were on the practice squad last year but played in games during the regular season.

Injuries forced the Bears to put three players on injured reserve. Tackle Larry Borom and edge rusher Jacob Martin are on IR but both have been designated for return.

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Dante Pettis wasn't as fortunate. The wide receiver/returner also went on IR but is done for the season. The Bears didn't say what Pettis' injury was. He didn't play in Thursday's final preseason game.

If there is a surprise it's that they retained Dominique Robinson as an edge rusher as well as Daniel Hardy, although it's questionable they would keep both players once Martin is ready to come of IR.

The team lost a roster spot when Tory Taylor's exemption for being an international player expired. So their punter is on the 53-man roster, but backup punter Corliss Waitman was waived.

Here is the Bears 53-man roster as it stands with waiver wire day coming tomorrow, and also the cuts made on Tuesday. They can also begin forming the 17-player practice squad on Wednesday.

Bears 53-Man Roster

3 p.m. Aug. 27

x-also plays running back

*Can be recalled from injured reserve

Quarterbacks (2): Caleb Williams, Tyson Bagent.

Running Backs (4): D'Andre Swift, Khalil Herbert, Roschon Johnson, Travis Homer

Wide Receivers (6): DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, Tyler Scott, DeAndre Carter, Velus Jones Jr.-x

Tight Ends (3): Cole Kmet, Gerald Everett, Marcedes Lewis.

Offensive Line (10): T Braxton Jones, G Teven Jenkins, C Coleman Shelton, G Nate Davis, T Darnell Wright, T Kiran Amegadjie, T/G Matt Pryor, G Bill Murray, C Doug Kramer, C/G Ryan Bates.

Defensive Line (10): DE Montez Sweat, DT Andrew Billings, DT Gervon Dexter Jr., DE DeMarcus Walker, DE Darrell Taylor, DT Chris Williams, DE Austin Booker, DE Daniel Hardy, DE Dominique Robinson, DT Zacch Pickens.

Linebackers (5): T.J. Edwards, Tremaine Edmunds, Jack Sanborn, Amen Ogbongbemiga, Noah Sewell.

Secondary (9): CB Jaylon Johnson, S Kevin Byard, S Jaquan Brisker, CB Tyrique Stevenson, CB Kyler Gordon, CB Terell Smith, S Elijah Hicks, CB Josh Blackwell, S Jonathan Owens, CB Jaylon Jones.

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

Vested Veterans Released Tuesday

  • QB Brett Rypien
  • FB Khari Blasingame
  • WR Collin Johnson
  • TE Stephen Carlson
  • CB Greg Stroman Jr.
  • S Tarvarius Moore
  • CB Adrian Colbert
  • DT Byron Cowart
  • T Aviante Collins

Players Waived Tuesday

  • CB Reddy Steward
  • TE Brenden Bates
  • P Corliss Waitman
  • QB Austin Reed
  • G Theo Benedet
  • T Jake Curhan
  • DL Jamree Kromah
  • DT Dashaun Mallory
  • LB Micah Baskerville
  • LB Carl Jones Jr.
  • DB Leon Jones
  • CB Ro Torrence
  • LS Cameron Lyons

Injured Reserve

  • T Larry Borom*
  • DE Jake Martin*
  • WR Dante Pettis

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.