These last two days of Bears practices have shown that the team is ready to begin prepping for their Week 1 opponent in the Tennessee Titans. Two dust-ups broke out on back-to-back plays in Tuesday’s practice, and then the following day was a glorified walk-through that featured plenty of down time.
It’s safe to safe the Chicago Bears are done with camp mode and the preseason.
But that transition to the normal regular season schedule will have to wait until after the preseason finale against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. And for the players who are still fighting for the few roster spots on this team, this Thursday night game is their Super Bowl.
Realistically, this is the last time a few guys will be on an NFL roster, or it’s just the beginning of a long journey for players bouncing from team to team.
Although most starters won’t be playing against the Chiefs, there is still plenty to watch out for in this game.
Who earns the last defensive end spot?
Dominique Robinson understands that his position on this team was never a lock. He knew that before general manager Ryan Poles tried to trade for veteran edge rusher Matthew Judon.
For the 26-year-old edge rusher, this preseason game against the Chiefs could not be more important. Robinson has had some moments this preseason (two total tackles) and has flashed at times during training camp, but it hasn’t been enough to feel safe about a roster spot. The new kickoff rule is also a way to help the third-year man out of Miami (OH) show he belongs on this team.
He does have competition though, and right now that’s Daniel Hardy, who was selected by the Rams in the seventh round in 2022 out of Montana State. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound pass rusher has 10 total tackles and 3.5 sacks through the first three preseason games.
Here’s what Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington had to say about Hardy’s preseason production in Wednesday’s press conference:
“It has really stood out,” Washington said. “It has really stood out as far as what we’re asking that position to do, especially from a rush standpoint. He’s been extremely active. The energy has been high. He’s gotten quality wins in critical situations, and his effort has been phenomenal. Everything we start from an evaluation standpoint starts with hustle. And I don’t know anybody that has stood out as much as he has.”
Those are some strong words from Washington, and if Hardy has another productive game, he may earn himself a spot on this team. Let’s say the number of defensive ends the Bears keep is five. Four spots are filled with Montez Sweat, DeMarcus Walker, Austin Booker and Jacob Martin — who hasn’t practiced in roughly three weeks, but also hasn’t received an injury settlement, which is a good sign.
So, that leaves one spot for Hardy and Robinson. It won’t just be the production at defensive end to watch out for in this last game but also what the two do on special teams.
Wide Receiver and Running Back Depth
Back in May, I had six wide receivers making the roster, and that list included Velus Jones Jr. and Dante Pettis. That’s probably not what happens anymore.
I believe Jones Jr. makes this roster, but designated as a running back. Obviously, he is still learning the position and has a ways to go, but when he does run downhill or finds open grass, he has the speed to turn the corner and the power to play physical between the tackles. Jones Jr’s kick return ability also makes him an asset worth keeping. I’ll be watching to see how No. 12 looks in the backfield, and hopefully they do ask him to pass block to show how much he has grown in his new position.
Since Jones will be that fourth running back behind D’Andre Swift, Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson, I believe that could leave out Travis Homer. Even though he did play 57.1 percent of the special teams snaps last season, Jones will be an obvious candidate to take those reps, especially since he won’t be featured much — if at all — on offense. Homer has something to prove against the Chiefs to show he still has a spot on this team.
For those wondering about Ian Wheeler, he strikes me as a practice squad guy for the Bears.
Pettis has been productive in training camp and the preseason. The veteran wide receiver has five receptions for 98 yards and two touchdowns through three games. But he also wasn’t practicing on Wednesday after he was injured in Tuesday’s practice. The production at the receiver position is plus, but it’s really his experience as a punt returner that would earn him a spot.
The Bears have added another player who can return punts since I made my first 53-man roster projection, with the team signing DeAndre Carter. The veteran receiver/return man has worked with current Bears wide receiver Chris Beatty, and has shown an ability to get open when targeted in training camp. Carter along with Rome Odunze were returning punts in Wednesday’s practice. Something to watch for on Thursday night would be who is actually returning punts. Along with Carter, Josh Blackwell is another obvious candidate.
One thing that is guaranteed in football is injuries, and if Pettis is unable to play against the Chiefs, that could easily be a reason why he doesn’t make the team.
Filling out the O-line
Initially, I had 10 offensive linemen making the Bears’ 53-man roster back in May, which was the number the team had after cutdown day in 2023. I’ll stick with that number for now.
Larry Borom is definitely somebody on the bubble and has the potential of being cut, but he has been available and filled in for Braxton Jones on the first-team when he has missed time. What’s interesting with Borom is that his 2024 cap number jumps from $1,023,269 a season ago to $3,199,269. It might come down to money for Borom, which opens the door for veteran right tackle Jake Curhan — who is making just $1,055,000 for the 2024 season. Those two are competing for a spot, so definitely something to watch in this game.
BACK IN STOCK!
Kiran Amegadjie said last Tuesday that he doesn’t “necessarily have a set timeline” when asked about when he would be ready to play. He has been ramping up and was in full pads on Tuesday’s practice, but he didn’t participate in any of the 11-on-11 drills. Could he be someone who makes the initial 53 and then gets immediately placed on injured reserve? Maybe. Let’s say that doesn’t happen and he continues to ramp up and potentially works his way into the swing tackle role.
So, here are the offensive linemen that I have making the team as of now.
- Braxton Jones
- Teven Jenkins
- Coleman Shelton
- Nate Davis
- Darnell Wright
- Ryan Bates
- Matt Pryor
- Kiran Amegadjie
- Jake Curhan
That leaves one spot left. Originally, I had Ja’Tyre Carter, but he has bounced back and forth from the second-team and third-team offensive line and has played inside and at tackle. That tells me the Bears are just trying to find a potential spot for him.
Bill Murray has done some good things in this training camp, and was playing with the second-team offensive line at left guard with Tyson Bagent at quarterback and then moved to right guard later in the game when Brett Rypien played. Carter saw some playing time with the third team at left guard.
Between two offensive linemen, Murray has played with more consistency and could earn himself one of the final spots if he plays well on Thursday night.
