Getty Receiver Dazz Newsome has been waived by the Chicago Bears.
The Chicago Bears have whittled their roster down to 80 players.
The Bears announced on August 23 that they have terminated the contract of tackle Julie’n Davenport, while also waiving the following four players: Wide receiver Dazz Newsome, cornerback BoPete Keyes, fullback Jake Bargas and defensive tackle LaCale London.
Of the five players released, Newsome was the only one drafted by the team. A 2021 sixth-round pick out of the University of North Carolina (221st overall), Newsome played in just three games as a rookie, starting one. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound wideout made the practice squad initially, and was eventually elevated to the active roster later in the season. He caught two passes for 23 yards and returned six punts for 75 yards (12.5 yards per return) in his lone NFL season.
Chicago will have to trim its roster down from 80 players to 53 by the August 30 deadline. The Bears have one more preseason game, against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on August 27.
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Bears Haven’t Had Surprise Cut Yet
There are bound to be a few surprises when Poles and company set the team’s 53-man roster, but there haven’t been any eyebrow-raising cuts yet.
The Bears added the tight end-fullback hybrid Bargas, who played primarily as a blocking tight end in college at the University of North Carolina, just two days prior to releasing him. London spent the bulk of the past two seasons on Chicago’s practice squad, while Keyes also spent time on Chicago’s practice squad last season, playing in one game. Neither has been a significant contributor.
Davenport signed with the Bears in spring of 2022, after playing in nine games and starting four for the Indianapolis Colts last year.
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Newsome Has Promise, But Inconsistent Preseason Hurt Him
The 23-year-old wide receiver was a solid performer at UNC, catching 188 passes for 2,435 yards and 18 touchdowns in his 44 games there. He didn’t get many opportunities in former head coach Matt Nagy’s offense last year, and an inconsistent training camp in preseason didn’t help his chances of making the roster.
He had an opportunity to impress considering Chicago’s wide open wide receivers room, but in addition to some drops in camp, he also muffed a punt in each of the team’s first two preseason games against the Kansas City Chiefs and the Seattle Seahawks. That kind of inconsistency won’t cut it.
Still, Newsome has potential to grow, and he should land with another wide receiver-needy squad fairly soon, with landing on another team’s practice squad the likeliest outcome. He also has value in special teams despite the recent issues fielding punts.
“I feel like special teams is always everyone’s best value if you’re not the guy,” Newsome said after Chicago’s second preseason win over the Seahawks, via 247 Sports’ Bear Report. “I feel like special teams has to be one of your best things. I need to show that I’m a coachable player, that I can make plays and do my assignment.”
We’ll see if another NFL team picks him up soon.
Tough to see Dazz Newsome already off the #Bears.
I think people overrated him because he was a rookie WR on a bad team last year, but his UNC tape was still very solid. He should be able to catch on quickly somewhere else.
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