Bears’ 53-Man Roster Projection: Ex-Rams DE Making Surprise Run

The Chicago Bears have nine days and one preseason game left to make their decisions about their initial 53-man roster for the 2023 season, and things became a little clearer after Saturday’s 24-17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

The Bears rested quarterback Justin Fields and the majority of their starters on the road against the Colts, freeing up plenty of live-game reps for the fringe players who have been looking to strengthen their roster cases down the stretch of training camp. Guys like undrafted rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent and defensive end Terrell Lewis seized their opportunities, while others — like Kindle Vildor — let the chance slip.

Here is how the Bears’ 53-man roster projects to look after the second preseason game:

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Quarterback (2): Justin Fields, P.J. Walker

Missed the cut: Tyson Bagent (UDFA), Nathan Peterman

Bagent was one of the main attractions for the Bears in their second preseason game, coming into the game behind Walker and looking decisive and in command of the offense. Over his two series against the Colts, he completed nine of 10 passes for 76 yards and scored on a 2-yard run, playing well beyond the expected capabilities of an undrafted rookie quarterback in his first NFL preseason.

If Bagent can put on another good performance in the preseason finale, he should have all he needs to bump Peterman from the QB3 job on the practice squad. He might even be able to persuade the Bears to keep him for the 53-man roster thanks to new emergency rules that incentivize the rostering of a third quarterback.

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Running back (4): Khalil Herbert, D’Onta Foreman, Roschon Johnson, Travis Homer

Missed the cut: Trestan Ebner

There really isn’t much doubt about this group at this point. Herbert, Foreman and Johnson all look capable of playing meaningful roles in the rotation, while Homer is going to be an asset on special teams, evidenced by his good hit on Colts rookie Josh Downs’ punt return in the first quarter. Ebner is likely bound for the practice squad.

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Fullback (1): Khari Blasingame

Missed the cut: Robert Burns (UDFA)

Burns got some nice action in the Bears’ second preseason game, finishing with the team’s most carries (eight) and rushing yards (40), but a lost fumble put an unfortunate ding in his performance. It likely wouldn’t have mattered anyway, as Blasingame has been a lock since signing his two-year extension with the Bears back in the spring.

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Wide Receiver (6): D.J. Moore, Darnell Mooney, Chase Claypool, Tyler Scott, Equanimeous St. Brown, Velus Jones Jr.

Missed the cut: Dante Pettis, Nsimba Webster, Daurice Fountain, Joe Reed, Isaiah Ford

Fountain may have earned himself consideration for a practice-squad spot after catching five passes for 86 yards and a touchdown on six targets against the Colts, but there is no chance he cracks the Bears’ deep receiving rotation.

The real question is whether the Bears will keep six or seven receivers, which could decide whether Pettis makes the roster. If they keep seven, Pettis makes it as depth and for special teams value. If not, then the sixth spot likely comes down to either him or St. Brown (or maybe Jones, if the Bears are feeling especially letdown by his progress). Health could also play a role as the Bears have several receivers who are currently injured and may need short-term replacements for the start of the season.

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Tight End (3): Cole Kmet, Robert Tonyan, Marcedes Lewis

Missed the cut: Stephen Carlson, Jared Pinkney, Lachlan Pitts

Any lingering questions about this position were answered when the Bears signed Lewis to a one-year contract for the season. Now, they have three options with varying levels of blocking and pass-catching prowess and no reason to carry any more on their initial active roster. Carlson likely joins the practice squad if he clears waivers.

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Offensive line (9): Braxton Jones, Teven Jenkins, Cody Whitehair, Nate Davis, Darnell Wright, Lucas Patrick, Alex Leatherwood, Ja’Tyre Carter, Larry Borom

Missed the cut: Logan Stenberg, Aviante Collins, Dieter Eiselen, Kellen Diesch, Roy Mbaeteka, Lorenz Metz (UDFA), Josh Lugg (UDFA), Gabriel Houy (UDFA), Robert Haskins (UDFA)

Even after adding Stenberg off the waivers between the first two preseason games, the Bears are likely content with Patrick, Leatherwood and Carter as their interior depth behind their starters. Tackle depth, however, remains a weak spot and may tempt the Bears to add an experienced veteran from the cut pile in the coming weeks. If they do, it won’t change the look of their initial offensive line group.

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Defensive line (10): Justin Jones, Andrew Billings, Gervon Dexter Sr., Zacch Pickens, Travis Bell, Yannick Ngakoue, DeMarcus Walker, Dominique Robinson, Rasheem Green, Terrell Lewis

Missed the cut: Trevis Gipson, Andrew Brown, Bravvion Roy, D’Anthony Jones (UDFA), Jalen Harris (UDFA)

Gipson has gotten a lot of playing time in the preseason, clearly fighting to ensure his place in the rotation after the arrivals of Ngakoue, Walker and Green bumped him down the depth chart, but it is getting harder to imagine the Bears will leave Lewis off their initial active roster. The former Los Angeles Rams third-round pick had a strip sack in his second preseason game against the Colts, bringing his sacks total up to three in two games. He has been swift, explosive and damn effective thus far, making him a perfect rotational addition to a unit that had the fewest sacks in the NFL in 2022.

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

Missed the cut: Mykal Walker, Davion Taylor, DeMarquis Gates, Micah Baskerville (UDFA), Barrington Wade (UDFA)

The Bears have brought in a few veteran linebackers in the past week, and both Walker and Taylor played meaningful snaps against the Colts to start stating their roster cases. For now, Cole — an earlier offseason addition — seems to still have the edge in the race for the fifth spot in the linebacker rotation, but if he continues to miss practice with his injury in the upcoming week, he could be in jeopardy of losing his job.

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Cornerbacks (6): Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, Kyler Gordon, Terell Smith, Jaylon Jones, Josh Blackwell

Missed the cut: Kindle Vildor, Michael Ojemudia, Greg Stroman Jr., Macon Clark (UDFA)

Vildor played both defense and special teams for the Bears in Saturday’s loss to the Colts while most of last year’s other starters sat out. Clearly, he is still fighting for his roster spot, but there has been little in his play over the first two weeks of the preseason to suggest he is gaining any ground. At this rate, the Bears might just prefer to move on from another Ryan Pace-era draft pick and let the young talent they’ve developed fly.

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Safeties (4): Eddie Jackson, Jaquan Brisker, Kendall Williamson, Elijah Hicks

Missed the cut: A.J. Thomas, Adrian Colbert, Bralen Trahan (UDFA)

Williamson has just strong enough of a showing against the Colts (a second-most six tackles with one for a loss) to start solidifying his roster spot. While A.J. Thomas and Adrian Colbert have had their share of good moments this summer, it seems more likely that Poles will want to hang onto the 2023 seventh-round pick for developmental depth and avoid the risk of him potentially getting picked up on the 53-man cut waivers.

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Specialists (3): Cairo Santos, Trenton Gill, Patrick Scales

Missed the cut: None

These battles have been decided since the Bears waived undrafted rookie kicker Andre Szmyt on August 8. Unless an injury strikes, the Bears are expected to have the same three specialists for a second straight season under this coaching staff.