Ryan Poles is wasting little time overhauling the roster of his new team.
The Chicago Bears announced they released veteran linebacker Danny Trevathan at the beginning of the new league year on March 16. It’s a move that was expected considering the veteran linebacker’s recent drop off in production coupled with his injury issues. They also announced the release of running back Tarik Cohen, although that move had been previously reported and was also anticipated.
Trevathan has spent the last six seasons with the Bears, starting 62 games at inside linebacker and playing in 67.
In addition to making Trevathan’s release official, the Bears also didn’t tender offers to five restricted free agents: offensive lineman Alex Bars, defensive back Teez Tabor, running back Ryan Nall, cornerback Xavier Crawford and tight end J.P. Holtz. Now, all five along with Cohen and Trevathan, will hit the open market as free agents.
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Trevathan & Cohen Both Dealt With Injury Issues in Recent Years
Trevathan has seen the injury bug bite hard in recent years. He started just one game last season, and played in only five. Two of his previous three seasons have ended in stints on injured reserve, and in his most recent full season (2020), he was frequently a liability in the passing game. He earned a 46.4 coverage grade from PFF that year, and he often looked slow or lost in coverage. Opposing QBs had a whopping 137.8 passer rating when throwing his way in 2020.
Cohen hasn’t played since September of 2020, and it’s clear Poles wanted to remove players with questionable injury histories and big cap hits from the roster.
Per ESPN insider Field Yates, the Bears plan to designate both Trevathan and Cohen as post-June 1 cuts, which will save them $7.2 million in cap space. Both players are still free to sign with other teams.
The Bears officially designated the release of both RB Tarik Cohen and LB Danny Trevathan as post-June 1 cuts, meaning the team will pick up $7.2M in cap space for this year on June 2.
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More About the Other 5 Bears Entering the Market
Other than Trevathan and Cohen, Nall had been with the team the longest.
The 26-year-old running back signed with the Bears as an undrafted free agent out of Oregon State in 2018, spending his the entire season on the practice squad. He made the practice squad again the following year, but was elevated to the active roster for eight games, playing 66% of the team’s special teams snaps.
Nall made the active roster in 2020, playing in all 16 games. He caught eight passes for 67 yards and a touchdown, while still contributing primarily on special teams. He failed to make the roster again in 2021, but his perennial seat on the practice squad remained. He wound up being elevated to the active roster for nine games, catching one pass for 4.0 yards and rushing once for 4.0 yards.
Bars signed with the Bears as an undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame in 2019. He played in 38 games, starting 11 in his three seasons with Chicago. Due to myriad injuries on the offensive line, he played various positions, including center, left guard and right guard. He earned a 49.0 overall grade from PFF in 92 snaps last season.
Crawford designed by the Bears in 2020, and he played primarily on special teams, although he had two starts in 2021 due to injuries in the secondary. The 26-year-old corner played in 16 games for Chicago over the last two seasons.
The Bears claimed Holtz off waivers after Washington released him in 2019, and he wound up playing in 43 games in his three seasons with the team, often serving as a blocking tight end. He caught seven passes for 91 yards in that span.
Tabor was signed to Chicago’s practice squad in December 2020, and he made the PS again in 2021. He was eventually elevated to the active roster, playing in six games. He finished with eight tackles.
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Bears Continue Roster Overhaul, Let 7 More Players Hit Free Agency