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Just one day after wrapping up their 2024 preseason slate, the Chicago Bears are already getting to work on trimming their roster down to the 53-man limit.
According to the team’s transaction wire for August 23, the Bears waived veteran defensive end Khalid Kareem from their roster on Friday after earlier in the day agreeing to terms with the Seattle Seahawks on a trade for pass rusher Darrell Taylor.
The Bears had claimed Kareem — a 2020 fifth-round pick for Cincinnati — off the waivers following the 2023 roster cutdown period, but he landed on the injured reserve list ahead of their third regular-season game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Chicago also later demoted him to the practice squad after he returned from his injury.
Kareem returned on a reserve/future contract for 2024 and began training camp with an outside chance at winning a depth spot in the Bears’ defensive end rotation. He even helped his case with a solid preseason, recording one sack, six pressures and five tackles in four games, but his bid effectively came to an end when the Bears traded for Taylor.
Once he passes his physical, Taylor will claim one of four locked-up roster spots at the position for the Bears along with Montez Sweat, DeMarcus Walker and Austin Booker. Dominique Robinson and Daniel Hardy are likely the top contenders vying for the fifth spot in the rotation — that is, if the Bears decide to keep more than four edge rushers.
The Bears also terminated their contract with 26-year-old wide receiver Freddie Swain, whom the team placed on its injured reserve list on August 21 after signing him in May. He played 30 snaps for Chicago in the preseason, catching three passes for 30 yards.
Has Daniel Hardy Earned Place on 53-Man Roster?
Before trading for Taylor, the Bears might have had as many as two roster spots up for grabs in their pass-rushing rotation. Jacob Martin — a 2024 free agent signing — could have laid claim to one of them, but he suffered an injury early in training camp and did not participate in any of the team’s four preseason games, bowing out of the running.
Consequently, the Bears have focused their competition for depth spots on Robinson, Hardy and rookie Jamree Kromah over the past month of the preseason with Robinson and Hardy each producing standout moments in the exhibition games. Until the trade for Taylor happened, it seemed both of the latter two could have won jobs in 2024.
With four spots now claimed, though, has Hardy done enough to bump out Robinson?
The preseason results say yes. Hardy played the second-most snaps (109) among the team’s edge rushers behind Kareem (114) but produced more sacks (four) and pressures (14) than any other NFL edge rusher that played in the preseason. He also made eight stops in the run game, showing a nice blend of pass-rushing and run-stopping skills.
Based on Pro Football Focus’ analytics, Hardy finished with the best tackling grade (78.1) and tied for the fifth-best run defense grade (80.5) out of 222 players who logged at least one snap at outside linebacker or defensive end during the 2024 preseason.
On paper, Hardy seems to have won the battle, but the Bears may instead look to stick things out with Robinson — their 2022 fifth-round pick — and see how he develops in his third NFL season. It is worth noting that Bears general manager Ryan Poles mentioned he was pleased with Robinson’s development in his midgame interview with the preseason TV broadcast crew during August 17’s game against the Bengals.
Could Bears Play DeMarcus Walker Inside More Often?
The Bears are unlikely to keep more than one other edge rusher for their initial 53-man roster, but there is a way where it would make more sense — if they are willing to get more experimental with Walker and his ability to play inside as a defensive tackle.
Walker had 3.5 sacks for the Bears in 2023 and finished second on the team in both pressures (47) and tackles for loss (nine), but his performance was markedly worse than it had been with Tennessee during the 2022 season — in which he had twice as many sacks despite playing nearly 300 fewer defensive snaps. The Titans’ willingness to play Walker more frequently on the inside was part of the reason he had more success.
If the Bears concur and feel Walker can make a greater impact with more snaps on the interior of their defensive line, perhaps they would have a reason to keep both Hardy and Robinson on their initial 53-man roster. Bears head coach Matt Eberflus described the team’s depth issues at defensive tackle as “concerning” following their preseason finale against the Chiefs, so Walker can offer a solution with Taylor now in the fold.
The Bears must reach the 53-man roster limit by 4 p.m. Eastern Time on August 27.
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