Chicago Bears In The Most Danger Ahead Of Training Camp
The Chicago Bears have a new coaching staff and have made significant roster changes over the past three months. In situations like these, it is a safe assumption players who might’ve been considered safe at this time last year should be feeling serious pressure going into the summer. There are those who are obvious locks like Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze, Montez Sweat, and Jaylon Johnson, and others who would need a highly public mental breakdown to lose their spots like D.J. Moore, Cole Kmet, and Gervon Dexter. After that, it gets murkier. I decided to dig into the depth chart and pinpoint five notable names who should be nervous. These aren’t players who are obvious camp bodies. They are guys who at least have a case for being on the roster but could quickly see that change under the right conditions.
Keep an eye on these Chicago Bears.
QB Tyson Bagent
This hinges entirely on how many quarterbacks the Bears want to carry on the roster. If it’s two, then Bagent is in a delicate spot. The team brought in veteran Case Keenum this offseason. It seems unlikely they’d cut him, given the experience and locker room leadership he’d bring to the quarterback room. He will be such an important asset for Caleb Williams. While the Bears do love Bagent, they know if they cut him he’s not making it to the practice squad. That will be a tough decision.
WR Tyler Scott
This offseason was a nightmare for Scott. Chicago added two more prominent receivers to the roster: Luther Burden and Olamide Zaccheaus. If that weren’t enough, they also signed Devin Duvernay, who shuts down any opportunity the former 4th round pick may have had as a returner. There is no clear path for Scott to stay on the roster. He needs either a huge summer in training camp or an evolution on special teams to save himself at this point. Neither seems overly likely.
OL Ryan Bates
Poles had such high hopes for Bates after trading for the veteran from Buffalo last year. Then, a series of injury setbacks knocked him out for most of the season. While he’s been recovering, the Chicago Bears completely overhauled their offensive line. Not only did they add two starting guards and a center, but they also secured more depth with 6th round pick Luke Newman. If Bill Murray and Ricky Stromberg come out strong in camp this summer, it will be difficult for Poles to justify keeping him.
DT Zacch Pickens
Gervon Dexter has panned out into a good player. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for his fellow 2023 draft mate. Pickens showed plenty of promise at South Carolina, displaying the size, length, and explosiveness teams look for in interior pass rushers. Sadly, he still hasn’t flipped the switch. Meanwhile, the Bears added Grady Jarrett and Shemar Turner in the spring. That defensive tackle room is suddenly crowded, and veteran Chris Williams feels like a more reliable depth option than Pickens.
S Elijah Hicks
Normally, this wouldn’t be a notable topic. Hicks is a solid backup and dependable presence on special teams. Guys like that tend to stick on rosters. However, the Bears seem to really like undrafted rookies Major Burns and Tysheem Johnson. Both have qualities that aren’t hard to sell. They’re younger than Hicks and will be cheaper for a longer period. If they can prove valuable on defense and/or special teams, the new coaching staff may choose to prioritize them over Hicks.