The Chicago Bears have two more preseason games ahead. After that, the coaching staff will convene to whittle the roster down from 90 players to 53. Considering it’s a new regime in charge, there is a strong probability that some prominent names who would’ve been safe under Matt Eberflus won’t survive this time. Here is a list of five names who sit on the bubble, each for different reasons. You might be shocked at who won’t make the cut. It could be that kind of year.
The Chicago Bears have some headaches to sort through.
QB Case Keenum
Much of this depends on how many quarterbacks the Bears carry. The standard procedure is two on the main roster with another on the practice squad. Keenum isn’t likely to do the latter, but a leg injury has slowed his progress. Tyson Bagent has had another good camp and is earning the coaching staff’s trust. If the Bears decide to carry three quarterbacks, which has been done before, then Keenum should be safe. If not, he might be the odd man out based on where things are trending.
OT Kiran Amegadjie
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It is amazing to think he went from a possible threat to start at left tackle to maybe not even making the roster. Amegadjie suffered another injury setback this month. That didn’t help his case. At the same time, second-year tackle Theo Benedet has delivered some of his best work over the past two weeks, resulting in snaps with the starting offense. We already know Darnell Wright is safe. One has to presume Ozzy Trapilo and Braxton Jones are as well. That leaves the decision between Benedet and Amegadjie. It’s hard to imagine the Chicago Bears cutting the guy who is consistently practicing and performing well.
WR Tyler Scott
The former 4th round pick can’t say he didn’t get opportunities. He’s had ample chances over the past two years but failed to capitalize on them. Too many dropped passes and not enough value on special teams. The top four spots on the depth chart are locked up. Devin Duvernay probably takes the fifth because of his return ability. That leaves Scott battling undrafted rookies JP Richardson and Jahleel Addae, along with veteran Maurice Alexander, for that last spot. Each of those three has stood out more to this point.
DT Zacch Pickens
Nobody can say Pickens has been bad. He had a sack in the preseason opener and has had a pretty good camp. The problem is the numbers. Gervon Dexter, Andrew Billings, and Grady Jarrett aren’t getting cut. That leaves Pickens in a battle with Shemar Turner for what should be the final defensive tackle spot. While Turner hasn’t practiced most of camp, he’s still a 2nd round pick. The team has high hopes for him. He won’t be cut. That means Pickens needs the Bears to carry five defensive tackles or he might be screwed.
CB Zah Frazier
Cutting a 5th round pick you just made a few months ago probably sounds crazy. However, the circumstances are impossible to ignore. The Bears have a logjam at cornerback. Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, Tyrique Stevenson, and Terell Smith feel like roster locks. That leaves two spots left. Special teams ace Josh Blackhawks will probably get one. That means Frazier is up against Nahshon Wright and Nick McCloud for the last spot. Frazier hasn’t practiced for weeks. There is no telling when he’ll be back. It’s unfortunate, but the decision seems pretty clear.