Lou goes 1-on-1 with Bears safety Jaquan Brisker
With Tuesday approaching, the Chicago Bears have made another round of roster cuts.
Here's what the latest Bears' roster moves tell us as the team looks to trim down to a 53-man roster by Tuesday afternoon.
What we know:
On Monday, the Bears made their latest round of roster cuts. Some were bittersweet, and others were expected.
As part of their latest roster moves, the Bears:
Placed DB Zah Frazier on the non-football injury list. He had missed nearly all of training camp with a personal issue, but returned to camp this past week.
Waived DB Millard Bradford, DL Xavier Carlton, DB Alex Cook, LB Power Echols, DB Kaleb Hayes, QB Austin Reed, RB Ian Wheeler and TE Joel Wilson. Expect Wilson, whom Johnson spoke highly of in the offseason, and Reed to end up on the Bears' practice squad.
Released DB Tre Flowers, RB Royce Freeman and OL Joshua Miles. Flowers' release all but guarantees Nick McCloud's spot on the roster, and Freeman's release should mean the Bears feel decently about the status of Roschon Johnson, Kyle Monangai and Travis Homer to part with depth there.
The biggest question was what the Bears would do with Frazier. He was excused from practice due to a personal issue, and the coaching staff was adamant they'd give him all the opportunities to make the team. Putting him on the non-football injury list allows him to get into playing shape with defensive backs coach Al Harris and also get used to playing in defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's scheme.
It also means the Bears are comfortable with McCloud as the final piece of their defensive back puzzle. McCloud had filled in at nickelback during camp when Kyler Gordon was week-to-week with a hamstring injury and also has experience playing outside corner.
With the Bears moving on from Freeman and Wheeler, it makes it more likely that running back Brittain Brown either makes the roster or has a spot on the practice squad. Brown played well in the preseason. The Raiders' 2022 draft pick spent last year on the Seahawks’ practice squad and was signed earlier in August.
What we don't know:
The Bears have to eventually make the tough decisions on their final roster.
Will they keep six wide receivers? If so, who makes the final cut between Jahdae Walker, Tyler Scott and Maurice Alexander?
If the Bears keep six receivers, then it means another player gets squeezed out of a spot. Players like Kiran Amegadije, Zacch Pickens and Daniel Hardy were players on the roster bubble who would be at major risk of popping if the Bears opted for six receivers.
We also don't know if Austin Booker, who Johnson said would be out for a few weeks with a knee injury, will be placed on short-term injured reserve. That would open a roster spot.
The Bears have until Tuesday at 3 p.m. to finalize their final cuts for their initial 53-man roster. Their roster stands at 73 players.
BearsSports