The Bears have to cut down the final roster to 75 men tomorrow. Several days after that it's time for them to get that roster down to 53 men. There's going to be some tough choices for the Bears coaching staff.
I don't have a whole lot to go on here. I have 3 preseason games that I've watched, and for most of the players who will make the team I have past performances in previous seasons. As far as training camp goes, I'm working on hearsay while the coaches and beat writers actually saw everything happen. I would have loved to go down to Bourbonnais and catch the camp, but I have a demanding job that keeps me more than busy. I have to prioritize, and work had to take priority.
However, I'm still going to do my best. I've watched every preseason game, and for games 1 and 3 I also watched a replay. I have done statistical research and done research just to see what the coaches seem to be saying as well. From there I have tried to read a bit between the lines, but I don't think I've taken it too far. I've also tried to read between the lines on playing time for some players. Here is what I'm thinking.
Quarterback
Jay Cutler is a no brainer as the first stringer. Seeing as he won't even play against the Browns, and he's been named as the starter, I think we can put this one in the bag.
Josh McCown is going to be the only other quarterback on the active roster. There's not too much question for McCown. He gets along very well with Jay Cutler and has been a good influence on him. He won't win a team any games, but he won't lose any games for them either.
I see, in the end, the Bears putting Enderle either on the PUP list or on the practice squad, depending on where his finger is in its recovery. Sure, it's only a finger, but it still has to heal.
Unless Edwards or Palmer do something to really impress the coaching staff, I don't think either one of them is heading anywhere better than the practice squad. They were likely brought in to be practice quarterbacks.
Running Backs
Matt Forte, to nobody's surprise, will start the season as the starting running back. He's looked great both running and receiving, and there was little to no question as to him being the starter, much less as the starter.
Michael Bush is another sure thing as the second string and short yardage back. Bush is an absolute bowling ball who can do other things on the field such as receiving out of the backfield and blocking.
The third spot is where things are questionable. Armando Allen was expected to win the spot at the beginning of training camp, but Michael Ford has come on very strong in the preseason while Allen has been hurt. Ford has shown good things in kick and punt coverage, returning the ball, and has been decent as a running back. I feel like Allen may be the better pure running back, and Allen isn't a bad special teams player, but Ford is who I'm picking to get this spot because of how he has been especially good in those situations.
Wide Receivers
This is one of the funnest positions to predict. Why? Because it's very difficult, and nailing this would make me feel good about myself, even if in reality I've really done absolutely nothing. I will go right out and say it. My picks are Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, Earl Bennett, Eric Weems, Marquess Wilson, and Joe Anderson.
It's an especially good year for the Bears when there's a player or two that you really like that won't make the team as a wide receiver. Sure, there's been years before when that's happened, but never when the Bears have had a #1 like Brandon Marshall. Hell, I don't think they even had a #1 that was as talented as Alshon Jeffery in those seasons.
The first of the guys was already cut, Brandon Aromashodu. I'm still living in the past a little bit. I still remember a few years ago when Aromashodu had a great stretch to end the season. I never was delusional enough to think that he was a #1, but I won't lie, at the time I thought he could be a solid #2 guy. In fact, I still think that in the right situation he can be a decent #3. However, I want better than decent for this team, and I didn't think he should have made the team anyway, so I'm not upset at all about it. I agree with the move, but he was still a guy I liked.
Of the guys still on the roster that I like, Josh Lenz and Golden Brittan are the two guys that I hate to send off, but I don't see any way the Bears carry a 7th receiver. No chance at all. One of the major reasons I have those two as guys who will be cut is that I feel like both of them have a solid chance to make it to the practice roster. It's not anything certain, but a Marquess Wilson would have almost no chance of making it to a practice roster, someone else would pick him up. Terrence Toliver wasn't as tough of a decision. He's not bad, I just didn't see anything special out of him.
Earl Bennett does have a chance at being a surprise cut, as he has missed the entire preseason with his concussion and missed a huge portion of the season just a couple of years ago after taking a brutal hit to the chest against the Saints. However, I think he winds up on the team, maybe put on the PUP list to clear up another roster spot early on or something, but when he is in there he's as good on 3rd downs as anyone on the team, with some of the most sure hands in the entire league. He doesn't have blazing speed, but he knows how to run routes, and I'll take a guy a little slower who knows where he's going over any guy who's faster, but lost when running routes, those guys are only good for going deep. Anyway, bottom line is that I think Bennett is on the final roster.
Tight End
I'm torn between the Bears going with two or three tight ends here. However, in the end, I feel that they will go with three. Martellus Bennett is a lock to make the team. Past him, nothing is too sure though. The reason I think the Bears go with 3 tight ends is because of who the two guys wind up being.
I'm going with Kyle Adams, who is a good receiving tight end, but does not block especially well, and Steve Maneri, a very good blocking tight end who does not receive very well. Those are the three guys who I feel like give the Bears the best chance to compete right now. By carrying 3 tight ends it also allows one to play occasional fullback, which I can see happening, especially since I don't have Fiammetta making the final roster.
I think the Bears go ahead and put Onobun on the practice roster, or at least look over the possibility. The tight end has been very willing throughout the preseason, and you can tell he has the heart, but the guy just cannot catch a pass to save his life. I have a feeling that the coaching staff would love to work with him and try to figure out how to teach him to catch. If they can't figure it out within a few weeks though he will be looking for, what I believe will be his 7th team.
Offensive Line
Yeah, technically tight end is the offensive line, but I'm not going to split hairs. This is where I have the first surprise cut, although it really isn't much of a surprise, just someone who started the preseason as a starter (I think 95% of Bears fans know who I'm talking about already). Anyway, instead of starting negative, I'll start off positive, with the starters.
Jermon Bushrod at LT, Matt Slauson at LG, Roberto Garza at C, Kyle Long at RG, and Patrick Mills at RT. Didn't even need a predicate to that sentence, the subject said it all. It's looking like the best offensive line that Jay Cutler will have since his last season in Denver. Both tackles look to be improvements over anyone who played (offensive) tackle for the Bears last season. The guards, Slauson and Long will be an improvement over last years guards. Lance Louis was by far the best offensive lineman for the Bears last season at right guard, and I'm not necessarily going to say that Long will be better. However, Long's size and athleticism allows the Bears to be more versatile with what they do on the right side. Louis was good, but he wasn't as versatile or athletic as Long is. As for the left guard spot, Slauson is a solid guard. That right there is better than the nightmare that Bears fans had to endure last year at that spot. As for center, Garza still has a year or two as a solid guy. He's not Kreutz, nor will he ever be, but he's solid.
As for the reserves, the Bears are versatile enough with their reserves that I can see them starting with three reserves. Eben Britton is the first guy. He's a guard who can do a decent job (I know, I know, I said I don't want decent in the WR section, but the Bears had a lot more to pick from there). I'd pick a guy who can play guard or center, but if Garza does get hurt one of the guards can finish the game (Britton included), and the Bears can sign someone to come in and fill in (Edwin Williams?). James Brown is the next guy. He's a guard who was in the 2012 draft (although he went undrafted) as a tackle. He can step in there on occasion, although I'd be much more comfortable with him as a guard. The third guy is John Scott. He was probably the best offensive tackle for the Bears all last season. He's nothing special, but he is solid and he can play on both sides if needed.
The most notable omission from my group of starters is indeed J'Marcus Webb. I'm sure Webb is a nice guy and a lot of fun to hang out with, but as an NFL quality tackle, he's just not there. He's got the size and athleticism, but he just seems to lack the fire, the competitive nature, the mean streak, just that sort of thing (those are slightly different, but it should give a good idea of what I'm saying). It's frustrating that he could never make it, but it's just been too long. He did take that paycut, which is the only way he has a chance, as he's not expensive, but I just can't see him making the team. It just doesn't make any sense to me for him to be on the team come the regular season, especially after the disaster that was him against the Raiders.
Edwin Williams is another guy I had as getting cut. I did mention him earlier, he's another practice squad possibility, as he is versatile enough to play guard and center, but at the same time he's nothing better than decent. The other guy I have as cut, one I kind of don't want to see cut, is Taylor Boggs.
Summary
So, at QB we have Cutler and McCown. At running back we have Forte, Bush, and Ford. At wide receiver there's Marshall, Jeffery, Bennett, Anderson, Wilson, and Weems. At Tight End there's Adams, Bennett, and Maneri. On offensive line it's Slauson, Bushrod, Garza, Long, Mills, Britton, Scott, and Brown. That's 19 guys so far for a 53 man roster. I will admit that I haven't come up with final decisions on defense yet, and I'm a little bit unsure about a couple of things with special teams, so I may come back and throw a guy on there, but I'm pretty confident with my predictions so far.
One thing I will bring up, I'm sure I'll have more than 8 guys that I say are practice squad possibilities in the end. When I say that someone is a practice squad possibility I mean just that. I don't mean that they will end up on the practice squad, it's nothing more than someone I feel is a possibility or I feel is a good fit. Remember that guys on the practice squad are fair game for other teams, so you won't find too many tough cuts winding up there.
One of the toughest things about being a coach has to be making cuts. I'm glad I don't have to do it (although I'd love the paycheck). Based on what I know right now, these are the guys I feel will wind up being on the regular season roster once the Bears are ready to go up against the Bengals.
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