Bears Cutdown Day Biggest Winners and Losers
In most situations the Bears went with experience over youth when making Saturday's final roster cuts.
One notable exception was at right cornerback where it would appear rookie Jaylon Johnson will either start or play a major role in coverage against the Detroit Lions in the Sept. 13 opener. The second-round draft pick was being held out of much of the work in early practices while rehabbing from shoulder surgery, but finally became more involved in the final six days.
As a result, the Bears cut third-year cornerback Kevin Toliver II.
The Bears have a practice scheduled for Sunday and more about their depth chart could be known then, but they are required by the NFL to release a depth chart by Monday.
Players who have been let go can be signed back to the practice squad on Sunday and this year as many as six of the 16 practice squad players can be experienced NFL veterans.
Apparently the Bears will use this rule for a few veterans.
Toliver could be one, but kicker Cairo Santos would seem a likely veteran practice squad player unless it's decided kicker Eddy Pineiro hasn't recovered enough from a groin injury. Then Santos could be signed again and brought back to the active roster to kick.
The Bears look dangerously thin at linebacker, particularly on the inside. They dispatched speedy undrafted free agent Rashad Smith, leaving just four inside linebackers on the roster: Roquan Smith, Danny Trevathan, Josh Woods and Joel Iyiegbuniwe.
The cuts at outside linebacker included Khalil Mack's young brother Ledarius, and veteran pass rush Isaiah Irving. The Bears said Irving was waived injured, but hadn't reported an injury to him before finishing training camp practices.
Third quarterback Tyler Bray was cut, as expected, but is eligible for the practice squad again as a veteran.
The Bears actually have a roster with 54 players but one is safety Marqui Christian, who must serve a two-game suspension for a situation unreported by the NFL that occurred while Christian was still with the Rams last year. So they would need to cut another player for Week 3 if they were to keep Christian.
Notre Dame guard/tackle Alex Bars made the roster, but his former Notre Dame teammate, center Sam Mustipher, did not.
At one point in the offseason the Bears had 11 tight ends on their roster, but they will carry five into the regular season as Jesper Horsted was cut.
The two they retained behind tight end additions Cole Kmet, Jimmy Graham and Demetrius Harris are Eric Saubert and J.P. Holtz. Saubert is a home-grown Bear, like Kmet. Saubert played high school football at Hoffman Estates, while Kmet played at St. Viator.
By cutting Pierce, the Bears seem to be suggesting starter David Montgomery could be back in the lineup for the opener despite a groin strain. Montgomery was supposed to miss 2-4 weeks with the injury and it will be 2 1/2 weeks of absence when they play the Lions.
There are no undrafted free agents on this year's roster, and two seventh-round draft picks chosen the last two years were dispatched: tackle Lachavious Simmons and Stephen Denmark.
2020 Final Roster
Quarterbacks: Mitchell Trubisky, Nick Foles
Running Backs: David Montgomery, Tarik Cohen, Ryan Nall, Cordarrelle Patterson
Wide Receivers: Allen Robinson II, Anthony Miller, Javon Wims, Riley Ridley, Ted Ginn Jr., Darnell Mooney
Tight Ends: Cole Kmet, Jimmy Graham, Demetrius Harris, J.P. Holtz, Eric Saubert
Offensive Linemen: Charles Leno Jr., Jason Spriggs, James Daniels, Arlington Hambright, Cody Whitehair, Germain Ifedi, Rashaad Coward, Bobby Massie, Alex Bars
Defensive Line: Akiem Hicks, Bilal Nichols, John Jenkins, Roy Robertson-Harris, Brent Urban
Outside Linebackers: Khalil Mack, Robert Quinn, Trevis Gipson, Barkevious Mingo, James Vaughters, Mario Edwards**
Inside Linebackers: Roquan Smith, Danny Trevathan, Joel Iyiegbuniwe, Josh Woods.
Cornerbacks: Kyle Fuller, Jaylon Johnson, Buster Skrine, Kindle Vildor, Duke Shelley, Sherrick McManis
Safeties: Eddie Jackson, Deon Bush, Tashaun Gipson, DeAndre Houston-Carson, Marqui Christian*
Specialists: K Eddy Pineiro, P Pat O'Donnell, LS Patrick Scales
*Suspended for 2 games
**Signed, with corresponding roster move pending
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