Potential Surprise Roster Cuts the Chicago Bears Should Monitor Closely

Every NFL team will cut its roster down to 53 players by 5 PM CST on Sunday. However, that doesn't mean that everyone who makes the initial 53-man roster will stick around after each team evaluates the waiver wire.

One team's trash is another team's treasure, and the Bears are no strangers to quality waiver wire additions. They landed a few key contributors after they got cut from other teams in recent years.

They claimed linebacker D'Marco Jackson, arguably the team's best linebacker down the stretch last season, after being cut by the Saints last year. They also landed cornerback and special teams ace Josh Blackwell off waivers after the Eagles cut ties with the undrafted rookie in 2022.

Which rumored cut candidates could provide a similar impact for Chicago this season?

Jaleel McLaughlin

Running back Jaleel McLaughlin had a strong showing in the receiving game in the team's preseason finale against Minnesota, finishing with six grabs for 35 yards and a touchdown. However, he didn't show much on the ground, gaining only 23 yards on his seven attempts.

Both Tyler Badie and Cody Schrader significantly outplayed him. The latter was considered a practice squad candidate before he blew up the stat sheet against Minnesota (his 132-yard, 1 receiving TD performance made the decision more difficult), and the former's special teams prowess makes him a serious threat to beat McLaughlin out for a roster spot. McLaughlin doesn't play in the third phase, and he's buried on a loaded depth chart.

With that said, McLaughlin does have talent. He's got extremely quick feet and is a quality receiver. Those are two areas where he could potentially play a change-of-pace role for Chicago. With Kyle Monangai's status for the season opener being up in the air, he would also give them another body who can get it done on offense. He might not be the second coming of Austin Ekeler, but he has more upside than Roschon Johnson.

Kendre Miller

McLaughlin isn't the only running back who might be on the outs with his current team. Saints running back Kendre Miller actually entered the league with a significant amount of hype. New Orleans selected him in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft (when Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen was their head coach), and he was expected to take some work off Alvin Kamara's heavy plate.

Unfortunately, injuries took their toll over Miller's first three seasons. He's never played more than eight games in a season and has a grand total of 127 attempts for 497 yards over that span. The Saints broke the bank Travis Etienne Jr. this offseason. Devin Neal and Audric Estime (who would also be a solid pickup for Chicago if he gets cut) also round out the depth chart. The team also traded for Zamir White earlier this week.

Needless to say, the Saints have a LOADED running back room. At least one back (and probably two or three) will surely get axed, and many believe Miller is long overdue for a change of scenery.

If the Bears are even slightly worried about Monangai's prognosis going forward, then Miller would probably make more sense than McLaughlin. Tipping the scales at 220 lbs., he's more of a threat to hold his own between the tackles. He'd also bring more upside than Johnson, and his prior experience with Dennis Allen might not hurt (although it also might.. considering how things went).

Kristian Fulton

The Bears could also look to add some depth to their cornerback room. If they do, then they should be keeping tabs on Kristian Fulton in Kansas City. The 2020 second-round selection has had a roller coaster career, and he's in the midst of a major valley after a disappointing season with the Chiefs.

Fulton, who signed a two-year, $20 million deal with Kansas City last offseason, was expected to lock down a starting job on the perimeter. Unfortunately, he dealt with a myriad of injuries and only played in eight games as a result. The Chiefs have no intention of slowing down so he can catch up, either. They brought L'Jarius Sneed back for another run this offseason and also drafted Mansoor Delane with the sixth overall pick.

Fulton could be the odd man out in a crowded cornerback room. If that is the case, then the Bears would be wise to bring him on board. He's only two years removed from a solid season with the Chargers and would be great insurance for Tyrique Stevenson if he begins to struggle. Even if he doesn't struggle, the Bears desperately need reinforcements in the secondary. Fulton fits the bill.

Jakorian Bennett

Cornerback Jakorian Bennett fell out of favor after struggling to gain traction with the Eagles last season. He played only 98 snaps on defense after they traded backup defensive tackle Thomas Booker IV to the Raiders for his services. However, the move was widely considered a massive win for Philly when it was announced. Bennett showed a lot of promise during his two years in Las Vegas.

He could definitely use a change of scenery (again). With the Eagles making two significant additions to the cornerback room this offseason in Riq Woolen and Jonathan Jones, many believe they're likely to give it to him. He's another player buried on their respective depth chart.

The Bears could do a lot worse on the waiver wire than taking a shot on Bennett as a potential reclamation project. He's still only 26 years old and had 11 starts over his first two years with the Raiders. Again, the bar is the floor when it comes to Chicago's cornerback depth. Bennett's floor might not raise it much, but his ceiling (which still isn't out of the question under the right circumstances) definitely would.

Nate Hobbs

Speaking of former Raiders cornerbacks who underwent a precipitous fall from grace over the past year, Nate Hobbs might also hit the waiver wire on Sunday. He showed enough promise for the Packers to give him a four-year, $48 million deal last offseason. Unfortunately (for them, anyway), they released him this offseason after he only started five games last season. With Kyler Gordon's status being up in the air, and Hobbs being a rock-solid starting option in the slot whenever healthy, he would make a lot of sense as a contingency plan.

Now, you might point to Hobbs' long injury history to push back on that hypothetical. To that rebuttal, I say... fair. However, have you considered that having two injury-prone cornerbacks is MUCH better than one?

Again, the bar is the floor. Much like Gordon, Hobbs is a solid starter when he's on the field. Hopefully the two of them could work something out where they take turns getting hurt, and never both get sidelined at the same time. If that scenario played out, the Bears would have quite the dynamic duo at nickelback.

Add us as a preferred source on Google