Chicago Bears: Predicting Which Players on Roster Won't Be Back Next Season

The Chicago Bears have a pretty extensive shopping list this winter, with free agency and the draft right around the corner. This means that space will need to be cleared off the shelves to make room for the new stock.

For one thing, the Bears won't likely re-sign all of their own free agents. For another, they have some vets that could be released in order to free up some cap space to help them sign someone else's free agents.

But the best reason for many of these guys not being invited back to wear the blue and orange is that some of them were not very good last season or they didn't play much.

A couple of these are no-brainers—Caleb Hanie, for instance—while at least one player is still fairly useful, though he has brain cramps, yet he may not return.

So let's take a look at 10 players who may have played their final game for the Bears.

Brandon Meriweather

A very expensive mistake, Meriweather was awful last season. After being released by the Patriots, the Bears signed Meriweather because they were concerned about the inexperience and lack of depth in the secondary.

When he did play, he was borderline dirty, with several helmet-to-helmet shots. And he never fit well with the cover-2 scheme anyway. You have to be disciplined in that coverage, and Meriweather is more of a freelancer.

Meriweather won't be back. He was benched after only four games and didn't intercept a pass in 11 appearances.

Caleb Hanie

UPDATE: ESPNChicago's Jeff Dickerson reported that the Bears will not bring back Caleb Hanie.

Caleb Hanie looked like he may have some hope when he took over for Jay Cutler in the second half of the NFC Championship Game against Green Bay. But given the chance to start when Cutler again got hurt during the regular season, Hanie was a dud.

Hanie will not be back, as the Bears either choose to keep Josh McCown as the backup to Cutler (most likely) or go out and sign a veteran free agent.

He had a 41.8 QB rating with three TDs and nine interceptions.

While I agree with those who say Hanie might be a better fit in Mike Tice's offense, with better protection, more running and allowing Hanie to do what he does best—and that's run—I just have had enough of him.

And if he does come back, it had better be as the third-string QB.

Marion Barber

It's easy to recall the brain cramp when Barber stepped out of bounds with 1:55 left in fourth quarter of the Broncos game. And to follow that up with a key fumble was a lot to take in one game.

But in reality, Barber was decent in 2011, certainly much better than the back he replaced, Chester Taylor. He averaged 3.7 yards per carry with six TDs. He ran for 108 yards against Denver.

Barber will earn a $100,000 workout bonus this offseason and is scheduled to make $1.9 million in 2012.  While Barber was adequate, they have a younger and less expensive backup available in Kahlil Bell.

Bears coach Lovie Smith pointed out that Barber’s injury history is cause for concern. Barber was inactive in five games due to injuries.

Zackary Bowman

Bowman showed flashes in his rookie season, with six interceptions, but since then, has never done anything worthy of note.

He has started just four games since then. Between injuries and general ineffectiveness, he may be hard-pressed to find another starting job with an NFL team.

Chris Massey

Massey was signed when Patrick Mannelly got hurt, and while he played just fine and didn't mess up any snaps, there is room for only one long-snapper.

If Mannelly can come back, not a certainty after an injury and his advanced age, Massey will be released. Such is the life of a snapper in the NFL.

Frank Omiyale

UPDATE: Omiyale was released on March 1st.

Omiyale has failed to live up to his billing after former GM Jerry Angelo signed him to a free-agent contract. He plays with a lack of intensity and only occasionally flashes the edge a lineman needs in the NFL.

Omiyale is due $1.6 million this season with a $250,000 workout bonus, so I'm pretty confident that he will be released.

Pro Football Focus has rated him at -11.8 overall in his time at tackle.

Roy Williams

Roy Williams didn't live up to the expectations that he could find the same success in the Martz system that he did one season in Detroit. He didn't use his height to jump for balls, and he had alligator arms.

He dropped passes yet refused to take accountability. His seven drops tied for most on the Bears, and on five occasions, a ball thrown Roy's way was picked off.

He won't be back.

Dane Sanzenbacher

No, Sanzenbacher was not the great white hope. If he looked good last season, it was all relative, since the Bears wideouts were generally awful in 2011.

In truth, Sanzenbacher can play in the league as a slot receiver, but he may be a victim of the numbers game in Chicago. If the Bears sign a free agent and draft a WR, then Sanzenbacher may be odd man out.

Although his three TD catches led all Bears WRs (another relative statistic), Pro Football Focus said he only caught 50 percent of the balls thrown his way.

Sanzenbacher tied for the Bears lead with seven drops. He had an overall grade of -7.8 by Pro Football Focus.

Israel Idonije

This one is a long shot, but I'm going to go there anyway. Idonije is a free agent, and the Bears will allow him to look around and see what kind of offers he can get. If a team wants him as a starter, he could be gone.

His sack total went down in 2011, and though he finished strong, he was disappointing in generating a pass rush despite playing alongside Julius Peppers.

If the Bears draft Melvin Ingram in the first round, Idonije is gone. Even if they don't, I wouldn't expect to pay him as a full-time starter next season, as they will likely look at him as a rotational player.

Anthony Adams

UPDATE: Adams was released on March 1st.

Adams is another player who might surprise some people if let go, but I can see a possibility of that happening. He was injured after being named the starter at DT, and with Henry Melton coming on and Matt Toeaina and Amobi Okoye hanging around, he could be expendable.

Lovie Smith didn't like the way he practiced, and while Adams contributed 17 tackles and eight quarterback pressures, he finished without a sack for the first time since 2008.

Adams enters the final year of a two-year contract signed just before the start of last year’s training camp and is scheduled to receive $1.9 million in base salary. He’ll count $2.65 million against the salary cap.