Projected Chicago Bears Final 53-Man Roster, Training Camp Edition

It comes down to this. After weeks of hard work, the Chicago Bears will have some difficult decisions to make in cutting their roster down to 53 players.

Because head coach new Marc Trestman comes to the Bears after coaching in the Canadian Football League, it's hard to project how he sees his final roster. Instead I used the final rosters of the New Orleans Saints and Jacksonville Jaguars to get a general idea.The Bears offensive/coordinator/line coach Aaron Kromer comes from New Orleans and defensive coordinator Mel Tucker had the same role with the Jaguars last year.

That said, the Bears are still built differently than the Saints and Jaguars and could be forced to keep a few more players at other positions.

For tie-breakers, I tried to figure what each player would bring to special teams in addition to their versatility on offense or defense.

A lot will change in the coming weeks as the Bears have many different ways they could go with each position. They could also add more players to the mix as they cut their roster down.

Here is an early look at how they might stand when they open the regular season.

Quarterbacks

(3): Jay Cutler, Josh McCown, Matt Blanchard

Viewed widely as the most important player to the Bears' success, Cutler is the only player here who is a lock to make the team.

McCown is a decent backup, but he's also at the end of his career. Blanchard should be given a chance to unseat him as the backup. Even if Blanchard is unable to do so, it seems likely Trestman will want to keep a young quarterback to try and develop. 

The Bears are heading into the season hoping neither McCown or Blanchard sees a significant snap. If they can improve their protection up front and have Cutler take fewer hits—as they plan on doing—it should work out.

Running Backs

(4): Matt Forte, Michael Bush, Michael Ford, Tony Fiammetta 

While the pressure is on Cutler, Forte might be the most important player to the Bears. 

Bush is a valuable backup who contributes in short-yardage situations and can catch passes out of the backfield.

The big battle will be between Michael Ford and last year's third-string back Armando Allen. I gave Ford the edge based on potential. 

Fiammetta is the only fullback on the roster, but it is a position to watch.

Tight Ends

(3): Martellus Bennett, Steve Maneri, Kyle Adams

As perhaps their biggest free-agent acquisition, Bennett is the only one of the six tight ends who is a lock for a roster spot.

Maneri has quite a bit of experience and is a proven blocker, possibly giving him the edge over all others.

Adams has versatility. It is widely expected that he'll play some H-Back for the team this year. That position may ideally fit his skill set, however he still has to show he can consistently catch the ball.

Wide Receivers

(7): Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, Earl Bennett, Joe Anderson, Marquess Wilson, Devin Hester, Eric Weems

Out of the 13 players the Bears have in camp at this position, Marshall, Jeffery and Bennett are the only locks.

I went with Anderson over Devin Aromashodu based on Anderson's ability to play special teams and his future potential. He'll have to show quite a bit of improvement as a receiver to make this projection come true.

Although no longer technically a receiver, I'm expecting Hester to return to form as a premier return man for the team and possibly get work on other coverage units. If he doesn't, this number will likely drop to six and they could keep another player elsewhere with Weems returning kicks.

As talented draft pick, I don't think the Bears will let Wilson possibly go to another team, even if he isn't ready to play this year. 

Offensive Tackles

(4): Jermon Bushrod, J'Marcus Webb, Jonathan Scott, Jordan Mills

Bushrod and Webb will almost certainly be the starters when the team opens the season. 

As far as third tackles go, Scott is a good option. He has the ability to play both sides and that will likely keep him on the roster.

Mills can be a backup at both right tackle and guard this season. The fifth-round pick is likely going to be expected to start at one of those positions next year.

Offensive Guards

(3): Matt Slauson, James Brown, Kyle Long 

Slauson will more than likely start at one spot for the Bears with Brown and Long battling for the other. 

Three guards is kind of a low number, but the Bears have versatility on their line. The Bears will also have Mills working at guard, and reserve center Edwin Williams has experience at the position also.

While three players listed at guard might not be a lot, the Bears have five players who can play the position. The front office and coaches have spoken a lot about position versatility and the offensive line is a good example of where it pays off.

Centers

(3): Roberto Garza, Edwin Williams, Patrick Mannelly 

Although far from spectacular, Garza is nearly a lock to start for the Bears next year. Unless his body has given out on him, I don't see anybody on the roster taking his job. He provides the team with valuable leadership and stability.

Williams will be battling a few players. The most notable is P.J. Lonergan, the undrafted rookie from LSU. He has to be a better center than Lonergan and a better guard than Eben Britton. I expect him to be up to the challenge.

Mannelly is among the best long snappers in the league and it appears his job will go uncontested again this year.

Defensive Ends

(5): Julius Peppers, Shea McClellin, Corey Wootton, Cornelius Washington, Cheta Ozougwu 

If the Bears are going to continue running a Cover 2 defense, they have to get to the quarterback. An important part of that is keeping their pass rushers fresh so depth at defensive end is extremely important.

Peppers is the star in this group, while McClellin and Wootton will be fighting for the other starting job. Both are expected to play a lot. 

Washington has a lot of potential and could possibly see some time inside while Ozougwu showed some pass-rush ability last year.

Defensive Tackles

(4): Henry Melton, Stephen Paea, Nate Collins, Sedrick Ellis

Because they have a few defensive ends who are capable of playing inside, the Bears don't have to keep very many defensive tackles.

Melton and Paea are the starters, although Ellis could challenge the latter as the nose tackle. Collins played well in limited time last year.

Undrafted rookies Zach Minter and Brent Russell should contend for roster spots. However, with ends who can also play inside I would expect the Bears to keep an extra end over a tackle. Both would be candidates for the practice squad, however.

Linebackers

(6): Lance Briggs, D.J. Williams, James Anderson, Jon Bostic, Khaseem Greene, Blake Costanzo 

The Bears could go a few directions at linebacker, making it one of their most interesting positions.

Briggs is a lock to start and I expect Williams to play a lot in either the middle or on the strong side. Bostic and Greene are locks as two of their first four picks.

Anderson was signed to be a starter and Costanzo is a valuable special teams contributor.

What could make things interesting is if Bostic or Greene beat out Anderson. He would be an expensive reserve and the Bears could use that roster spot on a special teams player at another position.

Cornerbacks

(5): Charles Tillman, Tim Jennings, Kelvin Hayden, Isaiah Frey, Zack Bowman

Tillman and Jennings are among the best in the game. The Bears would certainly like an upgrade over Hayden, but there doesn't appear to be a logical replacement on the roster as of now.

Bowman is a special teams ace who could play some cornerback in a pinch. He's probably a better option there than Sherrick McManus. 

The most interesting note on here is Frey over McManis, who was a valuable special teams player last year. My expectation is that Frey can develop into a better cornerback than McManis and should be able to contribute more on special teams this year.

Safeties

(4): Major Wright, Chris Conte, Craig Steltz, Brandon Hardin 

Always a position of concern for the Bears, they might look to keep more than four.

Wright had a very good season for the team last year and Conte has been solid in his first two seasons with the club. Both are very good in coverage and Wright has proven to be a solid tackler. However, both have injury histories.

Steltz got the edge over free agent Tom Zbikowski due mostly to his familiarity with the system. The Bears are in a situation where they're teaching the coaches and new players the defense they've run in the past. Steltz can help more in that role and is a good special teams player.

Hardin would probably have to really struggle to not make the team. There are nothing but journeymen behind him and the Bears are going to give the 2012 third-round pick every chance to make the team.

Kickers

(1): Robbie Gould

Gould is simply one of the best in the history of the league, so it would be a shock to see him not make the team. 

The Bears brought in Austin Signor to compete with him—signing him to a three-year deal—and I expect Signor to be a worthy competitor. Still, Gould has done nothing to warrant his job being in jeopardy. 

Even if Signor is impressive, he would have to really knock their socks off in order to replace Gould. 

Punters

(1): Adam Podlesh 

Podlesh struggled with consistency early last year, but improved as the year went on. He doesn't have the strongest leg, but excels at pinning opponents deep in their own territory and not giving up big returns. He may never be thought of as one of the league's best, but he's solid.

The Bears have undrafted rookie Tress Way in camp. The Oklahoma grad has a strong leg, but I don't expect him to be more than a camp leg, auditioning for a job with another team. 

Last 5 in

Tony Fiametta, Eric Weems, Cheta Ozougwu, Craig Steltz, Blake Costanzo

Fiametta is a close call because of the unknown. He hasn't stuck with a team so far in his career. I don't expect the Bears to use a traditional fullback much this season, which really hurts his chances. However, special teams play could get him in.

Weems made it because of his special teams ability. He's better at covering kicks than just about any other player on the team. He could fill in as a returner or at receiver in a pinch. 

Steltz and Costanzo are veterans who excel on special teams and can fill in for a few spot starts if they need them to.

Ozougwu probably won't be active for any of their games unless they have an injury, but he's considered a hard worker who can get to the quarterback.

Last 5 out

Fendi Onobun, P.J. Lonergan, Zach Minter, Sherrick McManis, Tom Zbikowski

Onobun's spot actually came down to him or Fiametta. Fiametta's ability to play special teams gave him the edge. However, if Onobun shows he can be a weapon on offense the Bears will have to think very hard about not carrying a traditional fullback.

Lonergan is facing an uphill battle. He's only played center at this point and that's what he projects to be. With Garza as the starter and Edwin Williams possessing the ability to also play guard, it will be hard for him to make the roster spot.

Minter is a victim of circumstance. The Bears seem more likely to keep an extra defensive end than defensive tackle since they have three ends who can play both positions. The only tackle they have who could potentially move outside is Melton.

McManis was a tough call. He'll have to be a better cornerback than Frey and better special teams player than either Bowman or Weems. The former is certainly possible, but the latter seems unlikely.

Zbikowski has more natural talent than Steltz, but he's never played in a 4-3 defense during his NFL career. Steltz could be key to teaching the defense to other players and he is considered a very good leader.