Predicting Chicago Bears' 1st Wave of Roster Cuts
The Chicago Bears kicked off training camp July 30 and held their first padded practice of the year August 1.
NFL teams are not allowed to conduct fully padded practices until training camp begins, and head coach John Fox said he is excited to evaluate his players with pads on, according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com:
"Well, I think you know some of this stuff is very hard to duplicate, you know, padded football without pads. So you know half that stuff, some of the flare-ups you see is because they’re getting tired of playing football that way [without pads]. So you know the game is a little bit more physical, a little bit more realistic, in my opinion, in pads. So we are all excited to do it. I’m sure the players are excited and so are the coaches.
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The Bears currently have 90 players on their roster, and they will have to reduce that number to 75 before September 1.
In the coming weeks, the Bears will begin making cuts based off the performances of players on the practice field and in the preseason, and just ahead, we predict five players who will be part of Chicago's first wave of roster cuts.
CB Qumain Black
1 of 5
Even though the Bears had a need at the position, they opted not to select any cornerbacks in this year's draft. Instead, the team signed Bryce Callahan, Qumain Black and Jacoby Glenn as undrafted free agents following the conclusion of the draft.
Veterans Tim Jennings, Alan Ball and Tracy Porter, along with second-year man Kyle Fuller, appear to be locks to make the roster this season, likely leaving just one spot at the position up for grabs during training camp.
Callahan appears to have the best shot of making the roster out of training camp, and Bleacher Report's Dan Hope recently labeled Callahan as Chicago's best undrafted free agent:
"Chicago signed four unselected rookie defensive backs to contracts following the 2015 NFL draft, an indicator that the Bears are hoping to unearth a hidden gem who can bolster their secondary depth. Callahan faces tough competition among that quartet alone—cornerback Jacoby Glenn was widely projected to be a middle-round draft pick, while safety Anthony Jefferson was also considered to be a potential late-rounder.
But while Glenn and Jefferson both project to be limited by their lack of speed, Callahan’s speed gives him significant potential on both defense and special teams. If he can carve out a role for himself in either capacity, he could be a valuable player for the Bears.
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Callahan is a bit undersized (5'10", 185 lbs), but he could find a role as a nickelback in the future. He will have a tough time beating out Jennings or Porter for the nickelback job this season, but he could become an immediate contributor on special teams.
NFL.com once projected Glenn to be a late-round pick, but he went undrafted. Glenn left Central Florida after his redshirt sophomore season, and he may have been better off staying another year. Even though he is raw, Glenn has upside because of his playmaking ability. He is better in zone coverage than he is in man coverage, but his skill set should help him land at least a spot on Chicago's practice squad.
In addition to having Jennings, Ball, Porter and Fuller on the roster, the Bears also have Sherrick McManis, Demontre Hurst, Al Louis-Jean and Terrance Mitchell battling for a cornerback spot.
Since the Bears have so many cornerbacks on the roster, Black may end up being one of Chicago's first cuts. The former East Central University star has good size (6'1", 190 lbs), but he spent his college career going up against Division II competition. He could turn some heads if he can produce on special teams, but Chicago has a handful of cornerbacks on the roster who have already proved their worth on special teams.
Unless Black blows away the coaching staff during the preseason, he will be among the team's first cuts.
G Conor Boffeli
2 of 5
The Bears are set at the guard position in terms of starters with two-time Pro Bowler Kyle Long and veteran Matt Slauson, but there are spots behind them on the depth chart up for grabs in training camp.
As it stands, veteran Vladimir Ducasse is fighting with Michael Ola, Ryan Groy, Conor Boffeli and Tyler Moore for one of the open backup spots.
Ducasse is a former starter for the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings, and he looks to be a good fit in offensive coordinator Adam Gase's system because of his ability in pass protection. Ola and Groy both started games for the Bears last season and have the ability to play inside and outside, meaning Boffeli and Moore will be battling to hold on to a roster spot through the team's first wave of cuts.
Moore started games at right tackle, left tackle and guard at Florida, and the Bears signed him to a contract late last week, according to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune.
NFL.com's Lance Zierlein listed Moore as a potential seventh-round pick or priority free agent, and he explained why in his scouting report.
"Early entrant to the draft who has NFL-ready size, but is lacking NFL-caliber strength," Zierlein wrote. "Moore doesn't play with enough bend to be able to mitigate those strength issues with technique, and his feet are very average in the run game."
Even though Zierlein's scouting report is not favorable, the Bears saw enough from Moore during his workout to sign him. He has terrific size (6'6", 324 lbs), and his ability to play both inside at guard and outside at tackle could help him stick on the roster throughout training camp and the preseason.
If the Bears decide they want to let one of their guards go during the first wave of cuts, Boffeli could be the guy.
An undrafted free agent out of Iowa in 2014, Boffeli initially signed with the Minnesota Vikings. After the team released him, he signed with the Houston Texans. He was with the Texans throughout training camp, but they released him before the start of the season. The Bears signed him to their practice squad last October, and he signed a reserve/futures contract with the team at the end of the 2014 season.
Like Moore, Boffeli lacks ideal strength for the position, but he is an athletic guard who does a good job of getting to the second level. Since Moore and Boffeli are similar, Moore's versatility could make Boffeli expendable in the coming weeks.
RB Senorise Perry
3 of 5
One of the biggest surprises to come out of Chicago's training camp last offseason was running back Senorise Perry.
An undrafted free agent out of Louisville, Perry beat out Michael Ford and Shaun Draughn for the No. 3 running back spot on the depth chart behind Matt Forte and then-rookie Ka'Deem Carey. Perry began the year as the team's kickoff returner and returned a total of four kicks for 88 yards. He struggled with his decision-making as a return man, and the Bears eventually moved him out of the position.
The young running back became a gunner on special teams, and according to Pro Football Focus, he led the Bears with 11 special teams tackles last season.
This offseason, the Bears signed veteran running backs Jacquizz Rodgers and Daniel Thomas in free agency and selected Michigan State's Jeremy Langford in the fourth round of the draft.
Perry proved his worth last season as a special teams contributor, but he may have a difficult time making the roster this season based solely off his ability on special teams.
Rodgers and Thomas are both accomplished veterans who work well between the tackles and excel as third-down running backs, Langford is a speed threat who knows how to get to the edge and work up the field and Carey has good hands and is a prototypical north-south runner.
Perry was a speedy back at Louisville, but he was never the team's full-time starter. His most productive season came in 2012, when he rushed for 705 yards on 136 carries with 11 touchdowns, but Jeremy Wright carried the bulk of the load that season at running back.
Perry was a valuable piece on special teams last season, but Fox has said, according to Dickerson, that he likes to use multiple running backs on offense. If that is the case, Perry will be the odd man out because all the other running backs on the roster have more upside on offense.
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OLB Kyle Woestmann
4 of 5
The Bears have seven outside linebackers on their roster, and they will cut at least one before the start of the regular season.
Pernell McPhee, Jared Allen, Lamarr Houston and Willie Young all appear to be locks to make the 53-man roster, leaving Sam Acho, David Bass and undrafted rookie Kyle Woestmann to battle for one or two remaining spots.
Acho is a four-year veteran, and he has experience playing outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. A fourth-round pick in 2011, Acho recorded seven sacks in his rookie season with the Arizona Cardinals and has registered a total of 124 tackles, 13 sacks, eight pass deflections and seven forced fumbles in four seasons.
The former Texas standout is not an elite pass-rusher, but he is a steady contributor who should be able to find a role in defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's scheme this season.
The Bears claimed Bass off waivers in 2013 from the Oakland Raiders, and he played in 12 games that season, finishing with 23 tackles and one sack. He appeared in just eight games last season, but he registered 10 tackles and three sacks. He is making the move to outside linebacker after spending the first two years of his career as a 4-3 defensive end, but he moves well in space and could contribute as a situational pass-rusher.
If the Bears decide to keep six outside linebackers, Woestmann will be the odd man out.
Woestmann played in 49 games in his four years at Vanderbilt and finished his collegiate career with 100 tackles, 13 sacks and 20.5 tackles for loss. He began his career with the Commodores as a 4-3 defensive end, but he made the move to outside linebacker in Vanderbilt's 3-4 defense last season.
He finished his senior season with 30 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and one sack. He went undrafted, but Chicago invited him to its rookie minicamp on a tryout basis. He impressed the staff enough with his workout and signed a deal with the team.
“In three days I spent here, the coaches and the organization and just everything for those three days was better than I could have imagined, and the fact that I got an opportunity to sign here was just surreal," Woestmann said at the time, according to Larry Mayer of ChicagoBears.com.
Woestmann has good size (6'3", 260 lbs) for the position, and the Chicago Sun-Times' Adam Jahns pegged him as a player to watch during training camp.
The young linebacker is an interesting option for the Bears at the position, but since they have so many other linebackers ahead of him on the depth chart, he may end up being one of the team's first cuts in training camp.
S Sherrod Martin
5 of 5
In an attempt to shore up the safety position, the Bears signed veteran defensive back Sherrod Martin to a one-year deal in June following his workout with the team.
Veteran safety Antrel Rolle is the favorite to land the starting free safety job, but the strong safety position is wide open. In the coming weeks, veteran Ryan Mundy will compete with Martin, Brock Vereen, Adrian Amos, Anthony Jefferson and Malcolm Bronson for the starting job.
Mundy is the favorite because he started all 16 games at strong safety last season and led the Bears with 103 tackles. He also finished the season with a career-high four interceptions. Mundy is good against the run, but there are some question marks surrounding his ability in pass coverage.
Even though Mundy appears to be the favorite, Vereen could push him in training camp. Vereen is more of a free safety, but he showed an ability to play up against the run last season. Fangio prefers his safeties to be interchangeable, and Vereen could be a better fit because of his athleticism.
Amos, like Vereen, is an athletic player who is more of a free safety than a strong safety, but he needs to learn how to play with more physicality. He struggled as a tackler last season at Penn State, but he will make the roster after the team selected him in the fifth round of this year's draft.
With Rolle, Mundy, Vereen and Amos looking like locks to make the roster, Martin could end up being one of the first players cut this offseason.
A second-round pick in 2009, Martin has appeared in 72 games over the last five seasons. He spent his first four years in the league with the Carolina Panthers before spending last season with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He has registered a total of 215 tackles, 22 pass deflections and eight interceptions in his career, but he struggles as a tackler and has not been a starter since 2011.
It is unlikely that the Bears keep more than four safeties on the roster, but if they do, the team will ask its three reserves to play special teams. Martin has played special teams in the past, but if the Bears do not view him as a viable starting option, they may be better off keeping another young safety on the roster, like Jefferson or Bronson, so they can develop him down the road.
Martin could stick if he shows a willingness to play special teams, but he may end up being part of Chicago's first wave of cuts if the team wants to see more from its young safeties during the preseason.
Statistical information courtesy of NFL.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise noted. Measurables courtesy of ChicagoBears.com.
Matt Eurich is a Chicago Bears featured columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.
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