The Chicago Bears have played three preseason games this year, and they will close out the preseason this Thursday night at home against the Cleveland Browns. The game is set to begin at 7 p.m. CT.
The Bears made a flurry of roster moves on Sunday afternoon, per ChicagoFootball.com's Kevin Fishbain, and they trimmed their roster down to 75 players by placing running back Senorise Perry on injured reserve on Tuesday, per the team's official Twitter account.
In addition to putting Perry on injured reserve, the team also claimed quarterback Zac Dysert and tight end Gannon Sinclair off waivers and waived quarterback Shane Carden and guard Lucas Nix, according to Chicago Bears Radio Network sideline reporter Zach Zaidman.
The team will have to cut 23 players by 4 p.m. ET this Saturday.
Many spots on Chicago's roster are already set in stone, but a handful of players will be fighting for a spot in the preseason finale. Over the course of the last three weeks, many players have seen their stock rise, while many have seen their stock fall.
Who is rising, and who is falling as the Bears head into the fourth and final week of the preseason?
The Bears were without wide receivers Alshon Jeffery, Eddie Royal and Marquess Wilson against the Cincinnati Bengals, but tight end Martellus Bennett showed why he is one of the league's best pass-catching tight ends.
According to Pro Football Focus, Bennett played 32 snaps on offense and hauled in seven catches on seven targets for 45 yards. Offensive coordinator Adam Gase used Bennett on the outside like a wide receiver, in the slot and out of the tight end position, and the Pro Bowler looked like he was in regular-season form.
“He’s so smart,” Gase said about Bennett earlier this offseason, per the Chicago Sun-Times' Adam Jahns. “That was another surprise for me. He came in, and how fast he learned the playbook for not being here, and then being able to adjust."
Bennett missed the team's voluntary minicamps and OTAs, but he returned to the team in June for mandatory minicamp. He explained at the time that he held out because he wanted a new contract.
"Every American, every person in the whole world, should be trying to get a new contract," he said when he returned for mandatory minicamp, per the Chicago Tribune's Rich Campbell. "And if they're not, I think they're silly."
Despite missing significant time prior to training camp, Bennett has had no issues with learning Chicago's new offense. His ability in the passing game has always been the best part of his game, but he has also been a willing blocker in the preseason.
“[It’s] how physical he is in the run game and pass protection," Gase said, per Jahns. "It’s so unique. Not many tight ends you see can do what he does.”
If the Bears are without a combination of Jeffery, Royal and Wilson for the foreseeable future, they'll lean heavily on Bennett in the passing game in the regular season.
The Bears signed Antrel Rolle to a three-year, $11.25 million contract earlier this year with the hope that he would help solidify Chicago's secondary, but he has been unimpressive in the preseason.
According to Pro Football Focus, he has played 79 snaps and has registered a minus-1.6 overall grade.
Against the Bengals in the third preseason game, Rolle appeared to just let Cincinnati receiver Marvin Jones run by him on the way to a 45-yard touchdown.
"Want to see a veteran treat a preseason game like a preseason game? Watch Antrel Rolle on that touchdown," tweeted WGN Radio's Adam Hoge after the play.
After the game, Rolle talked about what Chicago's secondary needs to improve on.
"We have to contest more throws, win more one-on-one matchups and just be a lot tighter in coverage," he said, per Campbell.
Rolle admitted on Monday that he does not feel completely comfortable in defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's scheme just yet.
“Still trying to find that major comfort zone, which we haven’t [done] yet. I don’t think [anyone] has hit that comfort zone yet,” he said, per the Chicago Sun-Times' Mark Potash. “But we’re working towards it.”
Rolle excelled with the Arizona Cardinals and the New York Giants because of his athleticism, toughness and awareness, but none of that has been on display during the preseason. His struggles could be the result of not wanting to show his hand in the preseason, but he has admitted everything is a work in progress on defense.
"We’re all working new together," he said, per Potash. "We’re all learning a new system. It’s not going to happen overnight. We’re not going to use [the newness] as an excuse. It’s just the reality of it. I may have to play differently with this guy than [another] guy. We’re striving to get better every day.”
Rolle's history suggests he will be able to bounce back and have a productive year, but if he struggles in the regular season, Chicago's defense will struggle to slow down opposing offenses.
Following injuries to Jeremiah Ratliff and Eddie Goldman in the third preseason game, second-year man Will Sutton saw his snaps increase at the nose tackle position last Saturday.
Sutton seemed like a bad fit at nose tackle in Fangio's 3-4 scheme because he is a bit undersized (6'0", 315 lbs), but he has been one of the team's biggest surprises this offseason. He has recorded nine tackles in three preseason games, and according to Pro Football Focus, he has registered one sack and three quarterback hurries in 93 snaps.
He showed off his explosive first step against the Bengals, and he has done a nice job this preseason of being disruptive up the middle. Even though Sutton is not an ideal fit at the position, he has made the most of his opportunity.
"Biggest surprise of camp/preseason is Will Sutton," tweeted Bleacher Report's Dan Pompei. "He provides an argument that good players transcend scheme. Bears need him big time."
Sutton was one of college football's best defensive players in 2012 and 2013, and he recorded 111 tackles, 37 tackles for loss and 17 sacks during that time. He started five games last season and finished the year with 22 tackles and two pass deflections.
One of the reasons why Sutton has found success this offseason is because of his attitude and willingness to learn a new position.
"Adjusting and learning on the fly, learning new things, it’s not hard," he said, per Potash. "You just have to get in there, focus and play attention to detail and do your job. If there’s a problem, just correct it quickly because we’ve got to get better every day.”
Sutton noted that even though he does not fit the mold of a typical nose tackle, that does not mean he cannot be effective up the middle.
“No, because Glenn Dorsey of the 49ers played the nose and he’s about 290 [pounds]—and he did a phenomenal job,” Sutton said when asked if he is not a good fit at nose tackle because of his size, per Potash. “There’s light at the end of the tunnel.”
He still needs to work on his consistency, particularly against the run, but he has a chance to put up solid numbers in Fangio's system because of his attitude and ability to apply pressure to opposing quarterbacks.
With Jeffery, Royal, Wilson and first-round pick Kevin White out of the picture at the wide receiver position the last two weeks, 23-year-old Rashad Lawrence has had plenty of opportunities to earn a spot on the roster, but he has struggled to make a name for himself.
“You’ve gotta be excited for something like this,” Lawrence said earlier this month, per ChicagoFootball.com's Nate Atkins. “You hate to see guys go down at the same time, but I take it back to in between the lines. You’re not thinking about what’s going on outside. Inside, it’s just next man up.”
Lawrence has appeared in all three preseason games and has registered eight catches for 72 yards, but he had a key drop against the Bengals in the third preseason game.
"Lawrence dropped an easy first-down catch on third down," wrote ESPN.com's Jeff Dickerson. "Players on the roster bubble have to make those plays. Lawrence had his opportunity. He failed to capitalize at that particular point of the game."
Even though Lawrence has been running with the first-team offense because of all the injuries at the position, his spot on the roster is not guaranteed. According to Pro Football Focus, he has played 97 snaps on offense this preseason, and it would not come as a surprise if he plays a lot of snaps on Thursday against Cleveland.
Lawrence is a prototypical possession receiver who works well in space, but he has struggled to create separation at times during the preseason. Quarterback Jay Cutler likely will not play Thursday night, but Lawrence knows it is important for him to make a connection with the veteran signal-caller.
“I’ve got to go out here and be in the right spot, show him I know what I’m doing,” he said, per Potash. “And just be consistent.”
The young receiver is still in the running to make Chicago's roster, but unless he can prove he can create separation and play with consistency, he will have a hard time getting onto the field during the regular season.
The Bears signed Lamarr Houston last offseason to help get after the quarterback, but the veteran pass-rusher tore his ACL celebrating his first sack of the season last October.
In addition to rehabbing from his injury, Houston also made the move to 3-4 outside linebacker this offseason. He did not play in the team's preseason opener, but according to Pro Football Focus, he played 21 snaps against the Indianapolis Colts and recorded one tackle.
“It feels good to get some live hits,” Houston said after the game, according to Jahns. “I felt good. I felt very confident.”
He got some reps with the first-team defense against Cincinnati and finished the game with two sacks.
“I thought we did a good job of causing pressure on the quarterback and [covering the receivers] so there was time to get back there,” Houston said at the time, according to ChicagoBears.com's Larry Mayer. “For me personally, I think I could do better. But I think that was a good start.”
Houston showed off his toughness and determination on his two sacks, and he said he is working hard to get healthier every day.
“I’m progressing to getting healthier, and I’m just stacking days and trying to get better every day,” he said, per Fishbain.
Houston was a force against the run when he played for the Oakland Raiders between 2010 and 2013, and he will be asked to set the edge in the running game this season. He has never been considered an elite pass-rusher, but he has a good combination of speed and strength (300 lbs). He needs to improve his technique and use his hands better, but he has a chance to bounce back in a big way this season if he can stay healthy.
Statistical information courtesy of NFL.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise noted. Contract information courtesy of Spotrac.
Matt Eurich is a Chicago Bears featured columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Post-June 1 Trade Candidates ☎️")
.JPG?w=600 "TO Talks Cowboys Relationship")
.jpg?w=600 "Taylor Heinicke Retiring")
.jpg?w=600 "49ers OC Hypes Mike Evans 🤩")