Chicago Bears Cuts: Tracking Players Dropped from 2011 Roster

On August 30, teams were required to pare their roster down to 80 players. That resulted in the Bears having to cut five players.

By Saturday, however, the team will have to get down to its final roster limit of 53 players, and that's when it gets interesting.

It's interesting not only because of who they choose to let go, but also because of players cut from other teams that the Bears may be interested in.

But from now until the final cut, this is the place to go to find out which Bears have been dropped from the roster.

I'll be tracking the players on the chopping block right here, so come back often as this slideshow will be updated whenever more players get ax.

DE Vernon Gholston

Gholston is a former first-round pick who has always had a ton of potential, and an impressive NFL body, but has always fallen short when it came to producing on the field.

He looked good in practice but just didn't show enough of an ability to rush the passer, so he was among their first five players cut by the Bears on Tuesday.

The former Jets DE can blame Jets coach Rex Ryan all he wants, but he has no one but himself to blame for this one.

Just as it was in New York, where he had no sacks and 34 tackles in three seasons, failure to produce was his downfall. Gholston registered just one tackle in three preseason games.

DT Tank Tyler

Quick show of hands: Who amongst you Bears fans have even heard about Tank Tyler since he left college?

The third-seaosn DT was drafted by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2007 draft. He did not play last season, and in 2009 appeared in 12 games, between the Panthers and Chiefs, registering 34 tackles.

In his first two seasons, he played in all but one game, but did not produce any sacks or interceptions and just one fumble recovery. He totalled 67 tackles in those two seasons, starting a total of 17 games.

Tyler has the perfect size for a DT but just hasn't shown enough at the NFL level.

With rookie Stephen Paea, Henry Melton, Anthony Adams and Matt Toeaina, they may have some injuries to deal with, but they have too many bodies around for a guy like Tyler to make the team.

QB Trevor Vittatoe

Vittatoe had absolutely no chance of making this team, of course, as the Bears drafted Mike Martz's guy, Nathan Enderle and already have Jay Cutler and Caleb Hanie in camp.

He is more of an athlete than an NFL-ready QB at this point and was brought in as an undrafted rookie out of UTEP by the Bears. He holds nearly every QB record at UTEP.

Vittatoe has a strong arm but can't read defenses well. He can be inaccurate, often throwing on the move, a trait that Martz isn't fond of.

He is a victim of having come from an unsophisticated passing offense and will take a lot of development if some team wants to pick him up.

Center J.C. Brignone

Brignone was an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State but even with the departure of Olin Kreutz and the poor play of Chris Spencer, he couldn't make this team.

He is versatile, however, so the Bears may try to slip him through waivers and place him on the practice squad.

LB Tanner Antle

Antle was an undrafted outside linebacker who played college ball at Tulsa. In his four years in college, Antle recorded 262 tackles, 9.5 sacks, one interception and a forced fumble.

Despite a terrific college career, scouts did not think he had the physical skills to play in the NFL. He is a limited athlete with marginal size and playing speed, and he struggles in coverage.  

WR Andy Fantuz

One of the top receivers in the CFL, he came over from the Saskatchewan Roughriders but could not make it with the Bears.

WR Onrea Jones

Jones appeared in two games for the Arizona Cardinals last year, but had no catches. He is a candidate for the practice squad.

LB Chris Johnson

No, this is not the Chris Johnson who is about to sign a rich deal with the Titans. Johnson had a total of three tackles this preseason, two of them in Thursday's preseason finale.

G Johan Asiata

Asiata was signed to a reserve/future contract by the Bears after finishing 2010 on the team's practice squad.

Fullback Eddie Williams

Williams was one of three fullbacks trying to make the team. Maybe he can hook on with a team whose offensive coordinator values the role a bit more than Mike Martz.

Williams was drafted in the seventh round by Washington in the 2009 draft and was signed by the Bears prior to last season.

CB Antareis Bryan

Undrafted free agent. It's never a good sign when there are no Getty images of you, even from college.

CB Ryan Jones

Undrafted free agent.

LB Deron Minor

Undrafted free agent, is a candidate for the practice squad after a decent camp.

LB Tressor Baptiste

Undrafted free agent.

OT Josh Davis

Undrafted free agent.

C Alex Linnenkohl

Undrafted free agent out of Oregon State who I thought might have a chance to stick when he was first signed. He is a candidate for the practice squad.

WR Jimmy Young

Undrafted free agent.

P Spencer Lanning

Undrafted free agent who had an impressive camp. He really boomed the ball on his two punts Thursday night against the Browns. He has a strong leg, so he may get a job with someone, though Adam Podlesh was signed to be the starter with the Bears.

DE Jake Laptad

Undrafted free agent.

RB Chester Taylor

With the roster cutdown needing to be finished by 5PM Saturday, the Bears took a step toward reaching that goal by doing what was expected all along: they released Chester Taylor.

Taylor was paid $7 million last season to gain a paltry 2.38 yards per carry. With Marion Barber taking over his role as the featured back on third down and in goal-line situations, there was no need for Taylor.

This is a good sign that Barber and Kahlil Bell's injuries must not be that serious.

DT Marcus Harrison

Harrison has come into camp overweight two of the past three seasons, and so the Bears finally got tired of his act and released him on Saturday.

The third round pick in 2008, Harrison has played in 37 games with nine starts. He's had 53 career tackles and three sacks.

Harrison feels he was starting to do well after a rough start.

"To be honest, this is the best camp I've had since I've been here, even though I was slowed down as far as being behind the eight ball," Harrison said. "Every game I graded out good, except for [the game against the New York Giants]. Practice had been good. But I missed some days to compete for a spot."

TE Desmond Clark

Clark, a likable and a good players for the Bears, was waived in their final round of cuts on Saturday. He was a surprise late addition tot he roster but got hurt in the Browns game.

I'm sure that if this is the end of the road for Clark, he will find wok on radio if he wants it. I still believe he got the shaft by the Bears last season but it is what it is.

OT Levi Horn

This huge guard/tackle spent last season on the practice squad and a similar fate awaits him this year. After being waived on Saturday, he was signed to the practice squad.

Wr Kris Adams

Adams was waived as he lost his battle with Dane Sanzenbacher for the sixth receiver spot, but was added to the practice squad. He made some nice catches and has good size so he's an intriguing prospect.

G Ricky Hendry

Undrafted free agent.

RB Robert Hughes

It was too little, too late for this Notre Dame prospect. An undrafted free agent, Hughes was up against long odds to make the roster with Matt Forte and Marion Barber set at the position, and Kahlil Bell doing so well in the early games.

But Hughes opened some eyes with his performance against the Browns, so maybe he'll get on some team's practice squad.

DT Jordan Miller

Undrafted free agent.

TE Andre Smith

Tight ends and Mike Martz don't mix well, so this undrafted free agent had a difficult road to make this team and predictably, he did not.

LB Patrick Trahan

Undrafted free agent.

S Anthony Walters

Walters was an undrafted free agent.

CB Joshua Moore

The Bears released Moore to make room on the roster for newly acquired safety Brandon Meriweather, who they signed after being released by the New England Patriots.

Moore was a fifth round pick in the 2010 draft. He did not play well on special teams, though he could be a candidate for the practice squad.