Bears Players Who Need Impressive Camp to Avoid Being Cut

The Chicago Bears have a better roster heading into the 2023 NFL season than they had at the end of the 2022 campaign. However, they still need to get even better in order to be a playoff contender after finishing a league-worst 3-14 last year.

When training camp begins next week, the Bears are likely to have a lot of competition for roster spots. They have plenty of starting spots that will need to be decided, and there are quite a few players who could be on the roster bubble for much of the next two months.

With only 53 spots available, Chicago could have some tough decisions to make. And for the players vying to make the team, these will be crucial weeks ahead.

Here's a look at several Bears players who may need to have impressive showings in camp in order to avoid potentially being cut prior to the start of the 2023 regular season.

Chase Claypool, WR

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

Chicago Bears wide receiver Chase Claypool works on the field during NFL football OTA practice in Lake Forest, Ill., Tuesday, May 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Chase Claypool has a high ceiling as an offensive playmaker. He showed it during his 2020 rookie season (873 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in 16 games). But the 25-year-old didn't quite show it after getting traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers last season.

In seven games for Chicago, Claypool struggled to get acclimated, recording only 14 catches for 140 yards and scoring no touchdowns. Perhaps that's because he didn't know the offense that well, or maybe it's a sign of things to come.

The Bears are hoping Claypool can become a viable receiving option alongside Darnell Mooney and DJ Moore. But the team has a lot of other WRs on the roster who could potentially push Claypool out of a sizable role.

And maybe Claypool could even end up as a cut candidate if he struggles during training camp. That's why it's important for him to show up and excel this summer.

Travis Homer, RB

Michael Reaves/Getty Images

LAKE FOREST, ILLINOIS - JUNE 07: Travis Homer #20 of the Chicago Bears takes part in a drill during OTA's at Halas Hall on June 07, 2023 in Lake Forest, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Travis Homer just signed with Chicago earlier this offseason. Would the team really consider not including the 24-year-old running back on its 53-man roster? That's not clear, but it's apparent the Bears have a crowded mix in the backfield.

Ahead of Homer on the RB depth chart will likely be D'Onta Foreman, Khalil Herbert and rookie Roschon Johnson. At least that could be the case to start training camp.

If Chicago carries four backs, then Homer will have a better chance of making the team. If it keeps only three, then he'll need to overtake one of the RBs ahead of him and prove that he's a better option out of the team's backfield.

Homer didn't get a lot of playing opportunities during his first four NFL seasons, all with the Seattle Seahawks, as he never rushed for more than 177 yards in a single year. Now, he'll need to prove what he's capable of in a camp setting to land a spot with his new team.

Jaylon Jones, CB

AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski

Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Jones (31) blocks during the first half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski)

Jaylon Jones was a valuable member of the Bears' secondary during the 2022 season. He went from being an undrafted rookie to playing in 16 games and making four starts, finishing with 47 tackles and a forced fumble.

However, Chicago has more cornerbacks in the mix heading into 2023. Jones will be battling for playing time in a group that includes Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, Kindle Vildor, rookie Tyrique Stevenson and more.

So it's not a guarantee that Jones will make the team out of camp. He'll certainly have a chance to do so, but he'll need to seize that opportunity if he hopes to again have a sizable role for the Bears during the upcoming season.

Otherwise, Jones could be one of the CBs who ends up on the wrong side of the roster bubble. That's why training camp and the preseason will be an important stretch for the 25-year-old.