Beekman Among Latest Bears Cuts
More cuts are coming to light for the Bears as the Turk is making the rounds at Halas Hall. One of the notable cuts is another former starter. Josh Beekman, who started 20 games over his three years with the Bears will be waived. This according to the best in the business, Brad Biggs:
"Now, he won’t have a chance to be a backup interior lineman this season as the Bears will waive the veteran, according to a league source.The move doesn’t come as a complete surprise. New offensive line coach Mike Tice prefers bigger linemen and Beekman was undersized, listed at 6-2, 310. The Bears thought that possibly he could one day replace veteran Olin Kreutz. Now, he’ll be seeking work elsewhere. Beekman was a fourth-round draft pick from Boston College in 2007."
The Beekman move puts further doubt into the future of the Bears offensive line beyond 2010 since he was considered by many to be Olin Kreutz’s heir apparent at the center position. The veteran center doesn’t have too many years left, so it will be interesting to see how the Bears address that area. I suppose Garza could move to center, where he has served as a backup before so the musical chairs along the offensive line will continue for the foreseeable future.
Among the next wave of cuts are offensive linemen James Marten, Levi Horn, defensive linemen Barry Turner and Mick Williams and safety Aaron Webster. They join Richard Angulo (who slipped under my radar yesterday), Juaquin Iglesias, Jarron Gilbert, and the guys I listed here yesterday.
Apparently the Bears haven’t officially released Tim Shaw because they’re trying to trade him. Biggs speculates that the Bears might be able to get a 7th rounder for him but if he’s not traded, he could end up with the Lions.
I’m still crossing my fingers on Garrett Wolfe and Rashied Davis, but it looks like they might stick around. It will be interesting to see if the Bears go dumpster diving for other teams’ cuts and you never know if any last minute trades (Greg cough cough Olsen cough) come to fruition.
More info as it becomes available and we’ll have the final 53-man roster and 8-man practice squad once they’re official.