Chicago Bears Release 53-Man Roster
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QB Zac Dysert – I thought Dysert had a good shot to make the squad due to his familiarity with John Fox and Adam Gase from his time in Denver, but Dysert was soundly outplayed by David Fales on Thursday and I think the Bears made the right choice.
ILB Matthew Wells – A 6th round pick by the Patriots in this year’s draft who the Bears traded for a few weeks ago (G Ryan Groy). Wells has 4.4 speed and the potential to be a key special teams contributor, but I guess the Bears didn’t see enough from Wells during his two weeks on the roster. If Wells clears waivers, I expect we will see him on the Bears practice squad this season.
CB Jacoby Glenn – One of my favorite undrafted free agents that the Bears brought in this year, but was outplayed by fellow UDFA Bryce Callahan down the stretch. Glenn should end up on the practice squad unless another team makes a claim. He has the size and athleticism to be an NFL corner, he just needs to clean up his technique and get stronger.
DE David Carter – Journeymen defensive end who flashed some run stopping ability during the preseason but ultimately didn’t make enough plays to earn a spot on the roster.
KR AJ Cruz – Marc Mariani‘s success as a return man this preseason pretty much killed Cruz’s chances of making the squad.
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WR Ify Umodu – Made a late push for a roster spot with a special teams TD in week 3 and a 19-yard TD catch in the corner of the end zone in game 4, but is probably too raw too contribute this season. Umodu should end up on the Bears practice squad and has the size and athleticism to eventually earn a spot on the Bears roster.
OG Conor Boffeli – Really struggled in pass protection this preseason, so much so that I couldn’t see the Bears trusting Boffeli with any regular season snaps. He’s a solid run blocker and could end up on the practice squad. If Boffeli can improve his pass pro technique we could see him again.
ILB Jonathan Anderson – When I saw that Mason Foster and Matthew Wells had been cut, I thought that maybe Anderson made the final 53-man roster. Obviously he didn’t, but made a strong case on Thursday night with two sacks and 4 stops near the line of scrimmage. Anderson has 4.5 speed and excels in pass coverage which makes him unique among Bear ILBs who all seem to struggle against the pass. Anderson also proved to be an instinctive blitzer this preseason and I think he did enough to earn a spot on the practice squad.
G Tyler Moore – Recent addition to the roster who didn’t play until week four of the preseason and looked solid in pass pro but was ineffective as a run blocker. Moore may be a practice squad candidate, but he’s on the bubble imo.
TE Gannon Sinclair – The Bears just signed Sinclair a couple days ago off Arizona’s roster and I don’t know anything about him.
S Anthony Jefferson – Was injured on one of the first plays of Thursday nights game and is a candidate for the injured reserve list. Jefferson had a solid training camp and preseason and would have had a shot to make the team if he didn’t get hurt.
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