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Will Daniel Braverman Make the 53-Man Roster?

By Bill Zimmerman

Aug 27, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback KeiVarae Russell (26) tackles Chicago Bears wide receiver Daniel Braverman (83) after picking up yardage during the second half at Soldier Field. Chiefs won 23-7. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 27, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback KeiVarae Russell (26) tackles Chicago Bears wide receiver Daniel Braverman (83) after picking up yardage during the second half at Soldier Field. Chiefs won 23-7. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Just a couple days before the Chicago Bears announce their final roster cuts, Daniel Braverman’s spot on the team is up in the air.

Never in all my years of following the NFL have I seen a seventh round draft pick receive as much hype coming out of the draft as Daniel Braverman. Draft analysts loved the Bears late round steal. Many thought that not only would he make the Bears roster, but that he would be making an impact as a rookie.

As training camp opened, Braverman made a few fantastic catches in practice and the Braverman buzz continued to grow louder. But as the preseason progressed, Braverman has been very quiet. Quiet preseasons out of seventh round draft choices are usually not a good sign, but does that mean Braverman be released on Saturday? There is plenty of speculation on both sides of that argument.

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For Braverman to be a 53-man roster lock, he would have had to clearly outperform Marc Mariani. That has not happened. With Eddie Royal’s contract guaranteed for 2016, there is zero reason for the Bears to release him and eat almost $5 million in salary. That means the Bears would have to do one of two things: take a leap of faith on Braverman and release Mariani, despite him currently slated as their PR1, or carry three slot receivers.

Neither one of those ideas seems to make much sense. There are very few teams (if any) that would consider carrying three slot receivers on their roster. The third slot receiver would never find his way onto the field. Releasing Mariani, your top punt returner, who finished 2015 strong seems like shooting yourself in the foot.

The third idea would be to release Braverman and see if they can sneak him onto the practice squad. In this case, the Bears have to hope that all 31 other teams won’t guarantee Braverman a roster spot. If you sign any player who has been waived, their spot on your 53-man roster is guaranteed. This idea comes with significant risk. There is also no guarantee that Braverman would even last the entire season on the practice squad. He has the potential to be a very good possession receiver. If a team is dealing with an injury or two to their slot receivers, signing Braverman would make a lot of sense.

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    • Ryan Pace has made it clear that he gives his draft picks every opportunity to make the team. It would be tough to release a rookie even though the entire offense struggled during the preseason. The Bears slot position opens up in 2017. Mariani is an unrestricted free agent and Royal will not be owed any guaranteed money. If the Bears can manage to get through 2016, their decisions as to who to keep at slot becomes easier next year.

    Pace and John Fox still have their eyes on the big prize. Neither of them truly expect the 2016 Chicago Bears to be competing for a Super Bowl. Both of them know that sliding into the playoffs is the team’s best-case scenario for this season. Optimizing the roster by not carrying three slot receivers may not be the team’s best move at this point. The Bears are still building for the future and if Pace and Fox believe that Braverman has a chance to be a legitimate receiving threat for Chicago in 2017 and beyond, then they need to find a roster spot for him.

    My prediction is that all three slot receivers make the Bears final roster. While that may not make the most sense for 2016, it makes the most sense for the future of the franchise. Braverman will most likely have a roster spot, but that doesn’t mean his merits aren’t currently being debated at Halas Hall.

    Bill Zimmerman is an editor and featured writer for FanSided‘s BearGogglesOn. Like his Facebook page or follow him on Twitter for more news and interaction.

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