Chicago Bears: 53-Man Roster Prediction: Wide Receivers

A closer look and a prediction as to what players will make the Chicago Bears at the wide receiver position.

The Chicago Bears wide receiving corps looks a lot different than it did last season. It’s possible (although extremely unlikely) that every receiver that was on the team last year, won’t be on the team in 2018. Best case scenario, only two from the 2017 group will be a part of this group.

First, the locks. Allen Robinson is a lock. Taylor Gabriel will be on the squad. Anthony Miller has been the most impressive receiver in camp thus far, he will be seeing plenty of snaps come September.

Honestly, the next most secure spot is Josh Bellamy. Bellamy is one of the best special teamers on the team and has carved out a nice spot there. Bennie Fowler was brought in to push Bellamy as a solid special teamer and perhaps one that could contribute more offensively, but Fowler hasn’t looked good in camp, and didn’t look any better in the Hall of Fame game. Bellamy won’t be expected to contribute much (if anything) offensively, but he will be on the squad to play special teams with the position of ‘wide receiver.’

It’s also a safe bet that Kevin White makes the squad. If he gets banged up during the preseason or really struggles in games, perhaps the Bears part ways with him, but his $5+ million salary is fully guaranteed this year, so the only way the Bears part ways with him is if they are confident they have someone on the roster better than White. At this point, that really doesn’t seem like the case. The Bears would have to really like someone to eat White’s entire contract and release him from the team.

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With the Bears probably carrying four tight ends, and Tarik Cohen also getting time at wide receiver, it’s possible the Bears choose to only carry 5 WRs on the roster, but the problem with that is Javon Wims. Wims is a seventh round pick and perhaps the Bears had hopes to stash him on the practice squad this season and let him compete for the WR4 spot next season once White is off the team.

However, Wims has had his moments in camp and also splashed in the Hall of Fame game. If he continues to play well, he won’t be able to be slid onto the practice squad. All PS players must first clear waivers and if the Bears waive Wims, a bad team with an even worse receiving corps (Baltimore, Buffalo) would almost certainly scoop him up and guaranteed him a spot on their 53-man roster.

The Bears are probably going to be in a position where Wims is going to have to make the 53-man roster to make sure they secure him as a part of the team’s future. If that’s the case, than the Bears’ wide receiving group is probably set. Who else on the roster could push for one of the roster spots?

The three guys to look at are Fowler, Tanner Gentry and Demarcus Ayers. Fowler, as we mentioned above, is not playing well and should be headed towards the scrap heap. Gentry has a nice catch here or there but still hasn’t shown anything consistently that he can contribute regularly on an NFL roster. He also does not excel on special teams, something that would help him as a bottom of the roster receiver.

The most intriguing of that group is Ayers. He was a seventh round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers back in 2016. Ayers made the team’s practice squad and was elevated in December to the 53-man roster but didn’t make an impact. Ayers failed to make the team in 2017.

Ayers was signed to the New England Patriots practice squad but released a few weeks later. A few weeks after that, the Bears stashed him on their practice squad and offered him a futures contract in January.

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So far, Ayers has turned a few heads in camp and played well in the second half of the Hall of Fame game. Ayers also could have value to the team as a returner. It’s still a long shot that Ayers can crack the 53-man roster, he has an uphill battle, but it’s a safe bet that the Bears will want to keep him on the practice squad if he continues to play like this. Gentry is probably a borderline candidate for the practice squad at this point.

53-Man Roster Prediction: WIDE RECEIVER (6): Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel, Anthony Miller, Kevin White, Javon Wims, Josh Bellamy

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