How would you rank the top 90 players on the Chicago Bears Roster?
With the long offseason between the end of mini-camps and the start of training camp comes a dull period in the NFL season. This is the time where all is quiet and not much seems to happen. For us, it is a good time to back and assess everything that has happened over the past couple of months.
This series will do just that. We are set to breakdown the Chicago Bears 90-man roster as it stands. We will rank the top 90 players on based solely on their 2019 value.
The rankings will include their talent level, their value to the roster, and the potential impact that they could have on the team. With this in mind, who are the top players on the roster? We pick up at number 45.
45. Rashaad Coward
Last Year: 79
To the surprise of no one, Rashaad Coward was the biggest riser from last season to this year. His performances in the preseason stunned many, and shot him up the priority list of players to make the roster.
While Coward was not quite refined to be the swing tackle last season, he did make the roster as a back end player who performed too well in the preseason to try to stash on the practice squad. Now, entering year three, Coward should be expected to make the jump to swing tackle.
Coward is a former defensive tackle with minimal experience. Considering his growth, and the coaching that he is getting from Harry Hiestand, Coward is in good hands. It is reasonable to expect a progression again, which is what made the Bears comfortable in moving Bradley Sowell to guard. Look for Coward to slowly continue to climb the totem pole.
44. Javon Wims
Last Year: 46
Last year Javon Wims was a seventh-round pick who turned into a fringe roster player. His ranking at 46th was likely justified. In 2019, his ranking was as tough as any other player on the list.
Wims should be expected to take a step forward, as highlighted in his ranking. He showed promise as a rookie, grew on special teams and could be expected to physically mature from year to year.
However, he did not shoot up the rankings due to the actions of the team this offseason. The Bears not only added Cordarelle Patterson, but they drafted Riley Ridley and signed Emanuel Hall as a top UDFA option.
For a team that did not lose any wide receivers, this is a much more crowded room from a year ago. The debate between Wims and Ridley will be fascinating considering the two played together at Georgia. At Georgia Wims was the option ahead of Ridley, but the Bears drafted Ridley earlier.
Wims has shined in OTAs, and should be able to keep his spot on the back end of the roster. However, a chance he is let go still looms, and Wims does not have as much room to grow as he might have originally thought a few months ago.
43. Sherrick McManis
Last Year: 44
Last season McManis had to jump into the slot role when Bryce Callahan went down. The defense did not fall flat on its face, and McManis proved in brief stretches that he could be more than just a special teams player. However, entering 2019 McManis only moved up one spot from last year.
That is because this year it is even less likely for him to get on the field. The Bears not only replaced Callahan with Buster Skrine, but they also added Duke Shelley in the draft. On top of that, while his overall work with the Bears may have been fine last season, the last play on defense in 2018 was a touchdown pass to Golden Tate lined up on McManis.
Entering 2019 McManis still has an inside shot at a roster spot. His special team’s prowess gives him a heads up over many other end-of-the-roster players. However, he is less likely to get on the field for defense than he was previously.
42. Elliot Fry, 41. Eddy Pineiro
As it should, the two kickers are lumped together. Many give the slight edge to Eddy Pineiro, likely because the team went out and acquired him via trade after Fry has been on the roster.
However, they did acquire Fry first, and more familiar with his game. Could Piniero just be the player who is going to keep Fry on his toes during camp? Nonetheless, the two have to check in near each other.
Finding the exact placing of these two was arguably the hardest ranking of the list. To start, we have not seen either kick in an NFL game. On top of that, they both have a 50% chance to make the roster, but a 50% shot to also never ben heard from again.
Lastly, the question comes down to how valuable are they? The kicker who wins the competition is going to pretty important to the Bears success. We all watched last season. So, they cannot be too high, considering one, the other, or even both may get cut. But putting them too low is disrespectful to how valuable the position has been to Chicago. Hopefully, this sorts itself out, and one of the two climbs the list.