Chicago Bears: The direction of the franchise and roster heading into 2021
Ryan Pace and the Chicago Bears have their hands full
If the Chicago Bears cut at least one of those players, that would leave them with 44 active players. Expect many low-tier roster signings this season unless the salary cap doesn’t fall as much as expected. Remember that the salary cap only counts against the top 51 highest-paid players on the team.
From a depth standpoint, I have counted six wide receivers (including the two trouble makers Javon Wims and Anthony Miller), four tight ends, three running backs, one quarterback, nine offensive linemen, 10 defensive backs (three are safeties), and the rest of the field seems solid.
I wanted to cover those because clearly, one quarterback is not good, but will clearly be addressed. Nick Foles stands alone with Mitch Trubisky heading for free agency. Six wide receivers and Darnell Mooney leads the way as the main guy. Two bad boys and a (let us be honest) fourth-round pick that didn’t work out. Don’t be biased.
If Joel Iyiebuniwe “sucks” because he couldn’t find his way to the field, we need to admit the same for Riley Ridley. It happens, though. Day three picks are really swings in the dark, hoping one comes out of…. oh hello, Darnell Mooney. Four tight ends on the roster—one old, one young, one big, one small. I was not describing just Jimmy Graham and Cole Kmet.
Jesper Horstead was a preseason darling at one point, and Darion Clark brings that basketball background. That’s a tough position to see how they will attack it unless Kyle Pitts is available at pick 20. Hello, Kyle Pitts (I’ll keep dreaming). But the tight end position will need to be addressed at some point.
My biggest concern is the safety position. Eddie Jackson, Marqui Christian, and Jordan Lucas will be the roster’s only safeties. The Chicago Bears might be able to bring some of those other guys back, but who says they even want to come back. It was only a few years ago when the Chicago Bears were in a situation where they could have drafted Jamal Adams but instead traded up for Mitch Trubisky.
Next. Does collaborate with Pace mean draft a quarterback?. dark
I get it; the quarterback is more important. However, imagine a world with Jevon Holland and Eddie Jackson teaming up on the back end of the roster? It’s not like the Chicago Bears are going all out to trade for Deshaun Watson (Mack trade) or trading up for an unproven college quarterback in Trey Lance (Trubisky trade-up). Well…ok, maybe they could. I’ll have more draft content as soon as the season ends. Take care.