Chicago Bears: 5 bold predictions for final 2021 roster cuts
By Ryan Heckman
3. Chicago Bears Roster Predictions: Bears keep Caleb Johnson, cut Josh Woods and Joel Iyiegbuniwe
You want to talk bold? Let’s get even more bold, here.
Last year, the Bears kept four inside linebackers. This year, I predict they will keep five, and you can blame Alec Ogletree for that. His presence during camp and preseason has made this a very, very difficult situation for Bears coaches.
The five inside backers kept, though, might surprise you. It will be Roquan Smith, Danny Trevathan, Christian Jones, Ogletree and undrafted rookie Caleb Johnson out of Houston Baptist.
Why keep Johnson over Josh Woods and Joel Iyiegbuniwe? Well, for the latter, it’s simple. Iyiegbuniwe has been atrocious during the preseason and hasn’t exactly offered the Bears much on defense since being drafted. He’s a special teams guy, and that’s it.
As for Woods, he’s missed some tackles in the preseason as well, and that should count for something.
Speaking of things that count, Johnson has come up with two fumble recoveries in preseason play — and that’s exactly what Bears defensive coordinator Sean Desai wants to see out of his guys this year. The “turnover bucket” wasn’t just for fun. Desai is dead serious about creating turnovers and flocking to the football.
Johnson has done exactly that. He’s been a spark on the field, and the Bears should keep him around. They need guys like Johnson. They need to take the football away, period.