As we get closer to the start of the season we will be counting down the Chicago Bears roster to find the most valuable players. The question we are asking is what players can swing the season the most?
We started all the way at 90 and are now at number 85. A familiar face.
Chicago Bears 2022 roster ranking: No. 85 Michael Joseph
Michael Joseph has been with the Chicago Bears since 2018. We have been doing this ranking for six years, and here is where Joseph has ranked every year.
Unfortunately, his peak was at 72, although you could argue in every year I underestimated him. Still, at the same time, this is a player who has been active in the NFL for one game since 2018, so I probably have had him about right. He is a practice squad player, but not a player with more upside that could impact a season.
Joseph dropped to 85 this season mainly due to the roster rehaul. Ryan Pace players are dropping like flies, and the smaller the name, the easier it is to see them going. Joseph has stuck since 2018 because he has been with Ryan Pace, and Pace has bought into his development. He even helped Joseph transition from safety to cornerback, something that caused us to drop him from 73 to 80, but then bump him back up after seeing him once again make the practice squad.
The way that Ryan Poles added to the secondary shows that he is not expecting Joseph to make the roster. So, four years on the practice squad later we could be saying goodbye to our yearly Michael Joseph ranking.
When you think about it, for a UDFA to stick with a team for four seasons is a pretty good run. Perhaps he should have stuck in the low 70s and perhaps peaked in the 60s in these rankings. Still, with so many names that Ryan Poles signed ahead of him, 85 may be the end.