The Chicago Bears made a small roster move, adding fullback Jake Bargas, adding wide receiver David Moore to the injured reserve as the corresponding roster. The David Moore decision is not surprising, and we expected him to be a part of the roster cuts from 85 to 80.
However, what is interesting is that he was not a part of the roster trimming because a player ended up coming in for him.
#Bears roster move: We have signed FB Jake Bargas and placed WR David Moore on Reserve/Injured.
— Bears Communications (@BearsPR) August 21, 2022
This means that the Chicago Bears will still have to cut five more players by Tuesday. The reality is that they are not signing Bargas to practice on Monday and then release him on Tuesday, either, so this will come from the roster they took into the preseason game last week.
This is significant because it means another player is getting released beyond the five we expected, but also that the team will carrying three fullbacks for at least the next week.
Jake Tonges has moved from tight end to fullback this offseason and has done well in the role. Considering he is a rookie UDFA, and they asked him to change positions, he is not getting released.
The signing of Bargas likely means that Khari Blassingame is not healthy. He was seen on the sidelines of the preseason game with a cast on his hand. The Chicago Bears provided no update, but it is clear that they want a backup fullback because Tonges is the only healthy one they have.
If Blassingame gets healthy, Bargas could be in and out of the door, but they probably would not sign a fullback at this point if they thought it would be a day-to-day injury. Especially considering they will be making other rooms thinner in 48 hours.
This is not a good sign for Blassigame and it probably means that they are worried about his week one status. It will be interesting to see how Bargas and Tonges split work next week because fullback has been a clear emphasis in the offense this year.