When a new coach comes in he often brings in a few familiar faces who he coached before in free agency.
That also comes with letting go of current players on the roster who do not fit the vision. This will be no different now that Ben Johnson is the Chicago Bears head coach.
Which players might not be back after playing a role last year?
3. The Chicago Bears may not keep D’Andre Swift
The last time that Ben Johnson coached D’Andre Swift, it ended with Swift being traded. Is this going to end in the same result? It is clear that Swift was not the player that he desired. The Bears do not save much by outright releasing him, but they would save $6.6M in cap space if they traded him before June 1, and $8M in cap space if they waited until after June 1.
When you add in that it was a bad signing and he is probably not worth that much to begin with the Bears may take any late-round pick to move that money.
2. The Chicago Bears will be cutting Gerald Everett
This was probably going to happen regardless. The Bears save over $5M with this move and most of the reason that Everett is here is because he has followed Shane Waldron for most of his career. Even Waldron could not get Everett involved in this offense although he tried his hardest. Expect Johnson to bring in more of a blocker who highlights Cole Kmet's pass-catching.
1. The Chicago Bears are unlikely to re-sign Keenan Allen
Keenan Allen said the Bears are one of just two teams he would play for if he did not retire. He may retire because Chicago is unlikely to bring him back. Johnson will change his plans in Chicago, but in Detroit, they ran a lot of two wides and even in three-wides they liked to put their best receiver, Amon-Ra St. Brown in the slot. D.J. Moore could fill that role, and while Allen did produce last year, his age and talents are starting to make it easy to move off.