While there were plenty of complaints from the peanut gallery regarding the lack of attention to edge rusher, the Chicago Bears were not shy about adding defensive tackles to the team.
The Bears signed three defensive tackles in free agency to help give the position some depth. They added Neville Gallimore, Kentavius Street, and James Lynch.
That seemed like a logical group that would make the roster...until they drafted former Georgia Tech defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg in the sixth round, further complicating the position group. One of those veterans Chicago added in free agency might be finding themselves on the outside of the 53-man roster at the end of August.
James Lynch might end up being the odd man out in Chicago
The Athletic's Kevin Fishbain and Dan Wiederer recently shared their 53-man roster predictions for the Bears. They believe Lynch will not make the 53-man roster, as they have Gervon Dexter, Grady Jarrett, Gallimore, Street, and van den Berg making it at defensive tackle.
Lynch has only started four of the 71 games he has appeared in, so his career has been defined by being a good depth player on the line. Last year with the Tennessee Titans was one of his best as he racked up 25 tackles, three quarterback hits, one tackle for loss, one pass deflection, and a half-sack in 17 games.
There might be some concerns about Lynch, as he has had a serious injury in the past: he tore his ACL during training camp with the Minnesota Vikings in 2023, which cost him the whole season. While he had come back from it, it is still something on the back of people's minds.
Chicago added all those defensive tackles in hopes that one or two would stick and play well, as they have needed them. Dexter was great last season, finishing second on the team with six sacks. The problem was that the Bears paid Jarrett over $50 million over the next three years to be an impact player, but he has not played at the level they expected.
Gallimore seems secure on the roster as he signed a two-year contract. It may come down to Lynch having to beat out Street for the final spot on the team.
Read more: Bears may not be able to resist urge to target cut candidate
Lynch is a solid player and played at a high level off the bench over the years, but the Bears' defensive tackle room is crowded, and there might not be room for him to stick around for long.
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