The NFL preseason is officially in the books and the Chicago Bears recently finalized their initial 53-man roster.
While a few spots will likely change between now and Week 1, for the most part, this is the team. There weren't very many shocking decisions made, but there definitely were a few. For example, the team went heavy on running backs, offensive linemen, and defensive linemen, while going light on quarterbacks, wide receivers, and tight ends.
Interestingly, the Bears did not make any successful waiver claims after the cuts. Tight end Brenden Bates got claimed by the New York Jets, so the TE will not be an option for the practice squad.
Today, let's identify the three most surprising things about the Bears' initial 53-man roster.
Tyson Bagent as QB2
The Bears decided to roll with Tyson Bagent as the backup quarterback, while rookie UDFA Austin Reed and veteran Brett Rypien were waived. All three QBs performed well at times in the preseason, but the team clearly likes the upside of Bagent.
However, it is a bit surprising to see the team not keep the more experienced Rypien around, Bagent was a UDFA in 2023 and Caleb Williams is a rookie in 2024. Typically, teams like to have a veteran QB to mentor the rookie, but the Bears appear comfortable with Bagent only.
Reed was added to the practice squad, but he's a rookie in his own right. I expected the Bears to roll with Rypien or add a veteran, but the team doesn't feel it necessary.
The Velus Jones Jr. experiment continues
The writing seemed to be on the wall for Velus Jones Jr. in Chicago. Jones is a former third-round pick who has yet to find a groove in the NFL, and with the talent added to the roster this summer, it seemed unlikely Jones would stick around.
However, Jones received the bulk of his reps as a running back during the preseason. The results were fair as Jones found the end zone twice and finished with the third-most rushing yards in the NFL for the preseason. Keeping Jones was even more surprising considering the team kept four other RBs as well.
Clearly, general manager Ryan Poles sees something in Jones. The Tennessee product will have at least one more chance to prove he belongs in the NFL in 2024.
Six edge rushers make the squad
Like Jones, Dominique Robinson is another recent draft pick who has underperformed that the team just isn't ready to give up on. Robinson seemed to be facing the end in Chicago after the team added Darrell Taylor in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks.
Like Jones, though, Robinson found a way to persist. Robinson joins Montez Sweat, Darrell Taylor, DeMarcus Walker, Austin Booker, and Daniel Hardy on the final roster. Keeping six edge rushers is not the norm, but the Bears are desperate to find a reliable pass-rush partner for Sweat.
Still, one has to think Robinson's roster spot could have been used more wisely. Robinson has just two sacks in two seasons. If the Bears add any players before Week 1, I'd expect Robinson to be the first on the chopping block.