The Chicago Bears released their initial depth chart. While it is not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things, there are definitely some minor takeaways that can be made from where players are starting off before the first preseason. Some players may be in better standing based on the depth chart, while others will not.
Who are some players that saw the depth chart get the best of them at this point?
5. Trevis Gipson has been buried on the Chicago Bears depth chart
Trevis Gipson was one of the fan favorites at this time last season. The Chicago Bears gave him a chance to start after they traded Robert Quinn, and after a long look, they did not like what they saw. The team saw Gipson fail to take advantage, and his performance dropped significantly when his snap count increased.
So, now the team feels that he is no longer worthy of being on the roster. You can tell by where he stands on the depth chart. When the Chicago Bears signed Yannick Ngakoue, there was going to be an odd man out, and right now, that Gipson.
Ngakoue is listed as a starter, along with DeMarcus Walker. Then Rasheem Green and Dominique Robinson are in the backup slots. What is interesting is that the third-string rushers are Terrell Lewis and D'Anthony Jones.
Lewis has a shot at making the roster as the fifth man, but Jones being third string is impressive in the idea that he can make the practice squad now. Listed as the fourth team is Trevis Gipson.
So, it would be one thing if he was on the third line across from Lewis. That fifth rusher may make the roster. The sixth and seventh will not, and right now, Gipson is not even six in the pecking order.
When you think about it, Ryan Poles signed Ngakoue, Walker, and Green. He drafted Robinson and claimed Lewis on waivers. He inherited Gipson. So, it makes sense he would now be the odd man out after getting his one chance.
4. Kindle Vildor is losing chances with the Chicago Bears
Kindle Vildor is another player that Ryan Poles inherited. Now, it is even harder to see him making the roster than Trevis Gipson. We knew when the team drafted Terrell Smith, in addition to Tryique Stevenson, that Vildor was about to have an uphill battle to climb to make the team.
Those two were added to Kyler Gordon and Jaylon Johnson, and those are the top four. Because Josh Blackwell could play the slot and was a special teams stud, he landed at fifth. While we thought Vildor could be sixth, and six cornerbacks may make the roster, that was not the case.
Right now, Greg Stroman is that sixth cornerback right on the roster edge. What is fascinating is that behind Stroman, and pushing him the most, is not even Vildor. It is Michael Ojemudia and Jaylon Jones. Both of them were on the roster last season, and both were behind Vildor, so this is notable.
It may be a sign to any team interested that Vildor is about to be let go if anyone wants to swoop in now and take a chance. Vildor is in the last year of his deal; he is one of the few Ryan Pace players left, and the team could save a million or two on the cap to move on. This decision was intentional.
Dieter Eiselen has a tougher path to the Chicago Bears roster
There were questions about Dieter Eiselen and what he could do on the Chicago Bears roster as he enters his fourth season. He was a 2020 UDFA with Ryan Pace. Unfortunately, he did not have a preseason to prove himself. He played the 2021 season at right guard, but last year Ryan Poles moved him to center.
Could he push Cody Whitehair or Lucas Patrick, and was there a better case to be made to switch him back to guard, given that Doug Kramer makes three center options? So far, yes, Eiselen has moved back to guard.
However, rather than being the backup left guard, that is currently Alex Leatherwood. Eiselen is the third-string right guard behind Ja'Tyre Carter. The third-string center has a better shot than the third-string right guard.
If Eiselen is third-string center, and backup left guard, that says something. Third-string right guard means little overall. It means that Ryan Poles may be flipping another Ryan Pace player.
Travis Homer still has work to do with the Chicago Bears
When the Chicago Bears signed Travis Homer, it looked like he had a role with the team. Homer has stuck around in Seattle for four seasons due to his special teams and ability to pass protect. However, Roschon Johnson getting drafted took away a lot of his thunder because the rookie is good at both, and he has so much more upside to bring.
When Johnson was added to D'onta Foreman and Khalil Herber, the room was getting crowded. Still, Homer has a path to the roster. He just has to beat out Trestan Ebner. So far, that has not happened.
Ebner was benched because he was so slow in the passing game that he allowed Justin Fields to get sacked. When you combine his issues in this area with Homer being strong, you think this battle would be won easily. However, Homer must be struggling. We will see who does better in game action because game speed tripped up Ebner last time. Still, Homer is trending down.
Dante Pettis is days away from being cut by the Chicago Bears
This has been obvious for a while now, but Dante Pettis has been a stock-down player since OTAs. The big issue right now is that he cannot stay healthy enough to get on the field and play. He has not practiced since OTAs. So, the training camp competition has been anything but that.
He was supposed to compete with Equanimeous St. Brown, the top two wideouts from last year. However, ESB is clearly ahead of him. Tyler Scott jumped him quickly, and the last move was Velus Jones.
Jones jumped him on the wide receiver depth chart, but more importantly, he jumped in as a punt returner. Of course, game action can change things, but if Jones holds down the punt return job, there is no reason Pettis will be here. For now, he is insurance just in case Jones has any issues.