Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles did an excellent job of upgrading the roster this offseason. He was armed with a ton of cap space and excellent assets entering the offseason, which he used both of to his advantage.
Multiple veterans were brought to Chicago as free agents, bringing in some much-needed established talent on both sides of the ball. Not only did he address major holes on the roster, but the team’s depth was also replenished with some of those signings.
The Bears now boast an excellent linebacker duo after landing Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards. The offensive line was bolstered with the addition of Nate Davis and further cemented when they used their first-round pick on Darnell Wright.
After landing the No. 1 pick in the draft, the Bears traded back with the Carolina Panthers, who included wide receiver D.J. Moore in the trade. Moore upgraded the weapons around Justin Fields, which was arguably the biggest need for Chicago entering the offseason.
Alas, with so many additions being made, it means someone will have to be on the move. While it would be nice to keep everyone, the NFL is a business at the end of the day and some players will have to be cut.
One potential cut candidate is offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood. The 2021 first-round pick of the Las Vegas Raiders could lose out on the number game along the offensive line. He has also struggled mightily in his first two seasons in the NFL.
His draft pedigree could lead to another chance around the league, but he is certainly running low on them. Possibly heading to his third team in as many seasons is not how a player wants to begin their career.
Wide receiver Chase Claypool could also find himself on the chopping block. Had the Bears not traded a second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, which turned out to be No. 32 overall, to the Pittsburgh Steelers for him, he may already be off the roster.
Claypool has reportedly rubbed a lot of people the wrong way this offseason within the organization. He has immense talent but has struggled to put it together consistently and is lacking work ethic at times.
With Moore and fourth-round pick Tyler Scott now on the roster, the wide receiver position will be cut down. Claypool will have to play well during training camp or Chicago may just cut its losses and hold onto 2022 third-round pick, Velus Jones Jr.
Last but not least, running back Trestan Ebner may be looking for employment elsewhere. A sixth-round pick out of Baylor in the 2022 NFL Draft, he failed to make an impact offensively despite opportunities to get on the field.
That led to him being used almost exclusively on special teams, but he now has competition for that spot as well. Travis Homer is a capable third-down back and special teams ace that was signed in free agency. The Bears also added D’Onta Foreman and drafted Roschon Johnson in the fourth round.
It would be surprising to see the Bears hold onto five running backs heading into the season. Ebner is certainly on the chopping block unless he performs at a level that leads to the team not being able to release him.
