Before the NFL Draft, before the Chicago Bears transformed their offense with the additions of Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze, and before they added linemen on either side and a punter, general manager Ryan Poles had a proclamation.
“It’s gonna be hard to make this team now,” he said. “It’s gonna be really hard to make this team.”
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That’s the situation Poles put the roster in over the past two years. The Keenan Allen and Ryan Bates trades and the free-agent acquisitions of Kevin Byard and D’Andre Swift made the draft easier. With OTAs and minicamp done, we got our first look at the full roster and could see how few spots will be up for grabs.
The new kickoff-return rule, which will lead to more returns every game, will play a role, and special teams coordinator Richard Hightower will, per usual, be very involved in final decisions. But this summer there aren’t as many question marks as usual when trying to project the 53.
Here’s our first look at who could be filling out the 2024 Bears roster.
Quarterback (2)
Caleb Williams, Tyson Bagent
Fishbain: Based on OTAs and minicamp, there doesn’t seem to be a competition for the No. 2 quarterback job. Things can change this summer, but Brett Rypien’s likely role with the Bears will be supporting Williams from the practice squad. The question that can be answered this summer is whether undrafted rookie Austin Reed will be good enough to warrant a spot on the practice squad. He figures to get a lot of snaps in preseason games.
Jahns: Everything that Williams did during the Bears’ offseason program was closely tracked by the team and the media in attendance. But Bagent had his strong moments, too. He looked stronger physically and still moved the ball well with his quick release. The Bears have a good backup in Bagent who showed last year that he has starter potential.
Running back (5)
D’Andre Swift, Khalil Herbert, Roschon Johnson, Travis Homer, Khari Blasingame
Jahns: How will the touches shake out in the backfield? Swift is the Bears’ new starter. That was apparent during the offseason program, though it should have been after the Bears signed him in free agency. Herbert and Johnson also worked with Williams and the starters. And yet, it wouldn’t be surprising if Herbert is considered on the bubble at Halas Hall. He’s in a contract year and the Bears drafted Johnson last year and signed Swift this year.
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Fishbain: The new kickoff-return rule could make this position really interesting from a roster construction standpoint. Herbert has return experience. We know that Homer and Blasingame are experienced special teamers. And Ian Wheeler is a training camp rookie to watch. Undrafted out of Howard, Wheeler could use the extra returns to find his way onto the roster. Five running backs is already a lot, but this is all new.
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Wide receiver (6)
DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, Tyler Scott, Velus Jones Jr., Dante Pettis
Fishbain: Here’s my preseason prediction, Jahnsy: Jones will drop a pass in a preseason game and Bears fans will be apoplectic. But guess what? He should make the team, not because of receiving but because of the new kickoff rule. He’s been one of the best returners in football the past two seasons and will now get more opportunities. While Scott won’t have a big role, I am interested to see how much he’s progressed. The sixth receiver will be the competition spot.
Jahns: Can people really be that apoplectic if we’re talking about the Bears’ fourth or fifth receiver? This has quickly become one of the Bears’ best and deepest positions. It has real star power with Moore, Allen and Odunze. Who takes the sixth spot? Do the Bears even need six receivers? Is it Pettis, the veteran who can return punts? Or does a younger player — or a tight end — push him out?
Tight end (3)
Cole Kmet, Gerald Everett, Marcedes Lewis
Jahns: Kmet and Everett provide Williams and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron with a solid 1-2 punch on game days. The Bears also clearly felt at the conclusion of their offseason program that something was missing from their mix — and then they re-signed Lewis. In Waldron’s last season with the Seahawks, he leaned on three tight ends: Noah Fant (574 snaps), Colby Parkinson (497) and Will Dissly (380).
Fishbain: The signing of Lewis likely entrenches him as the No. 3, barring injury, ahead of his 19th NFL season. The Bears really appreciated what he brought to the locker room and the field. Rookie Brenden Bates and vets Tommy Sweeney and Stephen Carlson will get a lot of preseason action as they make their cases for the practice squad — or, if special teams allows, a No. 4 tight end, as none of the top three will spend much time on kickoffs.
Offensive line (9)
Braxton Jones, Teven Jenkins, Ryan Bates, Nate Davis, Darnell Wright, Coleman Shelton, Kiran Amegadjie, Matt Pryor, Ja’Tyre Carter
Fishbain: Figuring out the top nine offensive linemen wasn’t too difficult, but minicamp left us with some questions. How reliable will Davis be? Should there be any concern about Jones’ injury? Who will win the starting center job? When will Amegadjie be ready to go? Pryor, Bates, Shelton and Carter give the Bears an experienced group of backups, but I’m sure they’d like to feel better about the starting five come August.
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Jahns: Offensive line coach Chris Morgan said center is an open competition between Bates and Shelton. But my gut feeling is that there will also be a competition at right guard in training camp. The Bears will tell you they’re searching for their best five linemen. That could be Shelton at center and Bates at right guard over Davis. But the most compelling storyline could be if Amegadjie is healthy and ready to compete to play.
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Defensive line (8)
Montez Sweat, Gervon Dexter, Andrew Billings, DeMarcus Walker, Austin Booker, Jacob Martin, Dominique Robinson, Zacch Pickens
Jahns: As well as the Bears defense played over the second half of last season, it still finished as one of the worst pass-rushing units. Sweat could only do so much. The Bears have decisions to make. Do they re-sign Yannick Ngakoue? Can they trade one of their two second-round picks in 2025 for another pass rusher? More investment feels needed.
Fishbain: Will this be the Summer of Dino Dex, Matt Eberflus’ nickname for Dexter? It’s mid-June and he’s still in line to be the starting three-technique tackle. He handled it well in the spring practices, but how will he fare when the pads come on? Can he be the “engine” for Eberflus’ scheme? There’s not much depth on the interior, so we could still see someone added. Undrafted rookie Keith Randolph Jr. could make his way onto the roster radar in August.
Linebacker (5)
Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, Jack Sanborn, Noah Sewell, Amen Ogbongbemiga
Fishbain: It’d be difficult to find a better top line of linebackers in the league, and Sanborn’s work on special teams only adds to his value. Ogbongbemiga was brought in for his work on the third phase. You’d like to think Sewell, with his athleticism, has a roster spot locked up heading into Year 2. It’ll be about staying healthy for him. Micah Baskerville would be the odd man out in this situation, but he should be a viable practice squad player.
Jahns: You’re right, Fishman. This is a solid and reliable group. Their experience together last year will only make them better this year, too. They know it. “It’s nice to have that familiarity, for sure,” Edwards said. “Coming back, running the same type scheme … having the confidence within that. And I think just for us, chemistry in football is such a big thing. Knowing how certain guys are gonna play and certain guys are gonna fit.”
Cornerback (7)
Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, Kyler Gordon, Terell Smith, Jaylon Jones, Josh Blackwell, Greg Stroman Jr.
Jahns: Poles’ continued investment in this premium position has paid off. It quickly became a talented and deep position group. If Gordon and Stevenson take the next steps in their respective careers, the Bears should have one of the best secondaries in the league.
Fishbain: The only question I see here is who’s the seventh corner — if they keep a seventh corner. Stroman can play the slot and help on special teams. He had a big game in the Bears’ win over Washington last season. It’ll be very difficult for any undrafted rookies or new corners to push Jones or Blackwell out of their spots, as they enter Year 3 as reliable backups and gunners on the punt and kickoff teams.
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Safety (5)
Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker, Jonathan Owens, Elijah Hicks, Tarvarius Moore
Fishbain: It’s not a sexy competition, but as Hightower sorts out his special teams unit, the safety position should play a factor. Owens takes over as the No. 3, leaving Hightower (and safeties coach Andre Curtis) to decide between Hicks, Moore and Adrian Colbert. Hicks is familiar with the defense and started eight games over the past two seasons, but Moore and Colbert have plenty of experience and both played for Hightower in San Francisco.
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Jahns: Let’s highlight the impact of Byard. He’s replacing Eddie Jackson, but his transition has seemingly been seamless. “He’s special, just in terms of a leader,” Eberflus said. “People respect him just because of the man he is and he’s been a devoted guy to this game for a long time. You can really feel that. That’s palpable.”
Special teams (3)
K Cairo Santos, P Tory Taylor, LS Patrick Scales
Jahns: We’ve all come a long way from Matt Nagy’s kicking competition but also the days when “Mega Punt” Pat O’Donnell was a storyline in camp at Olivet Nazarene University. Tracking how many punts Taylor can pin inside the 5-yard line during camp will be something new.
Fishbain: Bears coaches have talked about Taylor being a “weapon” this season, and he put on a show in one practice this spring. That will happen again in training camp. With Santos coming off a record-setting year, the Bears might boast one of the top kicker-punter tandems in football.
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(Top photo of Rome Odunze, Keenan Allen and DJ Moore: Quinn Harris / Getty Images)