The Chicago Bears are still in something of a rebuilding phase, but there’s no question the club improved its talent base over the offseason. Armed with the most cap space in the NFL heading into free agency, the Bears were able to make several noteworthy additions, while their trade of the No. 1 overall pick landed them wide receiver D.J. Moore and a bevy of draft assets.
How will the Bears navigate their depth chart now that they’ve brought in additional personnel? Let’s run through Chicago’s current 90-man roster and determine how they’ll get down to 53 players before cutdown day.
Projecting the Chicago Bears’ 2023 Roster and Depth Chart
Quarterback
- In: Justin Fields, PJ Walker
- Out: Nathan Peterman, Tyson Bagent
The Bears are expecting Fields to take a significant leap during his third NFL campaign (and his second year in offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s scheme). Behind him, Chicago added Walker, the former Panthers QB who profiles as a better Fields facsimile than previous backup Trevor Siemian did. Walker’s abilities as a rushing threat would allow the Bears to maintain some level of offensive cohesion even if Fields suffers an injury.
While Chicago is unlikely to keep a third quarterback on their active roster, they will likely stash a signal-caller on their practice squad. As a Divison II rookie who played college football at Shepherd, Bagent has a long way to go to make it in the NFL. But we know who Peterman is, so it might make more sense for the Bears to bet on Bagent’s potential upside.
Running Back
- In: Khalil Herbert, D’Onta Foreman, Roschon Johnson, Travis Homer, Khari Blasingame (FB)
- Out: Robert Burns (FB), Trestan Ebner
Herbert might have the upper leg in the Bears’ running competition, but Chicago added Foreman and Johnson for a reason. Without David Montgomery, the Bears’ backfield is wide open, and there’s a chance the club ends up using a three-way committee approach.
None of Chicago’s top three RBs have offered much receiving production, so Homer makes the team as a pass-catching threat. He’ll have to fend off a training camp competition from Ebner (the Bears’ sixth-round pick in 2022), but it seems like the Bears’ coaching staff has a role in mind for Homer.
Wide Receiver
- In: D.J. Moore, Darnell Mooney, Chase Claypool, Tyler Scott, Velus Jones Jr., Equamineous St. Brown
- Out: Aaron Cruickshank, Daurice Fountain, Dante Pettis, Thyrick Pitts, Joe Reed, Nsimba Webster
As the Bears aim to determine whether Fields is their long-term answer under center, they’ve given him a massive upgrade at wide receiver by acquiring Moore. Meanwhile, Fields will instantly become the best quarterback Moore has worked with since his days with Cam Newton.
Claypool should have been the favorite for WR2 duties after Chicago gave up a second-round pick to acquire him from the Steelers at the deadline. But he disappointed in a half-season with the Bears, while one report suggested the club is unhappy with Claypool’s preparation and motivation habits. That could give Mooney, who ended the year on injured reserve, an edge.
Chicago doesn’t have a ton of drama beyond Claypool. Jones Jr. could become a surprise cut after he failed to deliver results during his rookie season, but the Bears’ only realistic option to replace him is Pettis, a journeyman who hasn’t reached 20 receptions since 2018. While Jones needs to improve, Chicago is unlikely to give up on a third-round pick after only one year.
Tight End
- In: Cole Kmet, Robert Tonyan, Jake Tonges
- Out: Chase Allen, Stephen Carlson
Kmet and Tonyan are locked in as the Bears’ top two tight ends, setting up a battle for the third spot on the depth chart. Tonges spent last summer learning the fullback position in Chicago, meaning he could become a viable backup to Blasingame if needed.
Allen and Carlson should have every opportunity during training camp to unseat Tonges. The Bears will likely keep at least one tight end on their practice squad and could ultimately retain two.
Offensive Line
- In: Braxton Jones, Teven Jenkins, Cody Whitehair, Nate Davis, Darnell Wright, Lucas Patrick, Larry Borom, Ja’Tyre Carter, Alex Leatherwood
- Out: Kellen Diesch, Dieter Eiselen, Robert Haskins, Gabriel Houy, Doug Kramer, Josh Lugg, Lorenz Metz
Wide receiver and linebacker are close, but there’s probably not a Bears position group that looks more improved than the offensive line. Chicago’s starting five appears set, with Jenkins and Whitehair shifting to new positions and Davis and Wright joining the roster as new additions.
The Bears could save nearly $4 million by releasing Patrick, but they don’t need the cap space and likely value Patrick’s versatility. Borom is probably a roster lock, as is Carter, who received first-team reps during OTAs while Davis was sidelined. For now, the final spot goes to Leatherwood, the former first-rounder Chicago claimed off waivers from the Raiders last year, but Diesch, Eiselen, and Kramer could push him during camp.
Defensive Tackle
- In: Justin Jones, Andrew Billings, Gervon Dexter, Zacch Pickens, Travis Bell
- Out: Andrew Brown, Jalyn Holmes, Donovan Jeter
Jones is a holdover, but the rest of the Bears’ defensive tackle room will be comprised of new faces. Chicago clearly wanted to beef up the interior of its defense in the draft, spending Day 2 picks on Dexter and Pickens before landing Bell in the seventh round.
This five-man group should look the same once the season starts, but it will be interesting to watch how much playing time the rookies can pick up as the year rolls along. Neither Jones nor Billings is a world-beater, and they could begin ceding time to Dexter and/or Pickens relatively early in the campaign.
EDGE
- In: DeMarcus Walker, Trevis Gipson, Dominique Robinson, Rasheem Green, Terrell Lewis
- Out: Jalen Harris, D’Anthony Jones
Walker will be the Bears’ top EDGE option after agreeing to a three-year, $21 million deal over the offseason. Gipson managed seven sacks in 2021 before dropping to three last year, but his pressure rate remained largely the same. He’ll be pushed for a starting job by Robinson, who was dominant in Week 1 of his rookie campaign before disappearing for the rest of the season.
Lewis is penciled as Chicago’s EDGE5, but this is a spot where the Bears are likely to add a free agent. Justin Houston has spent time working under Bears head coach Matt Eberflus and would seem like a natural fit, while Jadeveon Clowney, Yannick Ngakoue, and others are still available on the open market.
Linebacker
- In: Tremaine Edmunds, TJ Edwards, Jack Sanborn, Noah Sewell, Dylan Cole
- Out: Micah Baskerville, Kuony Deng, DeMarquis Gates, Sterling Weatherford
Edmunds will give Eberflus the big-bodied middle linebacker he’s been looking for in the center of his defense, while Edwards should have the chance to overperform his three-year, $19.5 million contract after a solid four-season run with the Eagles. Sanborn will become an overqualified third linebacker who may only see time in base packages.
The Bears could end up keeping six linebackers, at which point Weatherford would almost surely make the roster. He looks like an ideal fit for the practice squad if Chicago goes with the rookie Sewell and Cole, who made eight starts for the Titans last year.
Cornerback
- In: Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, Kyler Gordon, Josh Blackwell, Terell Smith, Jaylon Jones
- Out: Michael Ojemudia, Greg Stroman Jr., Kindle Vildor
Johnson missed six games with injuries last season but will return to his CB1 role in 2023 as he eyes a potential contract extension. Stevenson, the 56th overall pick in April’s draft, is already earning starting reps and figures to claim Chicago’s other outside corner spot, leaving Gordon to focus primarily on the slot, where he spent roughly two-thirds of his snaps during his rookie season.
Blackwell stepped in to play the slot at the end of last year, and his special teams prowess should make him close to a roster lock. Smith is probably safe as a fifth-round rookie, while Jones might be Chicago’s best outside option if Johnson or Stevenson goes down.
Vildor was the most difficult cut to make on the Bears’ roster. He’s shown plenty of flashes, and Chicago would probably welcome him onto their practice squad if he clears waivers. But he’s due nearly $3 million in 2023 after earning the NFL’s proven performance escalator, and the Bears have cheaper options that can offer similar upside.
Safety
- In: Eddie Jackson, Jaquan Brisker, Elijah Hicks, Adrian Colbert
- Out: Macon Clark, A.J. Thomas, Bralen Trahan, Kendall Williamson
Jackson, the Bears’ longest-tenured defender, will return for his seventh season in Chicago after ending last year on injured reserve with a foot issue. He’ll be joined by Brisker, who lined up everywhere in 2022 and was far and away the Bears’ best rookie last year.
Hicks was a valuable special teamer after being selected in the seventh round of last year’s draft, and his role should be safe heading into next season. Williamson, Chicago’s 2023 seventh-rounder, will fight for the club’s fourth safety spot. But given how young the Bears’ secondary is, they could retain a veteran like Colbert, who has appeared in 41 NFL games and made 22 starts.
Specialists
- In: Cairo Santos (K), Trenton Gill (P), Patrick Scales (LS)
- Out: Andre Szmyt (K), Ryan Anderson (P)
Santos missed five extra points last year but failed to connect on just two field goal attempts, one of which was from 50+ yards. He’s entering the final season of his contract and is due to make $4 million in cash in 2023, which could make him a cut candidate. But Szmyt, Syracuse’s all-time leader in points, would need a dominant training camp performance to usurp the veteran kicker.