Roster cuts usually aren’t a big story, and it was relatively easy to predict whom the Bears would part with as they dropped from 90 players to 53 on Tuesday.
The most important questions are at the top of the roster, and the Bears got clarity in three critical areas heading toward their regular-season opener Sept. 8 against the Vikings:
Offensive line
They kept a surprising 10 offensive linemen on the active roster, including all four competitors for the starting job at left tackle: Braxton Jones, Ozzy Trapilo, Kiran Amegadjie and Theo Benedet.
While head coach Ben Johnson played coy when he was asked to name a starter, all signs point toward Jones. None has turned in a standout performance to set himself apart, so Jones essentially won it by default.
Johnson seemed unenthusiastic about the overall play at left tackle in the last month.
‘‘We’re going to have a starter Week 1, and we’ll go from there,’’ he said.
He added that he’s ‘‘not afraid to make a change if the performance isn’t where it needs to be.’’
General manager Ryan Poles put major resources into the offensive line by trading for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson and signing center Drew Dalman to go with 2023 first-round pick Darnell Wright at right tackle. It’s troubling that the Bears did all that work and still don’t have a solid answer at left tackle.
There’s some projection involved with Jones as the Bears bet on him improving as he continues to regain strength after a broken ankle last season. They also are doing some forecasting on how the three young players will develop. All of that is based on hope, however, rather than on concrete evidence.
Wide receivers
One of the most surprising players to make the roster was wide receiver Jahdae Walker, an undrafted rookie from Texas A&M. By keeping Walker, the Bears are investing in his long-term upside.
They’ve got clear top options at the position in DJ Moore and Rome Odunze, and the only question is whether Odunze is poised to step to the top of the pecking order. Veteran Olamide Zaccheaus held off challengers such as rookie Luther Burden III and was one of quarterback Caleb Williams’ most frequent targets throughout camp.
Zaccheaus, 28, is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, with 45 catches for 506 yards and three touchdowns for the Commanders.
Burden will be intriguing because Johnson pushed for him in the draft at No. 39 overall. In the short term, however, he’s more likely to play in a limited number of specific packages.
Defensive line
The Bears have had the NFL’s least productive pass rush in the last three seasons and allowed the fifth-most yards rushing last season. The deficiencies up front have undercut their roster-building at linebacker and in the secondary.
Have they fixed it? Everything still revolves around defensive end Montez Sweat, the Bears’ highest-paid player this season with a $25.1 million salary-cap hit. They signed Dayo Odeyingbo to a three-year, $48 million deal to start opposite Sweat, and he has a lot to prove after notching only 16½ sacks in his first four seasons.
At defensive tackle, veteran Grady Jarrett looks ready for a huge bounce-back after tearing his ACL in 2023 and having a down season in 2024. He has been a force at the line of scrimmage, and his impact should have a ripple effect on young defensive tackle Gervon Dexter and throughout the line.
The depth of the defensive line was a priority for Poles, and it’s undetermined how much the Bears have. Second-round pick Shemar Turner missed most of the preseason with an ankle injury, Andrew Billings missed half of last season with a torn chest muscle and young defensive ends Dominique Robinson and Austin Booker have a combined 3½ career sacks.