http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2127583-projected-chicago-bears-final-53-man-roster-pre-training-camp-edition
Relatively safe and sane.....
The only things that I disagree with is:
LBs - Jordon Senn makes the 53 as the Special Teams Ace he was signed as.......Eurich should know this...
QB - Fales is off to the PS.....NOT on the active roster....to be poached or not....need that spot for someone other than a clipboard holder.
TE - Other than the Black Unicorn....the second seat on the 53 is in play.....I am starting to suspect that Trestman will be looking for a TE that can catch....as they will be using Eben Britton as a situational Heavy Blocking TE . (our Zach Miller?! Mulligan?!) yet...Rosario Dawson is soooo hot.
CB - I'm not sold that either or both Frey of Hayden make the 53 Roster. I think that a case can be made for "The Kids"
(Demontre Hurst & C.J. Wilson) to step up. Frey is redundant with the addition of our No.#1 draft pick Kyle Fuller and Tim Jennings ability to move to the Nickle........And Hayden is ...oft injured.....slow....and old.......he did not look good when on the field last year....."toast" to much faster WRs on the sideline.....
I think you gotta keep Jones over Senn at LB. May lose something on special teams, but I'd rather have the guy capable of actually playing LB considering DJ will get hurt at some point and Briggs is 35 and just missed 1/2 a season. I think a lot depends on if guys like Steltz, McManis, McCray, or Weems make the team. All have very good experience at a high level of special teams performance in their past.
Fales needs to make the team. They used a draft pick on him, he should be worth keeping based on that fact alone. I don't see him making it to the practice squad.
I'd really like to go with the pass catcher at TE. Britton can be the blocking TE again, if necessary. Zach Miller could be a half decent weapon for the offense.
At CB, I agree, go with the young guys. I really like what I saw from Hurst in preseason last year. I think he can play a little. CJ Wilson wasn't very good on special teams last year, but I did like his potential coming out of college as a CB, and he can really run.
If I had to guess right now:
QB (3)- Cutler, Palmer, Fales. Clausen stuff is overblown. His experience is experience at playing terrible. Palmer knows the offense and has experience mentoring young QBs, including Fales.
RB (4)- Forte, Carey, Fiametta, Ford. I love Lynch as a college player, but he's not an NFL ready player. Ford showed in preseason last year he can get some tough yards inside. I also think he has underrated hands and speed. Most likely to be a better special teamer than Lynch too, since he did it last year some too.
WR (6)- Marshall, Jeffery, Wilson, Morgan, Williams, Weems. Could see keeping just 5 of these guys because you have 2 guys that aren't coming off the field. I think Morgan is a really good #4 WR. I wouldn't be surprised to see him on the field a bunch this year. Certainly much more than Wilson, Anderson, etc. last season. Williams wins the PR job. Weems is a good special teamer.
TE (2)- Bennett, Miller. Britton helps out here. Fiametta can help out as an H-back in pass blocking. Also, Bennett had shoulder issues and couldn't block much last year. So, he helps more in blocking this year, especially with a better #4 WR.
OL (8)- Bushrod, Slauson, Garza, Long, Mills, Britton, DelaPuente, Leno Jr. Rookie makes it over James Brown, who wasn't active very often last year.
DL (10)- Allen, Houston Young, Scott, Bass, Paea, Sutton, Ferguson, Ratliff, Collins. Washington has a ton of potential, but doesn't make it without ST ability. Think Scott can play an Idonije type role on special teams. I could also see them keeping an eye on the waiver wire to potentially get someone better than Collins.
LB (6)- Briggs, Williams, McClellin, Bostic, Greene, Jones. Like I said, Senn has no chance of being adequate on defense. The Bears have enough special teamers. Jones is too talented to lose for a player like Senn. Rest are locks, IMO, even Greene.
CB (6)- Tillman, Jennings, Fuller, Frey, McManis, Hurst. When in doubt, go young. Vet Hayden gets the benefit of having a chance to catch on with another team rather than being the 5th or 6th CB here. Frey is better than Hayden inside. Fuller gets first crack outside if Tillman goes down again. Hurst shows enough to be trusted in an emergency outside.
S (5)- Mundy, Conte, Vereen, McCray, MD Jennings. Hope Adrian Wilson has something left, but it's doubtful. With Conte's injury, Vereen being a rookie, and McCray's familiarity with the ST coach, the Bears keep 5 here.
ST (3)- Gould, O'Donnell, Hartson. Draft pick makes it over Way, though I like Tress a lot. Like was said, Hartson got the nod last year when Mannelly was out. Gets it again.
Practice squad- RB- Lynch, OL- Ola, OL- Groy, S- Trice, LB- Lattimore, then a DT and a CB off waivers.
