With the deadline to set the 53 man rosters tomorrow, there will always be cuts that raise eyebrows.
After having a “redshirt” season last season as the Bears 3rd round pick, Juaquin Iglesias has been informed of his release. Iglesias was expected to push veteran Rashied Davis, but he was slowed by a quadriceps injury and he never was higher than sixth on the depth chart.
His lack of ability to play special teams also factored into his release, and he never was a great fit in Mike Martz’s offense, which needs speedy receivers, which Iglesias is not. He didn’t have a poor preseason, and a team in need of a slot or possession receiver could claim him on waivers. One team that could be is the Rams, who lost Donnie Avery to a torn ACL and have Iglesias’ quarterback at Oklahoma, Sam Bradford. Juaquin was also the #1 receiver during Bradford’s career at Oklahoma, so a reunion isn’t far-fetched.
Among the other cuts was Tim Shaw. Shaw recorded a Bears franchise record with 30 special teams tackles in just 15 games last season, a very impressive stat . While he is a special teams star, he failed to impress on defense during the preseason which led to his release. Brian Iwuh, another special teams ace, impressed as a backup weak-side linebacker and will take Shaw’s spot on the roster.
Safety Al Afalava, the Bears 6th round pick in the 2009 Draft, was also let go, after starting 13 games as a rookie last season. He plummeted down the depth chart in the offseason after he struggled badly in coverage and had trouble wrapping up. With his release, Josh Bullocks has appeared to make the team and the final safety despite being sidelined with an injury through most of the preseason. He impressed the coaches and he graded out highly in the Bears’ final few games last season, which earned him a spot on the Bears 53 man roster.
Among the Bears other cuts were linebackers Kevin Malast and Kelvin Smith, cornerbacks Woodny Turenne and Cornelius Brown, safety Quentin Scott, center Tim Walter, and tight end Richard Angulo. Chicago native and former student of Homewood-Flossmoor High School Freddie Barnes has also been cut.
Bears Finalize 53-man Roster
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