The preseason finale has arrived for the Chicago Bears as they take on the Tennessee Titans on Saturday evening. Being that this is the final game of the day, the Bears and Titans will close out the entire NFL preseason before teams shift their focus to Week 1.
That also means it's the last chance for hundreds of players around the league to make a statement as to why they belong on the initial 53-man roster. For the Bears, many of their position groups are likely set, though injuries could make things interesting when final cuts are due.
We'll see if any player stands out in this final game, like wide receiver Jahdae Walker did last year in the preseason finale. But before the game begins, we're making our predictions as to who will make the team
come Sunday night. Here is our projection for the initial 53-man roster.
Quarterbacks (3)
- Caleb Williams
- Tyson Bagent
- Case Keenum
No surprises here. The Bears continue with Tyson Bagent as the primary backup and Case Keenum as the third quarterback behind Caleb Williams.
Running backs (4)
- D'Andre Swift
- Kyle Monangai
- Roschon Johnson
- Salvon Ahmed
The battle for the third running back spot winds up being inconsequential as both Roschon Johnson and Salvon Ahmed make the team. Johnson's special teams experience proves valuable, while the Bears coaches take a chance on Ahmed's upside.
Wide receivers (6)
- Rome Odunze
- Luther Burden III
- Kalif Raymond
- Jahdae Walker
- Zavion Thomas
- Kaden Davis
The final wide receiver spot comes down to Kaden Davis over Maurice Alexander. Davis brings a unique speed element and can contribute on special teams. It wouldn't surprise me to even see him active on gamedays for the first few weeks while Zavion Thomas is a healthy scratch.
Tight ends (3)
- Colston Loveland
- Cole Kmet
- Sam Roush
Despite some rumblings about a fourth tight end like Hayden Large making the team, the Bears only keep three at the position. It's possible someone like Large, Stephen Carlson, or Qadir Ismail gets elevated from the practice squad a few times early on, though.
Offensive line (10)
- Braxton Jones
- Joe Thuney
- Garrett Bradbury
- Jonah Jackson
- Darnell Wright
- Theo Benedet
- Ozzy Trapilo
- Luke Newman
- Logan Jones
- Jordan McFadden
In the battle between Kiran Amegadjie and Jedrick Wills for the final tackle spot, no one ends up winning. At least initially. The Bears could place Ozzy Trapilo on injured reserve to be extra careful as he continues to work back from his torn patellar tendon, missing at least the first four games. That would allow for Amegadjie to return, who provides slightly more upside than Wills. The only notable absence otherwise is Caden Barnett, who winds up on the practice squad.
Defensive line (9)
- Montez Sweat
- Grady Jarrett
- Gervon Dexter
- Austin Booker
- Dayo Odeyingbo
- James Hardy
- Neville Gallimore
- James Lynch
- Kentavius Street
The Gervon Dexter trade rumors are swirling, but I'm not one who believes he'll be on the move. We heard similar things with Andrew Billings last year and he lasted the entire season. Jamree Kromah and Marcus Davenport are among the tough cuts, though both are prime candidates for the practice squad. Shemar Turner remains on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list and won't count against the initial roster.
Linebackers (5)
- Devin Bush
- D'Marco Jackson
- T.J. Edwards
- Jack Sanborn
- Keyshaun Elliott
There are going to be some very tough decisions made at the linebacker position. Jack Sanborn has had a decent camp after returning to the Bears and Ruben Hyppolite still has that raw athleticism that the team is high on. Then there's Keyshaun Elliott, who only just returned to practice after missing most of camp with a back issue. I expect the Bears to hang onto Elliott and Sanborn and part with Hyppolite for the time being. He could be someone that returns to the practice squad. Noah Sewell starts the year on PUP.
Cornerbacks (6)
- Jaylon Johnson
- Tyrique Stevenson
- Malik Muhammad
- Josh Blackwell
- Jaylon Jones
- Terell Smith
With so many question marks at cornerback, the Bears opt to keep six players while Kyler Gordon remains on the PUP list. The biggest surprise to make the roster is Terell Smith, who has missed much of camp but has familiarity with the team and historically hasn't been a liability like Dontae Manning.
Safeties (4)
- Dillon Thieneman
- Xavier Woods
- Cam Lewis
- Elijah Hicks
The Bears likely use one of their two injured reserve/designated to return spots on Coby Bryant at roster cutdown, who isn't expected back until the winter. And even though Elijah Hicks is just returning from injury, his special teams experience wins out over undrafted rookie Skyler Thomas.
Specialists (3)
- Cairo Santos (K)
- Tory Taylor (P)
- Beau Gardner (LS)
The only question mark with the specialists was at long snapper and Beau Gardner won that job weeks ago.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Final predictions for the Bears' 53-man roster
