Chicago Bears training camp: Which notable players might not survive roster cuts?

2. Lamarr Houston

The Chicago Bears signed Lamarr Houston in 2014 in hopes that he could put their defense over the top after a close-but-not-close-enough 2013 campaign. To be fair, his eight sacks in 2015 had to be exactly what the Bears hoped for from him in the first place.

The problem is, aside from that showing, Houston hasn’t been on the field enough to do much for the Bears. Because of that and the emergence of a talented outside linebacker crew, he might not see the field for them again.

The Skinny

Firstly, Houston is coming off his second ACL tear with the Bears, which has kept him out of more than a season’s worth of games. While ACL injuries aren’t the death knell that they used to be, it’s still fair to wonder if he can come back as strong as he did in 2015 after he suffered the same injury in 2014. As such, his performance in camp will be interesting to watch.

And if Houston isn’t performing up to standard, the Bears’ outside linebacker group might not miss him that much.

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Leonard Floyd, should he stay healthy, looks poised to become a multi-talented force opposite Pernell McPhee. Willie Young has adapted to his 3-4 outside linebacker role well and led the team last year with 7.5 sacks. And undrafted Roy Robertson-Harris has people around Halas Hall buzzing following his switch from defensive end to outside linebacker. That’s looking like a crowded room for Houston to break into.

And ultimately, the money could be what does Houston in as a member of the Bears. His cap hit of almost $7 million is currently fifth-highest on the team. Plus, he’s currently the highest-paid outside linebacker outside of McPhee. On the flip side, the Bears could save a little more than $5 million by cutting him.

Unless Houston proves a dominant force during camp and in pre-season, the Bears might just take the money and run.