Chicago Bears: Predicting the 2017 53-man roster before training camp
Wide Receivers
Starters: Cameron Meredith, Kevin White and Kendall Wright
Backups: Markus Wheaton, Victor Cruz and Tanner Gentry
Losing Alshon Jeffery in free agency undoubtedly hurts. The Chicago Bears no longer have a proven number one receiver on their roster. That being said, they have assembled some solid depth at the position and have an interesting mix of players.
The way I see it, there are five or six wide receiver spots and a number of options to make the Bears’ roster. First, let’s start with the locks.
Cameron Meredith could take over for Jeffery as the Bears’ number one receiver this season. Meredith really burst onto the scene last season, catching 66 passes for 888 yards and four touchdowns for the Bears. He has great size (6-foot-3, 207 pounds), impressive athleticism and runs strong routes. Meredith will undoubtedly be an important part of the Bears’ offense in 2017.
As long as he is healthy, 2015 first-round pick Kevin White is also a lock. White has struggled with injuries throughout his NFL career, but he still has a ton of upside on the outside. The Bears will be counting on White to stay healthy and step up his production in 2017. Will he be able to pull it off?
Free agent additions Kendall Wright and Markus Wheaton are both pretty much roster locks as well. Wright is a quick and elusive receiver who has a ton of upside out of the slot. I thought adding him on a one-year deal was a great move by the Bears. I am not as high on Wheaton, but he is a solid veteran who has some ability. Wheaton will be on this roster.
After that, it is pretty much up in the air. As long as Victor Cruz does not look terrible, he will likely make the 53-man roster as well. Cruz was once great, but he is now an aging player who has dealt with a ton of recent injuries. He has a good chance to make the 53-man roster out of camp, but make no mistake about it, he is far from a lock.
After Cruz, guys like Josh Bellamy, Deonte Thompson, Daniel Braverman, Rueben Randle and Tanner Gentry enter the mix. There are a lot of interesting players here, but I think Gentry, the undrafted rookie out of Wyoming will separate himself from the pack.
Gentry lacks game-breaking speed, but he is a big (6-foot-2, 210 pounds) and athletic receiver who goes up and gets the ball well. Gentry shows a knack for getting the ball in the air and is particularly impressive in the red zone. As a senior at Wyoming last season, Gentry caught 72 passes for 1,326 yards and 14 touchdowns.
The guy is a playmaker who will go up and get the ball. He is a great receiver to have in the mix with a shaky quarterback situation like the Bears have. The Bears are a rebuilding team who would benefit from landing an undrafted sleeper. Look how valuable Meredith has become in such a short time.
Instead of opting for less-talented guys who we have seen what they bring to the table, I would rather see the Chicago Bears take a shot on the upside of Gentry.