Chicago Bears: Three players who should’ve made 53-man roster cut

Isaiah Irving, outside linebacker

With the uncertainty surrounding Pernell McPhee and the season ending injury to Lamarr Houston, I figured that Isaiah Irving would make the 53-man roster. I was wrong. He was waived on Saturday and we can only hope that another team does not claim him before he can reach the Chicago Bears’ practice squad.

Irving made plays all preseason, which is remarkable considering he is only 6’2″, 254 pounds. You would think that a “tweener” like Irving would be unsuccessful at this level, however that has not been the case, so far.

He is an undrafted, 23-year-old rookie out of San Jose State. As I mentioned earlier, as the Chicago Bears get close to the end of their rebuild they should be keeping young talent on the roster, not waiving it. Quite frankly, I would have rather had him on the 53-man roster than the fifth tight end, Ben Braunecker.

Look at the speed that Irving shows off, on this play. The left tackle is overmatched and Irving sacks Tennessee Titans’ quarterback Alex Tanney on third down to force a punt.

This play shows off the relentless motor that Irving possesses. He is behind Cleveland Browns’ quarterback Chris Hogan, who tries to scramble, but is able to chase him down for the sack.

This play is very similar to the one he had against the Titans. Except for this time, he is able to force a fumble, while he sacks Hogan. The Chicago Bears were a team last year that did not force enough turnovers, so it was good to see Irving force a fumble, even though the Chicago Bears did not recover it. This team needs young players that can do that, which is why I was surprised to see Irving left off the 53-man roster.

Next: Breaking down the Chicago Bears 53-man roster for the 2017 season

Hopefully, Irving is not claimed by another team and lands on the Chicago Bears’ practice squad. If the outside linebacker group sustains any injuries this season, it is a good bet that we see Irving making plays on Sundays.