Chicago Bears cut Tanner Gentry; Markus Wheaton finally ready to play?
The Chicago Bears released Tanner Gentry after this weekend’s game but hope he can return to the practice squad.
Tanner Gentry’s stay on the Chicago Bears didn’t last very long.
The team announced today that they cut the undrafted rookie about a week after promoting him to the active roster in light of Kevin White’s season-ending injury. In his NFL debut, Gentry caught two passes for 27 yards during Sunday’s 29-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
At this time, the Bears hope that he will make it back onto the practice squad without another team claiming him. He survived the cut process once, and it’s highly likely that he will do so again.
Gentry’s play on Sunday didn’t exactly encourage the Chicago Bears to keep a spot open for him on the roster. For one thing, he, like everyone else Mike Glennon threw a pass to in the fourth quarter, dropped a pass. On top of that, he committed a ridiculous personal foul penalty on a touchback of all plays.
If you drop passes and commit special teams penalties as
a backup receiver, you won’t last in the NFL. Gentry just learned that the hard way.
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Not to say that Gentry can’t improve, but right now, he’s a limited receiver overall. As mentioned earlier today, his scouting report essentially pegs him as a straight-line, vertical threat-type receiver without elite speed. His inability to create separation from defenders consistently showed up in preseason and in Sunday’s game.
If he’s going to stick in the NFL, he needs to diversify his route tree. The practice squad can help with that. Don’t worry: he’ll make it, Bears fans.
On a positive note, the Chicago Bears must feel confident that Markus Wheaton (broken finger) is finally healthy enough to play. Assuming this is the case, Gentry, who only played in garbage time anyway, probably wasn’t going to play much this coming Sunday against the Steelers.
Plus, with injuries at other positions, the Bears could use a more…useful reserve than Gentry right now. In this case, that player is DeAndre Houston-Carson, a special teams prospect who was just elevated from the practice squad.
Next: Do the Bears have interest in WR Bug Howard?
Hopefully, the next time Tanner Gentry suits up for the Chicago Bears, he’ll be able to contribute more meaningfully than he can now. After all, the Bears still need help at receiver.