Chicago Bears Training Camp Preview: Inside Linebackers

5. Who makes the cut?

If the Bears are going to carry four linebackers on the 53-man roster in 2019, then it’s likely that Roquan Smith, Danny Trevathan, Nick Kwiatkoski and Joel Iyiegbuniwe are the four linebackers that make the cut. In other words, it’d be the same guys who made the roster from a year ago.

But if the Bears decide that the team will only carry three linebackers because there are players at other positions that will be strong candidates for the 53-man roster, then the final cut could come down to Kwiatkoski or Iyiegbuniwe.

Another major factor that could be the deciding factor between who gets the final roster spots are how Chuck Pagano plans to use linebackers in his defensive system. If Pagano plans to blitz more then speed will be the major factor that allows Iyiegbuniwe to make the cut.

Between Jameer Thurman, Kevin Pierre-Louis, and Josh Woods, each of the three could end up being cut before the final weeks of the preseason. Each year, the Bears bring in guys at each position but many do not make it to the final week of the preseason. This seems like it’s going to be the case for each of these players.