Chicago Bears: Players to watch against Carolina Panthers

As the Chicago Bears get ready to kick off their first preseason game against the Carolina Panthers, what are five names to watch on Thursday night?

The Chicago Bears have one of the deepest rosters in the NFL. In fact, it can be argued that the Bears roster is so deep to the point where the Bears may have to cut players that would be considered second or third-string players on other NFL teams.

This Thursday night, when the Bears kickoff their preseason at home against the Carolina Panthers, multiple names will be under the microscope. While most view preseason as irrelevant, it is actually a way for coaches and front offices to get a look at their players in an actual NFL game before trimming the roster down to 53 players for the regular season.

As of right now, it’s likely that about 85 percent of the Bears roster is in place, however, there are some spots that still need to be filled. Additionally, with each of these roster spots comes two main questions. First, who deserves to make the cut? And second, why should said player get a spot on the Bears 53-man roster?

While everyone is focused on the big-name players like Khalil Mack, Roquan Smith, and Mitchell Trubisky, preseason is a prime opportunity for two types of players: Undrafted free agents and late-round draft picks.

This year, the Bears feature plenty of undrafted free agents and late-round picks that will have a chance to make a case to be on the 53-man roster. However, of the 90 players that will take the field for the Bears over the next few weeks, there are a few names to watch in particular. We’ll list some names to watch on Thursday night and why each of the following players should make the Bears 53-man roster.