Chicago Bears: Ranking 3 most intriguing upcoming roster battles

The Chicago Bears are entering the 2023 offseason with what will be a completely different roster than in 2022. The recent draft saw general manager Ryan Poles select 10 new playmakers, all of whom will likely get an opportunity to make an impact in their rookie seasons.

Due to the abundance of new faces making their Bears debut this offseason, no position group will have the ability to sit back and relax. Positional battles are an annual occurrence that takes place during the preseason. Players compete from May until September, in an attempt to either move up the team’s depth chart or lock in their roster spot. This offseason, the Bears are looking to completely revamp the roster after seeing both sides of the ball struggle in 2022.

With so much projected turnover, positional battles will likely be the most intriguing and important phase of the offseason. Here are the three upcoming roster battles that you’ll need to keep an eye on this summer.

1. Linebacker

No position group on the Chicago Bears roster has seen as much change in a singular offseason as the linebackers have. Just a year ago this group was led by Roquan Smith, Nicholas Morrow, and Matthew Adams. With none of these players still employed in the windy city, it’s fair to say this group has seen a complete transformation.

Ryan Poles made it clear immediately that the linebacker unit will not be the weak link of this Bears defense in 2023. During the opening days of free agency, Poles agreed to terms with both Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards. Both of these players were signed to multi-year deals, as they are expected to lead this defense for years to come.

Besides Edmunds and Edwards, the rest if the linebacker room is up for grabs. Jack Sanborn, Dylan Cole, Noah Sewell, Sterling Weatherford, Terrell Lewis, and DeMarquis Gates are in competition for the remaining roster spots. All of these players have the ability to make an impact on special teams as well, so it’s going to come down to how many linebackers Chicago wants to keep on the 53-man roster. Definitely a situation to keep an eye on.

2. Defensive tackle

The defensive tackle position is in a very similar situation to that of the linebackers. Aside from Justin Jones, the entirety of the defensive tackle room has been revamped. Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens heard their names called early by the Bears in this past NFL draft, likely locking them into the 53-man roster day one.

Aside from the roster locks that are Jones, Dexter, and Pickens, the Bears have a lot to evaluate. Andrew Billings, Travis Bell, Jalyn Holmes, and Andrew Brown will be competing for what will likely be only two open spots.

With Billings also being the only stable veteran out of the remaining four, it wouldn’t be surprising if Ryan Poles were to pull the trigger on another veteran tackle before camp officially begins in July. Either way, this will be a position group to monitor.

3. Wide Receiver

The Bears wide receiver debacle of 2022 is finally over. Star playmaker D.J. Moore is now sporting the navy blue and orange after a franchise changing trade that sent the #1 pick of the draft to the Carolina Panthers.

Behind Moore, dynamic playmakers Chase Claypool and Darnell Mooney aim to make the life of Justin Fields easier. Both Claypool and Mooney are entering the final year of their contracts and are planning on having career seasons in what could be their final seasons in Chicago.

The pre-draft star power wasn’t enough to satisfy Ryan Poles as he also pulled the trigger on University of Cincinatti speedster Tyler Scott in the 4th round. Scott is likely another roster lock, as his downfield speed will allow the other receivers around him to thrive.

Behind the roster locks of Moore, Claypool, Mooney, and Scott, there is a lot to figure out.  Equanimeous St. Brown, Velus Jones Jr, Dante Pettis, Daurice Fountain, and Nsimba Webster are looking to fill the remaining 2-3 receiver spots. All of these players saw action in 2022, but now it’s likely a few will need to find a new team to call home.