3 Bears Already on the Chopping Block Before OTAs

The Chicago Bears are understandably going to be thrilled about the way the offseason went in 2024. They landed star quarterback prospect Caleb Williams with the #1 overall pick, immediately got him a weapon in wide receiver Rome Odunze with the #9 pick, and they've had a lot going on outside of those two major moves as well.

Even though the Bears don't exactly have the deepest roster in the NFL, they are going to have to let go of some veteran players this offseason or maybe have some rookies come and steal some roster spots.

With the majority of the offseason now in the books, which Bears players could be on the chopping block ahead of OTAs?

1. Travis Homer, RB

The Chicago Bears have an interesting top three at the running back position with D'Andre Swift coming in via free agency as well as both Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson returning. The Bears had Travis Homer on the roster last year mainly for his special teams abilities, but the NFL's new kickoff/kickoff return rules are going to make it fascinating to see how teams prioritize other players on their final 53-man rosters.

The emphasis on return men is going to be significantly ramped up, so someone like Velus Jones Jr. could have a better chance of sticking as a 6th or 7th receiver due to his return abilities as opposed to Travis Homer who is more of the "core four" kind of guy.

Not only that, but one of the Bears' most intriguing UDFA pickups this year was Ian Wheeler, a running back who was also one of the most dynamic return men at the collegiate level. Homer could be in line for an odyssey out of the Windy City in 2024.