The Bears are down to their final preseason tune-up, and with roster cuts looming, a few names are making their case to stick around. Chicago still has some decisions to sort through, but these five players have done enough this summer to look like strong bets to survive the deadline.
Jedrick Wills is the clearest example of a player hanging on while the competition shifts around him. He looks to be slipping out of the left tackle battle, with Theo Benedet emerging as the best swing tackle, Braxton Jones holding the best shot to start Week 1, and Ozzy Trapilo back in the mix for later.
That leaves Wills and Kiran Amegadjie in a tricky spot at cutdown time. Wills has at least separated himself from Amegadjie.
He has graded out better and was working at right tackle ahead of Amegadjie in the second preseason game, so if Chicago keeps just one, Wills appears to be the one.
James Lynch has also given the Bears a reason to keep him. Dennis Allen likes bigger edge defenders who can kick inside on passing downs, and Lynch fits that mold.
He has logged 75 preseason snaps while battling for a roster spot, lining up all over the front: 25 snaps outside the tackle, 18 over the tackle, 25 in the B-gap and seven in the A-gap. That kind of flexibility, from edge rusher to nose tackle, makes him hard to cut.
Jack Sanborn’s path is a little different, but just as clear. He walked into a crowded linebacker room, yet the injuries around him have opened the door.
Noah Sewell and Keyshaun Elliott have been on the PUP all summer, and Nephi Sewell just went down with what looks like a serious injury. Sanborn has played 27 defensive snaps in the preseason, but his ticket is likely punched by special teams, where he has 26 snaps across five phases.
Josh Blackwell is trying to make the roster for the fifth straight season, and he has kept himself in the conversation by showing he can move around. He has worked outside and in the slot during the preseason, and Chicago even asked him to take safety reps in practice when the depth got thin.
His special teams work this summer has been light, with just six snaps, but his track record matters: 992 special teams snaps over four years with the Bears, including 284 on five phases last season. In a thin secondary, that should be enough to keep him around.
Skyler Thomas is another player who seems to have done enough. Coby Bryant is expected to go on IR, and Cam Lewis will likely move into the slot.
That leaves Xavier Woods, Dillon Thieneman, and a real question mark behind them. Thomas has been getting time at safety and has also carved out a role as a core special teams option.
After an impressive summer, he looks like a player the Bears will keep.
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NFL Punished Browns Lineman After Costly Preseason Penalty Vs Bears
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Kendall Williamson of the Chargers was also fined $5,972 for unnecessary roughness in a preseason game against the Texans, but the Bears angle here is simpler: a forgotten August snap has already cost an opponent real money. It is the kind of small offseason footnote that rarely changes much, though it does serve as a reminder that the league does eventually circle back on the details, even in exhibitions. [Read more 🡒]