The Bears’ depth chart may be hiding a few real weapons, and ESPN’s Bill Barnwell just gave two of them a spotlight in a hypothetical “Team Backup.”
Barnwell built out a roster of backups from around the league and had to dip into Chicago for defensive back Cam Lewis and long snapper Beau Gardner. His explanation for Lewis centered on the kind of flexibility coaches love to stash on the back end.
"Lewis offers our roster some versatility on the back end, as he can play safety or line up as a slot cornerback. We might need to use some disguised coverages to make up for our lack of cover corners. And considering the Bears are one of the only teams carrying two long-snappers on their roster at the moment, we have to grab Gardner to get one for Team Backup."
Lewis stands out because he can bounce between corner and safety, and that kind of versatility matters even more with Kyler Gordon still hurt. If there are problems with Coby Bryant or Dillon Thieneman because of injuries, Lewis would be a natural next man up.
Gardner’s case is different, but it’s still notable. He’s in a battle with Luke Elkin for the long-snapping job, and Elkin has the edge in familiarity after being with the Bears last season. Still, Gardner brings a strong résumé of his own as a former All-American and Patrick Mannelly Award winner as the nation’s best long snapper.
Of the two, Lewis looks like the likelier Bear to stick on the roster and contribute on defense, special teams, or both. Gardner may not make the team, but if he doesn’t land in Chicago, the expectation is that another NFL team will come calling.
And Barnwell’s choices may not even be the full story. The Bears have enough other backup-caliber options that it says something about the overall depth on the roster - depth that might be flying a little under the league’s radar.
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