The oddest training camp and preseason in recent NFL history concluded this weekend as all 32 NFL teams trimmed their rosters down to the final 53. The Chicago Bears were one of the final teams to officially announce their final roster, as is tradition over the last few seasons.
Our 53-man roster is official. @Hyundai | #DaBears
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) September 5, 2020
While there were truly no shocking cuts or transactions, the movement we saw so far paints a pretty clear picture as to what the Bears saw over the last month. Here are my takeaways from the team’s final cuts.
1. No undrafted rookie free agents made the team
As I said, this was the preseason in a very long considering no fans were allowed in attendance for any Bears practices and there were no preseason games either. That meant none of the undrafted rookie free agents (UDFAs) the Bears signed after the draft could showcase their skills against opposing NFL players. It was clearly a problem because after final cuts, no rookie UDFA made the team.
A sign of the COVID-19 times with no preseason: Zero undrafted rookie free agents are on the #Bears initial 53-man roster.
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) September 5, 2020
Guys like running back Artavis Pierce, and outside linebacker Ledarius Mack, two of the most-hyped players coming into camp, are now left with very little NFL tape and a ton of uncertainty following the Labor Day Weekend. This likely isn’t an issue just for the Bears, as other teams likely had difficulty keeping those players on the roster with little to judge them on. Here’s hoping all seven UDFAs find work elsewhere.
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