With the Chicago Bears’ 90-man roster full — although, it can change at any time — we thought we’d take a look at just how much their roster has changed since about this time last season.
Continuing with defense, the Bears return their core group that have been among the top in the NFL over the last two seasons. They’ve also upgraded several positions this offseason, including pass rush and secondary. While there are some depth concerns at a couple of positions, this Bears roster is stacking up nicely where it could possibly rival the dominant 2018 group.
The expectation for Chicago’s special teams is that it’ll look identical with kicker Eddy Pineiro, punter Pat O’Donnell and long snapper Patrick Scales.
Let’s take a look, position by position, at how the Bears defense and special teams in 2020 compares to 2019.
Defensive Line
| 2019 | 2020 |
| Akiem Hicks | Akiem Hicks |
| Eddie Goldman | Eddie Goldman |
| Bilal Nichols | Bilal Nichols |
| Roy Robertson-Harris | Roy Robertson-Harris |
| Nick Williams | Brent Urban |
| Jonathan Bullard | Abdullah Anderson |
| Abdullah Anderson | John Jenkins |
| Jonathan Harris | Trevon McSwain |
| Jalen Dalton | Lee Autry |
| Daryle Banfield |
The Bears defensive line was arguably the deepest position group on their roster last season, which served them well when Akiem Hicks and Bilal Nichols struggled with their respective injuries. Nick Williams and Roy Robertson-Harris rose to the occasion during their different absences, alongside one of Chicago’s most under-appreciated players in nose tackle Eddie Goldman. Their depth was certainly tested last season, and they handled the loss of Hicks the best they could’ve been expected to.
Heading into 2020, the Bears are returning the core of their defensive line, anchored by Hicks, Goldman, Nichols and Robertson-Harris. While they lost Williams to the Detroit Lions in free agency — a testament to his breakout season as a seven-year veteran — they did add some depth with former Bear John Jenkins and Brent Urban, who returns after signing with Chicago midway through last season.
Advantage: 2019
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