Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
The Bears activated Eddie Goldman off COVID list, signed Ledarius Mack to the active roster and added QB Ryan Willis to the practice squad.
The Chicago Bears (4-9) are gearing up for a matchup against the Minnesota Vikings (6-7), where Chicago will be looking to get back in the win column.
Ahead of Monday’s game against the Vikings, the Bears made several roster moves on the active roster and practice squad, which includes the return of Eddie Goldman from the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Here’s a look at the roster moves the Bears made on Saturday ahead of Monday’s game vs. the Vikings:
The Bears activated Deon Bush from IR and have flexed Isaiah Coulter and Ledarius Mack to the active roster.
The Chicago Bears (3-6) are gearing up for a matchup against the Baltimore Ravens (6-3), where Chicago is looking to snap a four-game losing streak coming off their bye week.
Ahead of Sunday’s game against the Ravens, the Bears made several roster moves on the active roster and practice squad, which includes a couple of players flexed to the active roster for game day.
Here’s a look at the roster moves the Bears made on Saturday ahead of Sunday’s game vs. Baltimore:
The Bears have trimmed their roster from 90 to 85 players, announcing the final two cuts in the first round of roster cuts.
The Chicago Bears have officially trimmed their roster from 90 to 85 players, announcing the final two cuts in the first round of training camp cuts.
The Bears have waived defensive back Michael Joseph and outside linebacker Ledarius Mack, the team announced.
They joined previously cut offensive lineman Gage Cervenka, defensive back Dionte Ruffin, wide receiver Jester Weah and wide receiver Justin Hardy.
While the first round of cuts only included five players, the Bears made the Jason Peters signing official Monday night, which meant they needed to make a corresponding roster move, bringing the total cut players to six.
#Bears roster moves:
We have waived DB Michael Joseph and LB Ledarius Mack.— Chicago Bears (@BearsPR) August 17, 2021
The first roster deadline will have teams trimming their rosters from 90 to 85 (Aug. 17). Following the second preseason game, teams will need to trim their roster from 85 to 80 by the following Tuesday (Aug. 24). The final round of cuts will be a big one, as teams will need to trim their rosters from 80 to 53 players the Tuesday after the final preseason game (Aug. 31).
[listicle id=477788]
The Bears inked 10 players that finished the season on their practice squad to reserve/future contracts on Monday.
The Chicago Bears wrapped up their 2020 season with a wild-card loss to the New Orleans Saints, and now Chicago faces an offseason with a ton of questions.
The Bears signed 10 players that finished the season on their practice squad to reserve/future contracts on Monday.
The #Bears have signed the following players to Reserve/Future contracts:
WR, Rodney Adams
DB, Marqui Christian
DB, Xavier Crawford
OL, Dieter Eiselen
TE, Jesper Horsted
WR, Thomas Ives
DT, LaCale London
LB, Ledarius Mack
DB, Teez Tabor
OL, Badara Traore— Chicago Bears (@BearsPR) January 11, 2021
The Bears have signed OLB Khalil Mack’s younger brother Ledarius Mack to the practice squad and released DL Abdullah Anderson.
It’s quite literally the return of the Mack. Well, not the Mack. But a Mack.
The Chicago Bears have signed outside linebacker Khalil Mack’s brother Ledarius Mack to the practice squad. The rookie outside linebacker signed as an undrafted free agent with the Bears earlier this offseason.
Return of the Mack. @leemack52 rejoins our team on the practice squad.@Hyundai | #DaBears
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) September 14, 2020
Ledarius spent the offseason and training camp with the Bears, but he was waived Sept. 5 as part of final cuts as the team finalized its 53-man roster. Ledarius, who joins the 16-man practice squad, replaced defensive lineman Abdullah Anderson, who the Bears released on Monday.
Ledarius’ big brother gave a scouting report of the younger Mack, referring to him as “explosive” during his time in camp.
“He’s jumping out on film,” Khalil said. “Very explosive, very explosive. You can tell that he’s talented. Things that [are] gonna affect that decision — it’s gonna come down to special teams. How he’ll be used out there, whatever that may be, but all in all, what I’ve seen, man, I’m proud of him.”
[vertical-gallery id=454581]
[lawrence-related id=454694,454707,454674,454685,454621]
The Bears trimmed their roster down to 53 on Saturday. There weren’t any big surprises, but here are our takeaways from the initial roster.
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.
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.
[lawrence-related id=453930,453887,453866]
Bears UDFA Ledarius Mack understands that he’s under the watchful eyes of not just coaches but his older brother Khalil.
[jwplayer 2x51nG5k-ThvAeFxT]
The Chicago Bears have one of the most feared defensive players in the NFL in three-time All-Pro Khalil Mack. One who requires special attention and game planning. Sometimes, it can feel like there are two of him on the field. Now, there are actually two Macks on Chicago’s roster.
But Ledarius Mack isn’t at his big brother Khalil’s level yet. For now, he faces the battle of winning a roster spot as an undrafted rookie out of the University of Buffalo.
Ledarius understands that he’s under the watchful eyes of not just coaches but his older brother Khalil, as well. Especially with the two brothers playing the same position.
“He’s gonna be extra hard on me,” Ledarius said. “So I feel like, with practice, I’ve got to be intentional, especially with my technique and fundamentals, very big on that. … He wants to see me practice with good intentions, good habits and that’s pretty much it from that standpoint.
“And practicing with him and seeing him do some things is like, dang, like wow, you see it up close and it’s always fun to see it up close, how he does things, and how he moves and can get around guys. So it’s definitely eye-opening a little bit.”
Ledarius has followed in his older brother’s footsteps. He didn’t play much football in high school before playing pass rusher at Buffalo. They even wore the same number: 52. Also like his big bro, Ledarius is led by a winning mindset.
“All I see in his eyes is he wants to win,” he said. “That’s my mindset as well. Every day I come out here, and my mindset is to win my individual battles. He just wants to win, and so does everybody here. That’s just the mindset, and that’s how we take every day: approach every day with a winning mindset.”
Big brother Khalil has liked what he’s seen so far in training camp. But whether that’s enough to garner a roster spot on a loaded defense, it doesn’t seem likely. Although Ledarius stands a good chance to earn a spot on Chicago’s practice squad so he can keep developing.
“He’s jumping out on film,” Khalil said. “Very explosive. Very explosive. You could tell that he’s talented.
“The thing that’s gonna affect that decision, it’s gonna come down to special teams, how he’ll be used out there or whatever that may be. But all in all, from what I’ve seen, I’m proud of him.
“He likes to make plays and I can only think it’s got something to do with bloodline. I’m not gonna take any credit.”
[vertical-gallery id=453561]
[lawrence-related id=453664,453657,453374,453639,453601]
As Bears rookies begin to report to training camp, here are eight players to keep an eye on.
It’s been a bumpy ride this offseason in the NFL, but we’re getting closer to the start of the 2020 season as the Chicago Bears are preparing for the start of training camp. Bears rookies are the first to report Tuesday, and there are plenty of players that could make an impact in their rookie seasons.
With the recent news that the NFL has offered the NFLPA zero preseason games, that means less opportunities for some of these rookies, especially the undrafted free agents, to prove themselves with live-game reps.
Still, there are a lot of intriguing rookies to keep an eye on as the Bears start training camp, including some undrafted rookies competing for a roster spot.
Here are eight Bears rookies to watch at training camp.
After an embarrassing outing by tight ends last season, the Bears overhauled the position this offseason. One of the key additions is second-round rookie Cole Kmet, who was the most pro-ready tight end in the NFL Draft and could make a significant impact as a rookie in this offense.
Kmet will occupy the starting “Y” tight end role, as he’s thrived both as a blocker and pass catcher at Notre Dame, and he figures to do the same in Chicago. Despite a virtual offseason, Bears coach Matt Nagy has praised Kmet and his ability to grasp the playbook so early. It certainly helps that Kmet has gotten some reps in with quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, who has been organizing workouts this offseason in the Chicago area.
[lawrence-related id=450698,450696,450686,450606]
The Chicago Bears linebacker corps figures to be a strength on defense, but are there depth concerns on the roster?
Chicago Bears history is rich with linebacker talent that has generally been the backbone of the defense. Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary and Brian Urlacher are just a few names who have left their mark on this franchise and on the NFL, as well.
And at first glance, the 2020 version of the linebacker corps looks strong on paper. The Bears added Robert Quinn in the offseason, officially ending a disappointing tenure in Leonard Floyd. Quinn, 30, was signed to a five-year, $70 million deal, and he’s coming off an impressive 11.5 sack year with the Cowboys.
Let’s take an in-depth review of the Bears linebacker room heading into training camp.
After an impressive debut season in Chicago, Khalil Mack was double, and sometimes even triple-teamed, to limit the damage. He tallied his lowest sack total (8.5) since his rookie year, and he felt Akiem Hicks’ absence the most. After recording 4.5 sacks through the first four weeks, he logged just four sacks the rest of the way.
Mack remains one of the premier pass rushers in the NFL, and Hicks’ return should boost his statistics in 2020. He can single-handedly wreak havoc on an opposing offense. Despite a down year, Mack started in all 16 games, tallying four pass deflections and five forced fumbles.
[lawrence-related id=450561,450494,450393]
Chicago announced the jersey numbers for its rookies and free agent additions.
Wondering which number new Bears tight end Cole Kmet will wear on Sundays? The Chicago Bears have the answer for you. The Bears announced jersey numbers for their 2020 rookie draft class as well as their undrafted free agents on Saturday.
The Bears top two selections, Kmet and cornerback Jaylon Johnson, will wear numbers 85 and 33, respectively. 2019 sixth-round draft pick Duke Shelley, who wore 33 last season, will switch to number 20.
🆕 rooks, 🆕 numbers. pic.twitter.com/xiaHV83m3Y
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) May 2, 2020
Edge rusher Trevis Gipson will don number 99, while their other cornerback Kindle Vildor will wear number 46. Their final fifth-round selection receiver Darnell Mooney has number 11. Finally, their pair of offensive linemen Arlington Hambright and Lachavious Simmons will wear numbers 71 and 73, respectively.
The Bears also announced jersey numbers for their newest free agents signed this week. Receiver Trevor Davis will wear number 4, safety Tashaun Gipson has number 38, and defensive tackle John Jenkins will don number 90.
Chicago’s undrafted free agents also got their jersey numbers.
[vertical-gallery id=444309]
[lawrence-related id=444201,444357,444193,444075]
