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The Chicago Bears are down to 80 players after releasing five players before the deadline last Tuesday. The team also got the opportunity to observe the rest of the players on the field in their win over the Cleveland Browns this past Saturday. Now, they have to make the difficult decision of which 27 guys must be cut to reach the 53-man roster for Week 1. This indicates that a handful of the players will have to get ready to be part of this year's Bears roster cuts ahead of the Aug. 30 deadline.
For the most part, Bears GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus probably already know who is going to make it and who isn't. Of course, there are a few positions that might come down to one or two players as well, and there could be some surprises after these tough decisions are made.
As a result, here are three Bears roster cuts that may surprise some fans.
3. DeMarquis Gates
Fans usually have soft spots for players on the tail end of positional groupings. We all saw how delighted fans were when unheralded players such as Ryan Nall made their NFL debut. DeMarquis Gates appears to be one of these tail-end guys.
What a journey for DeMarquis Gates @Y_DGates
◻️ Undrafted in 2018
◻️ NFL (4 different teams)
◻️ AAF (led league in tackles)
◻️ XFL
◻️ The Spring League draft pick
◻️ CFL
◻️ USFL (won title)Now he's playing for the Bears in the preseason 👏 pic.twitter.com/hPJmFk56gI
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) August 13, 2022
Pundits praised him following his play against the Seattle Seahawks. He had five tackles and appeared to be flying all over the field. Even the men on the back end of the roster appear to have bought into Matt Eberflus' HITS approach. He had enough glimpses to convince fans that he deserves to make the team. The issue is that Roquan Smith has returned, and nobody sees Gates displacing any of the linebackers ahead of him on the depth chart.
There are currently six linebackers ahead of Gates on that depth chart. The Bears could wind up keeping all six of those players, but it seems unlikely he jumps any of the others. While Gates impressed in preseason, the numbers suggest he won't make the team.
2. Dieter Eiselen
Some Chicago Bears supporters feel Dieter Eiselen has performed better than the team's current starting center, Sam Mustipher. Yes, that's despite the snapping difficulties we've observed from Eiselen. It seems like nobody wants Sam Mustipher to start at center, and everyone hopes Lucas Patrick returns before Week 1. In any case, Patrick's injury isn't severe enough for him to be placed on injured reserve with the option to return. The goal is that he will be back by Week 1, but observers don't think anyone believes he will be back that soon, or even by Week 2 or Week 3.
Take note that most NFL teams maintain no more than 10 offensive linemen. Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy did maintain 10 offensive linemen in 2021. In 2020, they kept nine, while in 2019, they kept eight. Assuming this current coaching staff retains 10 offensive linemen this season, Eiselen will still likely miss out.
Remember that if Doug Kramer hadn't been on season-ending injured reserve, he, too, would have made the final roster. Zach Thomas or Ja'Tyre Carter would have been released and placed on the practice squad. The same may be said of Eiselen's fate. Even if he has a bit of a following on social media, his release by the Chicago Bears is imminent.
1. Darrynton Evans
With Khalil Herbert and Trestan Ebner both out, we expected to see a lot of Darrynton Evans against the Browns on Saturday. With the Chicago Bears focusing on maintaining a fullback, the number of running back spots available on the roster is just limited.
Darrynton Evans gives the @ChicagoBears six more! @ItzLiveee
📺: #CHIvsSEA on ESPN
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/duqkxIEtbt pic.twitter.com/TollH5PmY6— NFL (@NFL) August 19, 2022
Evans was claimed off waivers by Ryan Poles this summer. This is an important point to remember. Evans will not get any guaranteed money from the Bears. He was on his rookie contract, and when the Titans released him, they were committed to whatever guaranteed money remaining on the contract. Evans is owed more than $1 million this season if he stays on the team, but with Ebner's rise, followers believe it's safe to assume the Bears will stick with their draft selection.
Evans did have a strong game against Seattle. He gained 4.9 yards per carry and scored one touchdown. Against the Browns, he gained 4.5 yards per carry with a long of 11 yards.
If the Bears decide to maintain four running backs, or if one (or both) of Khalil Herbert or Trestan Ebner isn't healthy enough to start the season, Evans will be on this team. However, Evans is more than likely part of the Bears roster cuts. Many Bears fans would be shocked by that, but it won't stop from being true.
