Breaking down the 4 most difficult decisions made in the latest Bears 53-man roster projection including what to do with Kiran Amegadjie
Some tough decisions will be made.
Earlier this morning, I released my latest 53-man roster projection for the Chicago Bears heading into the final week of the preseason against the Kansas City Chiefs.
After going through the entire process, it’s clear Ben Johnson and this coaching staff will be forced to make some difficult decisions to trim this roster down, which is a good thing because it means multiple depth players have made strong pushes throughout training camp and the first two games.
So, let’s get more into a few of the tough decisions I came across while doing my latest projection.
Curious Case Of Kiran Amegadjie
The year 2025 was set to be a fresh opportunity for the team’s 2024 third-round draft choice who had a difficult rookie campaign after working back from a severe injury and getting thrown into the fire much earlier than expected.
When Johnson and this new staff evaluated the roster, Kiran Amegadjie was a player the team identified as someone they could work with and develop, which was always the goal with him.
Early in the spring, Amegadjie split first-team left tackle reps with second-round rookie Ozzy Trapilo while Braxton Jones worked his way back from a fractured ankle. When Jones returned at the start of camp, it became a three-man battle for the starting role, until Amegadjie suffered a minor leg injury.
“He (was) missing some quality reps there,” Johnson said about Amegadjie’s injury. “He was getting better, too. That’s the shame of it. He was getting better. We were very pleased with the trajectory in which he was headed.”
Amegadjie was forced to miss the preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins but returned to the field in the second game against the Buffalo Bills. In the meantime, second-year Theo Benedet took full advantage of his opportunity to insert himself into the LT battle and jumped Amegadjie in the pecking order based on what we saw on Sunday.
If the team truly views Benedet above Amegadjie at this point, that means four total tackles are ahead of him when looking at the roster construction. Which makes me wonder if the Bears look to move Amegadjie inside this week to show he can bring more to the roster and be worth keeping. I felt like it’s too early to give up on him and opted to keep all five tackles.
Ian Wheeler Continues To Be A Preseason Darling
For the second preseason stint in a row, running back Ian Wheeler has impressed running the football for the Bears offense showing off a mix of power and second-gear speed. Wheeler’s 2024 preseason was unfortunately cut short after tearing his ACL in the preseason finale against the Chiefs coming off a two-touchdown game against the Bills.
As fate would have it, Wheeler is once again coming off a two-touchdown game against the Bills and going into a preseason finale against the Chiefs with hopes of securing a final roster spot.
The problem is, the Bears actually have a loaded running back room based on what we’ve seen through two preseason games. D’Andre Swift and rookie Kyle Monangai are locks to make the team. Roschon Johnson can be put into that group as well despite missing time due to a foot injury.
Then you have Wheeler, Travis Homer, Deion Hankins, and Brittain Brown competing for a potential final spot. Wheeler, Hankins, and Brown have all looked strong running the ball behind the Bears second/third offensive line. Homer has familiarity with special teams coordinator Richard Hightower and the team likes the impact he can bring to that role.
So, you can see how keeping Wheeler isn’t as easy as it seems. He’s more than a feel-good story at this point. This guy can seriously play and if the Bears cut him, he might get claimed by another team and not back it back on the practice squad. Which is why I decided to keep five backs on the roster in Swift, Monangai, Johnson, Homer, and Wheeler.
Argument For And Against A 5th LB
It’s still yet to be seen what kind of scheme defensive coordinator Dennis Allen is looking to run, but based on how he favors the talent on his unit, this defense will play a lot of nickel and dime with five/six defensive backs.
That means the team, more often than not, will have two linebackers on the field in Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards, which each player flipping roles in terms of coverage/blitzing. When the team does go into 3LB sets, Noah Sewell has impressed enough to earn the SAM spot.
Which leaves fourth-round rookie Ruben Hyppolite II beginning his rookie season as a depth player at the position, which makes sense because the staff has been cross-training him at multiple positions. His speed will also make for a great addition on special teams, and I can see Sewell playing ST too.
So, where does that leave someone like Amen Ogbongbemiga, who’s played a total of 42 snaps across defense and special teams this preseason? Keeping him on the 53-man roster for the sake of having an extra body on special teams prevents a player at a more critical position from making the team, someone like Amegadjie or Wheeler.
For me, it was an easy call. You keep Edmunds, Edwards, Sewell, and Hyppolite and then carry a fifth linebacker on the practice squad to call up if needed. That practice squad player could be either Ogbongbemiga or UDFA rookie Power Echols.
How To Shake Out The Cornerback Room
Once we found out Jaylon Johnson would miss the majority of training camp due to a leg injury, we knew there was going to be an exciting competition coming up at the cornerback position.
The player that really ran with the opportunity was Nahshon Wright, with Tyrique Stevenson not far behind. The CB2 role will easily come down to one of those two players, and honestly the staff might rotate the two opposite Johnson.
Another player that was impressing in camp and in the preseason was Terell Smith, until he unfortunately went down with a non-contact knee injury and was carted off the field against the Bills. We still haven’t received an update on the severity of the injury, but Johnson’s comments made it sound like a serious one, potentially even season-ending.
So, where does that leave the rest of the position. Josh Blackwell, to me, is a lock as a backup nickel option who brings some return experience on special teams. The injury to Smith opens the door up for a player like Nick McCloud to snag a final spot. He’s been cross-training on the outside and in the slot while allowing just one reception on 19 coverage snaps through two games.
The real question is what happens to fifth-round rookie Zah Frazier. Frazier is a player defensive backs coach Al Harris really liked coming out of college and showed some promise in the spring. Yet, he hasn’t reported back since the spring due to personal reasons. If he’s not back by the time cuts are made, the team will likely place him on the reserve (did not report) list to save a roster spot and avoid losing him entirely.
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Chicago Bears 53-Man Roster Projection: Cornerback room looks complicated and recent events add intrigue at offensive tackle
Picture is starting to clear up after two preseason games.
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