Bears are exploring whether an offensive lineman the team would otherwise cut could instead bring back a late-round draft pick
It’s worth a shot.
As the cutdown day looms for all 32 NFL teams, the Chicago Bears are making sure every stone is turned over before making final decisions with the roster cuts.
So far, the Bears have waived seven players and placed three players on the season-ending injured reserve, you can follow along with all the live updates here.
When it comes to the remaining decisions that need to be made in order cut down the 90-man roster to finalize the initial 53-man roster, the Bears are starting to explore avenues to come away with some future capital.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Bears are shopping offensive lineman Jordan McFadden in an attempt to acquire some late-round compensation for a player that would otherwise get cut.
McFadden was drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers in the fifth-round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Back in January, McFadden was waived by the Chargers and claimed off waivers by the Bears. McFadden had a solid preseason for Chicago, but not enough to earn a roster spot in a revamped interior front.
Which is why the Bears are smart to try and get something out of him before having to make a firm decision. Just yesterday, the Philadelphia Eagles did a similar approach sending offensive lineman Darian Kinnard to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for a 2027 seventh-round pick. It’s not much in return, but it’s better than nothing.
McFadden appeared in all three preseason games for the Bears totaling 179 offensive snaps, all of which were at the left guard position. It’s a position already locked up for the Bears after trading for All-Pro Joe Thuney and drafting Luke Newman in the sixth-round of the 2025 NFL Draft, who really shined at both guard positions in the preseason.
Among all guards in the preseason, McFadden’s 84.4 pass blocking grade ranked 6th in the league with a 76.9 run blocking grade as well. He only allowed three total pressures and had just one penalty on a false start. There’s a lot to like in his game if another team wants to avoid dealing with the waiver wire to get him.
As for Chicago, getting any kind of compensation would be a major plus, even if it’s a future seventh. It’s really a win-win scenario for all parties involved if the Bears can find a willing trade partner.
All roster decisions will have to be made official by 4:00pm EST on Tuesday, August 26th.
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Here’s which players have been released so far.
