Bears forced to make multiple roster moves to address the dwindling numbers at a crucial position group going into preseason Week 2
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
The Chicago Bears have officially reached the dog days of training camp, and like many other teams around the league, are experiencing some injuries starting to pile up.
That was especially the case on Sunday in the preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins were a number of players left due to injury while already sitting the majority of starters. That forced some players to push themselves even more to get through the game.
“I think those guys did a phenomenal job going out there. The effort was there, the intensity was there throughout,” head coach Ben Johnson explained. “I think a number of guys knowing that there were no reserves behind them, they really fought through a lot. Whether getting dinged up and having to come out for a few plays and coming back out (on the field) and looking to finish that game.”
Johnson specifically shouted out defensive linemen Jonathan Ford and Zacch Pickens along with defensive backs Tre Flowers and Josh Blackwell. While effort like that makes you proud as a coach, it’s not sustainable for those players.
Which is why the Bears made a slew of signings this week to add some more healthy depth to the roster to get through the next few weeks of camp and the final two games of preseason.
On Tuesday, the Bears announced the signings of four defensive backs: Millard Bradford, Mark Perry, Mekhi Garner, and Kaleb Hayes after working out eight different players during Monday’s short practice. In corresponding moves, the team waived/injured defensive back Major Burns, waived wide receiver John Jackson and kicker Jonathan Kim, and placed defensive back Shaun Wade on the reserve/injured.
Defensive back is a position the Bears have really been hit hard at. Going into Sunday’s game, the Bears were already without two starters in Jaylon Johnson (leg) and Kyler Gordon (hamstring), although it’s likely both players would have sat out anyways with the rest of the starters.
Three other players did not suit up in Nick McCloud, Ameer Speed, and Zah Frazier (who has missed all of camp due to a personal matter). During the game, Terell Smith left the game with a groin injury.
On Monday, the Bears also waived/injured Speed in favor of adding a seventh running back to the roster in Brittain Brown with Roschon Johnson dealing with a foot injury. Chicago is clearly going through it after some physically intense practices and one preseason game.
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