Breaking down Bears Practice squad additions |
Although the Bear's 53-man roster may be complete, although maybe not finalized, Chicago has continued to round out their roster as they have officially added players to their practice squad roster. The Bears have welcomed 11 new players to the practice squad this season. That leaves them with five more spots to fill, as each gets 16 spots should they want to use all of them.
Looking at the Bears practice squad, you will immediately notice several names that made it to the final cut-down day, and many of them are viewed as potential pieces going forward. This is who fans can expect to see on the Practice squad this season.
Webster is the most recognizable name on this list, as he not only had a great camp but is also a holdover from the Ryan Pace days. Webster has never been a star in this league but has always been good on special teams and has shown up when given the opportunity. You also have Carlson, who was viewed as the No. 3 TE on this roster until the Bears signed Mercedes Lewis. Clearly, Chicago liked what they saw in him enough to sign him to the Practice squad. Burns was another place close to making the 53-man roster as a special teamer, so it will be interesting to see what the Bears plan is for him on the practice squad. Adding guys like Collins and Mbaeteka is solely a depth play, but when you have had as many injuries as the Bears offensive line has, you can see why they wanted to have more depth at their disposal. Mbaeteka is a player to watch, and it is an interesting story as he was brought in from the Country Nigeria. He is very raw to the game of football, but with all the measurables you look for, adding him to the practice squad allows him to get more reps while improving to try and secure a spot in the future.
Immediately, you see the name Baskerville at the top of the list, which has to make many Bears fans smile. Baskerville was an undrafted pickup by Ryan Poles and proceeded to have a phenomenal camp to turn the heads of a lot of the coaching staff. He played so well that he got to the final cut-down day and was one of the final cuts for Matt Eberflus, which had to be challenging to make. You knew the Bears would try to sign him back if they could, so picking him up before someone else did was crucial. Along with Baskerville comes a pair of 2023 draft picks, as both Bell and Williamson are back in the mix for the Bears. Bell was one of the most overlooked players in the draft this season and made history by becoming the first-ever player drafted from Kennesaw State University. Whatever happens for him for the rest of his career won't matter; he will always be remembered for that historic moment. On the other hand, Williamson was the Bears final pick of the 2023 NFL draft and was seen as a potential steal at the time. Much more physical than a lot of the Bears secondary, Williamson is still a work in progress and one the Bears appear to be content with being patient with. Look for him to learn a lot this season as he tries to carve out a role for the Bears in the near future.Offense: WR Nsimba Webster, TE Stephen Carlson, FB Robert Burns, OL Aviante Collins, OL Roy Mbaeteka.
Defense: Micah Baskerville, DT Travis Bell, LB DeMarquis Gates, DL Jalen Haris, CB Greg Stroman Jr., and S Kendall Williamson
