4 toughest decisions left for Ryan Poles to make with Chicago Bears 53-man roster

It’s always been difficult for general managers to hand out the pink slips on roster cut down days and dash the dreams of young players trying to make it in the NFL.

Some spots on the Chicago Bears should be quick decisions for Ryan Poles based on what he saw at training camp and in the preseason. Some positions might have been decided long ago, with very little chance of an undrafted rookie free agent coming in and unseating an established veteran.

But that exact surprise could happen at a few different positions, while player injuries could make for tricky decisions at others. The Bears already made the tough call at backup quarterback.

Here’s where Matt Eberflus and company will still have to spend the most time trying to pick winners:

Wide Receiver/Kick Returner: Will Ryan Poles give up on Velus Jones after one year?

Velus Jones needed to show real progress in his second preseason. A muffed punt fumble in the first exhibition contest against the Tennessee Titans is really all we got to see, as injuries kept him out of the final two games.

It doesn’t help him that rookie Tyler Scott came in against the Buffalo Bills and nearly took a kickoff back for a touchdown, while also fielding a few difficult punts out of the air.

He already looks like a quality alternative if the Bears move on from Jones, but it’s tough to give up on a third-round pick after just one full season in the NFL.

This decision will come down to what the Bears saw in practices throughout OTA’s and training camp, and the public endorsements by the coaches at press conferences are a good sign Jones gets another shot.

Defensive End: Will Trevis Gipson be traded or cut? Will Terrell Lewis stick?

When Trevis Gibson was listed as fourth string on the depth chart, it appeared his days in Chicago were numbered.

Then he came out motivated in the Bears first preseason games and looked like a starter playing against backups. For a little while there, he looked like he earned his spot back on the 53-man roster.

That all went out the window during the first quarter of the preseason finale against the Bills, when ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that Ryan Poles granted Gipson permission to seek a trade to another team.

The Bears again seem ready to move on from him, one way or another, despite playing like one of the four best defensive ends on this roster.

The team played Terrell Lewis ahead of him in the rotation, which is encouraging for his chances. But it remains to be seen whether the team wants to keep five defensive ends, or if they’ll roll with the four players clearly in front of him on the depth chart.

Some Bears fans want to see Poles keep Lewis over the likes of Rasheem Green, but the team has treated Green like a starter throughout the preseason despite his uninspiring performances.

Aug 26, 2023, Chicago, Illinois, USA, Buffalo Bills running back Darrynton Evans (37) runs for a touchdown against Chicago Bears linebacker Micah Baskerville (47) during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

Linebacker: Is Micah Baskerville this year’s surprise UDFA? Or does Mykal Walker’s experience win out?

If not for the offensive line disaster, linebacker would be the most injury-ravaged position on the Bears.

That created a great opportunity for an undrafted rookie free agent, like Micah Baskerville to ascend from relatively unknown to having a legitimate shot at this 53-man roster.

Tremaine Edmunds and TJ Edwards hardly played this preseason, and veteran back up Dylan Cole has yet to take the field in blue and orange. Those snaps were filled by Baskerville, who stepped into the important mike linebacker role in the middle and looked like he belonged.

Ryan Poles added a few different veterans with high draft pedigree to the bottom of the depth chart after training camp started, but the UDFA out-played a former third-round pick in Davion Taylor and a former fourth-round pick in Mykal Walker.

The problem is, Baskerville can easily be stashed on the practice squad, while the experience of a backup like Walker could be more valuable.

Even if he doesn’t make the initial roster, don’t be surprised if Baskerville gets a call up from the practice squad later in the season.

Jan 8, 2023, Chicago, Illinois, USA, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen (19) scores a touchdown against Chicago Bears cornerback Greg Stroman Jr. (27) during the first half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

Cornerback: How much do the Bears believe in an injured Josh Blackwell?

Josh Blackwell was one of the Bears’ most promising young cornerbacks last year, emerging as an athletic playmaker in the slot after Chicago claimed him on waivers from the Philadelphia Eagles at the start of the regular season.

He was primed to enter training camp as one of the top backups in the secondary, but injuries kept him out of all three preseason games and most practices too.

It’s tough to make the team from the tub, but when he gets healthy, he wouldn’t last long on the practice squad.

The team has not revealed the extent of his injury, and maybe they could get away with stashing him on injured reserve this season.

Greg Stroman has been the back up slot cornerback in his place and may luck his way into a 53 man roster spot, thanks mostly to Blackwell’s injury.