LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Bears brought their roster down to 53 players Tuesday afternoon, letting several go after months of work and development throughout the offseason program and training camp.

The last five weeks especially were competitive, forcing general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson to make tough choices over which players to keep for the regular season.

There were some surprise moves, though not a whole lot, in a clear effort to construct a well-rounded unit with quality on offense, defense and special teams.

We’ll still see roster movement heading into a Week 1 home game against the Minnesota Vikings. You can bet the house on that.

Most of the roster will enter the regular season ready to battle for better, following some subpar seasons in Chicago. Nicholas Moreano and I decided to dive headfirst into the 53-man roster and identify the biggest surprise cut, the team’s strength and where the Bears need to get better fast in this breakdown:

Surprise move

Keeping Jahdae Walker

Nick: The 6-foot-3, 206-pound receiver caught eight passes for 98 yards and two touchdowns in the preseason, but every year, players capitalize on these games and fail to earn a roster spot.

The Bears also have a talented wide receiver room and invested a high second-round draft pick in Luther Burden III. So, Walker making this team is a testament to the hard work he has shown throughout training camp and the preseason.

Unless an injury happens, Walker is unlikely to contribute on offense this season, but the former undrafted receiver from Texas A&M easily could make an impact on special teams and continue to work from there.

Cutting Tanoh Kpassagnon

Scott: I scanned Kpassagnon’s bio when he joined the Bears on July 23 and instantly earmarked him for the 53-man roster. Veteran defensive end. Massive human at 6-foot-7 and 287 pounds. Productive history with defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. Far enough removed from an Achilles’ injury.

That seemed like ideal support for Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo off the edge. Kpassagnon isn’t a dynamic player, but he gets the job done. He was a second-team fixture and a solid run player worthy of a roster spot even over some younger, more athletic types.

Then came news Tuesday morning that Kpassagnon was released. He’s a vested veteran and doesn’t have to clear waivers — a benefit that teams will use to keep someone on the initial 53-man roster before placing them on a reserve unit. That could happen here and, frankly, it should. Kpassagnon could end up elsewhere if there’s no handshake deal to bring him back, which involves some risk I didn’t believe the Bears would take.

Team strength

Wide receiver

Nick: The Bears have a variety of wide receivers who bring versatility to the position group. DJ Moore provides Ben Johnson with a weapon who is effective in catch-and-run opportunities and is capable of lining up in the backfield, as we have seen lately in practice. Rome Odunze is that traditional X receiver who is capable of also lining up inside.

Olamide Zaccheaus has been one of the most consistent pass catchers for Caleb Williams throughout training camp and the preseason.

Burden has a similar skill set to Moore and has been nearly unguardable while facing backups on the Bears and in the joint practices and preseason games. 

Devin Duvernay likely will serve as the team’s primary return man and adds a veteran presence in the room. Then there is Walker, who has produced throughout the preseason. 

With Johnson’s creativity, there is plenty he can do with this group of playmakers. 

Secondary

Scott: Bears cornerbacks have battled through injury all summer. Jaylon Johnson spent all of camp on the non-football injury list with a hamstring injury suffered in training. Kyler Gordon suffered a similar ailment at a camp practice and missed a few weeks. Top reserve Terell Smith was lost for the year with a knee injury, maybe the biggest blow of the summer.

Even after saying all that, yes, the Bears’ team strength is the secondary. When the regular lineup is healthy, it looks like this:

CB: Jaylon Johnson
SCB: Kyler Gordon
FS: Kevin Byard III
SS: Jaquan Brisker
CB: Tyrique Stevenson

That’s, you know, pretty darn good. And there’s depth behind it, largely due to the aforementioned injuries. The Bears discovered Nahshon Wright and Nick McCloud were solid fits after so much first-team work this summer. This unit can survive injuries at any spot, which will be vital to the Bears’ overall success.  

Biggest need

Edge rusher

Nick: After the preseason finale against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Bears’ pass rush clearly could use another front-line disruptor. It’s worth noting that Grady Jarrett didn’t play Friday night, but one player doesn’t excuse the first team’s performance.

Maybe making too much of three defensive series is exaggerating a bit, but you never can have too many productive pass rushers. Dayo Odeyingbo still has plenty to prove despite signing a three-year, $48 million contract. If he starts the season slowly, then a lot of pressure falls on Montez Sweat to carry the team. The Bears can’t afford to let that happen. 

It would make sense to bring in another veteran. Someone like Za’Darius Smith would make sense, especially since he played with Johnson in Detroit last season.

Running backs

Scott: D’Andre Swift was the only running back at practice Tuesday. True story. Everyone else in his position group had been cut or was hurt. Poles said the Bears should see some running backs return to practice soon, but the Bears still are carrying just three on their 53-man roster.

That doesn’t seem sustainable for a position that gets hit so much. Travis Homer is on injured reserve for at least the first four games, and he’s more of a special teams guy.

Swift can handle a heavy workload, but the Bears will need more than one backup in a game. I wouldn’t be surprised if Brittain Brown is added to the practice squad and called up before Week 1. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bears surveyed the scene and added someone via waivers.

The Bears need bodies posthaste, especially if Kyle Monangai or Roschon Johnson are out for a prolonged stretch.

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