LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Bears arrived at their 53-man roster in stages.

General manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson made cuts Sunday and Monday and then again Tuesday, reaching the regular-season roster limit on the NFL-mandated deadline to do so.

The process has taken most of the drama from the proceedings, including a 16-man practice squad and roster mechanisms to keep prized players around.

We’ve included the initial Bears roster below, breaking down each position as it currently stands. The language in that last sentence is by design, because we’ll see lots of roster movement in the coming days, with teams adding some players to reserve lists, monitoring the waiver wire for possible additions and forming the practice squad.

Let’s examine the state of each position group and discuss what comes next as the Bears work toward a Week 1 debut against the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field:

Quarterbacks (3)

• Caleb Williams
• Tyson Bagent
• Case Keenum

Takeaways: The Bears’ quarterback room is well-rounded, with supreme talent in the starting spot, a dynamic backup and a sage veteran at No. 3.

Running backs (3)

• D’Andre Swift
• Roschon Johnson
• Kyle Monangai
  • NOTE: Travis Homer was moved to injured reserve with a designation to return. He must miss at least four games.

Takeaways: This room is a little light right now, though Poles expects to have more than just Swift healthy in the near future. The Bears might have to add a body before Week 1, though they probably can get by with three in a game if injuries to Monangai and Roschon Johnson linger. There surely will be a practice-squad running back they can elevate in a pinch.

Receivers (6)

• DJ Moore
• Rome Odunze
• Olamide Zaccheaus
• Luther Burden III
• Devin Duvernay
• Jahdae Walker

Takeaways: The first five receivers were sure things back in the spring. Walker, an undrafted rookie from Texas A&M, earned his spot with a great summer that featured highlight-reel plays and tremendous growth. Cutting 2023 NFL draft pick Tyler Scott was a tough call, but Poles said he had to honor the spirit of competition. This is a deep group full of dynamic players, as well-rounded as any Bears receiver corps in recent memory.

Tight ends (3)

• Cole Kmet
• Colston Loveland
• Durham Smythe

Takeaways: Kmet and Loveland can do so much so well as receivers and blockers. Smythe is an old-school tight end who does the dirty work and will help a great deal on special teams. This is another standout position group that will play a major role in the Bears’ offensive success.

Offensive linemen (10)

• Braxton Jones
• Joe Thuney
• Drew Dalman
• Jonah Jackson
• Darnell Wright
• Ozzy Trapilo
• Theo Benedet
• Ryan Bates
• Luke Newman
• Kiran Amegadjie

Takeaways: The Bears are carrying five offensive tackles on their initial 53-man roster. That’s a lot, though Poles said Amegadjie has started work at guard and on both sides of the line to increase his versatility. Bates can play all three interior spots, and Newman has been a force at guard on the left and right this summer, especially in run blocking. You can pencil in Jones as the starting left tackle, but Johnson said he’ll continue to push the competition forward. Few had Benedet on the roster this spring, but he earned his way on by working hard and rising up the ranks.

Defensive linemen (10)

• Montez Sweat
• Grady Jarrett
• Gervon Dexter Sr.
• Dayo Odeyingbo
• Andrew Billings
• Dominque Robinson
• Shemar Turner
• Daniel Hardy
• Chris Williams
• Austin Booker

Takeaways: The defensive line has five edge rushers right now, but that number could be fluid in the coming days. I still believe Tanoh Kpassagnon will end up on the roster sooner rather than later. He’s a vested veteran not exposed to waivers, so he could return if another injured player goes to IR. As a note, the Bears used their two pre-53-man IR designations on Homer and linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga. Turner recently returned from a prolonged absence, so he might not be an immediate contributor. The Bears probably could shrink this position group by one should they need another running back. Plus, Kpassagnon might return, so expect some shuffling along the defensive front.

Linebackers (5)

• Tremaine Edmunds
• T.J. Edwards
• Noah Sewell
• Ruben Hyppolite II
• Carl Jones Jr.
  • NOTE: Amen Ogbongbemiga was placed on IR with a designation to return. He must miss at least four games.

Takeaways: Edwards and Edmunds are three-down starters — though Edwards got hurt Tuesday, so keep an eye on that — and Sewell seems set for the starting strongside linebacker spot. He can play the other linebacker spots in reserve, especially the middle. Jones must help on special teams until Ogbongbemiga is able to return.

Cornerbacks (6)

• Jaylon Johnson
• Kyler Gordon
• Tyrique Stevenson
• Nahshon Wright
• Josh Blackwell
• Nick McCloud

Takeaways: Johnson was brought to the active roster, though there’s no guarantee he’ll be ready for Week 1 as he recovers from a leg injury. The Bears can trust Stevenson and Wright to start if that’s the case, with enough depth to survive a few games without Johnson. Having Terell Smith out for the season is a blow, but McCloud and Wright are good backup options once Johnson returns.

Safeties (4)

• Kevin Byard III
• Jaquan Brisker
• Jonathan Owens
• Elijah Hicks

Takeaways: This position group was obvious from the start. The Bears have quality first-teamers in Byard and Brisker, plus backups in Owen and Hicks with starter’s experience.

Specialists (3)

• Cairo Santos
• Tory Taylor
• Scott Daly

Takeaways: The Bears didn’t bring in real competition for their specialists, making it clear that last year’s trio would return.

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