The preseason has come to a close. All eyes are now shifting to two weeks from now. That is when the 2021 NFL season officially kicks off for the Chicago Bears. However, the team might not quite be done with their business yet. GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy must whittle the roster down from 80 to 53 within the next 48 hours. The deadline is August 31st on Tuesday afternoon.
Once that is done, the next question must be asked. Do they want to go hunting on the waiver wire for potential help from other teams? Thus far the Bears haven’t done that. With so many players expected to hit the market though, this will be the time to do so. It’s not like they don’t have needs worth considering. Offensive tackle, wide receiver, and cornerback stand out among the rest.
While landing any big names seems remote, there are a few unheralded players who have shined this preseason. Players that might deserve a look in Chicago.
Chicago Bears need to get creative with upgrading their roster
Alaric Jackson (OT, Los Angeles Rams)
Offensive tackle has become a legitimate concern for the Bears. Teven Jenkins is destined for IR. Germain Ifedi looked shaky in his return from a hip injury. Reserves Elijah Wilkinson and Lachavious Simmons have both looked bad in their extended preseason action. This team needs more depth. One player that deserves more consideration than he’s gotten is undrafted rookie Alaric Jackson.
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In the entirety of the preseason, no player in the NFL has logged more offensive snaps than him. This included 146 pass blocking. In that entire run, he allowed just five pressures on the quarterback. No hits and no sacks. Only one penalty too. That is really impressive for a rookie and shouldn’t be too surprising. Jackson started a lot of games at Iowa, a school renowned for producing quality linemen.
Kabion Ento (CB, Green Bay Packers)
The Packers have invested heavily in cornerback this offseason so it was only natural they may end up having to cut somebody who deserves to be on the roster. Ento might end up being one such example. He has delivered a strong preseason, allowing just five catches on eight targets with an interception and a 35.9 passer rating allowed. What makes it so impressive is Ento only started playing cornerback after college ended.
🚫 Ento says "NO!" 🚫 @Kabionento | #PackersCamp pic.twitter.com/PepUVA4Q32
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) August 20, 2021
The Chicago Bears are not exactly swimming in good corners lately. Kindle Vildor, Duke Shelley, and almost everyone not named Jaylon Johnson has disappointed over the past month. Considering the array of good quarterbacks they’ll play this year, they need as many able bodies at that position as they can get. Ento isn’t experienced but his talent has flashed quite a bit the past few weeks.
Trinity Benson (WR, Denver Broncos)
Like Green Bay with corners, it’s clear the Broncos are rich at wide receiver. So the odds are pretty good that somebody they like will have to be cut. Benson looks like he’ll be the odd man out. It wasn’t for lack of trying. The 24-year old had a consistently solid preseason with eight catches for 80 yards and two touchdowns. He also checks a box the Bears seem to look for lately too. He’s fast.
At his East Central pro day, Benson ran a swift 4.44 in the 40-yard dash. Some have said that was high for him. He’s been clocked in the 4.2 range before. His versatility also stands out. The kid had 324 yards rushing and 504 receiving his final year of college. He has return experience too. If the Bears are looking for somebody who appears to be catching on with the pro level and need an opportunity? Benson seems ready.