The Bears reached the NFL's 53-man roster limit Saturday by releasing 20 players, including outside linebacker David Bass, linebacker Mason Foster, guard Michael Ola and tight end Dante Rosario.
Bass appeared in 20 games with two starts the past two seasons, recording 29.5 tackles, four sacks and one interception he returned 24 yards for a touchdown. Foster signed with the Bears in March after spending his first four NFL seasons with the Buccaneers. Ola started 12 games for the Bears last season at four different positions on the offensive line. Rosario appeared in 31 games with six starts the past two seasons, catching 17 passes for 129 yards.
In addition to Bass and Ola, other players who were waived included linebackers Jonathan Anderson and Matthew Wells; cornerbacks Qumain Black and Jacoby Glenn; guards Conor Boffeli and Tyler Moore; defensive tackles Brandon Dunn and Terry Williams; quarterback Zac Dysert; receivers Rashad Lawrence and Ify Umodu; tight end Gannon Sinclair and outside linebacker Kyle Woestmann.
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| David Bass appeared in 20 games with two starts the past two seasons with the Bears. |
The Bears opted to keep third-string quarterback David Fales on their 53-man roster behind Jay Cutler and Jimmy Clausen. The second-year pro completed 14 of 18 passes for 131 yards with two touchdowns and a 134.0 passer rating in Thursday night's preseason finale against the Browns.
The Bears kept four running backs, including backups Jacquizz Rodgers, Jeremy Langford and Ka'Deem Carey behind Kyle Long. Six receivers made the 53-man roster, including Joshua Bellamy and undrafted rookie Cameron Meredith, a Chicago area native who attended Illinois State.
The Bears kept three tight ends in Martellus Bennett, Zach Miller and Khari Lee, an undrafted rookie they acquired from the Texans Wednesday in exchange for a 2017 sixth-round draft pick.
Nine offensive linemen made the roster, including four listed as backups on the depth chart: tackles Charles Leno Jr. Jr. and Tayo Fabuluje, center Hroniss Grasu and guard Vladimir Ducasse.
In switching to a 3-4 defense this season, the Bears kept just five defensive linemen in Ego Ferguson, Eddie Goldman, Jarvis Jenkins, Will Sutton and Cornelius Washington.
At outside linebacker, Bass and Foster were edged out as backups by Sam Acho, Lamarr Houston and Willie Young behind Pernell McPhee and Jared Allen. At inside linebacker, undrafted rookie John Timu and Jonathan Bostic earned spots behind Shea McClellin and Christian Jones.
The Chicago Bears announced roster moves on Saturday to get to the 53-man limit. Here's a look at who made the team. (Updated Sept. 6, 2015)
The Bears kept seven cornerbacks, including Bryce Callahan, Demontre Hurst, Terrance Mitchell and Tracy Porter; and four safeties, including Sherrod Martin and Brock Vereen.
The Bears kept eight rookies, including five of their six draft picks in Goldman, Grasu, Langford, safety Adrian Amos and Fabuluje. The only pick not on their 53-man roster is first-round receiver Kevin White, who will open the season on the physically-unable-to-perform list as he recovers from leg surgery. Three undrafted rookies earned roster spots in Meredith, Timu and Callahan.
The Bears can establish a 10-man practice squad on Sunday and also can claim players who've been waived by other NFL teams. In past seasons, the Bears have typically stocked their practice squad primarily with players they released during final cuts.
Here's a breakdown of the 53-man roster as it stands now (in alphabetical order):
Quarterbacks (3): Jimmy Clausen, Jay Cutler, David Fales
Running backs (4): Ka'Deem Carey, Matt Forte, Jeremy Langford, Jacquizz Rodgers
Receivers (6): Joshua Bellamy, Alshon Jeffery, Marc Mariani, Cameron Meredith, Eddie Royal, Marquess Wilson
Tight ends (3): Martellus Bennett, Zach Miller, Khari Lee
Offensive linemen (9): Jermon Bushrod, Vladimir Ducasse, Tayo Fabuluje, Hroniss Grasu, Charles Leno, Jr., Kyle Long, Jordan Mills, Will Montgomery, Matt Slauson
Defensive linemen (5): Ego Ferguson, Eddie Goldman, Jarvis Jenkins, Will Sutton, Cornelius Washington
Outside linebackers (5): Sam Acho, Jared Allen, Lamarr Houston, Pernell McPhee, Willie Young
Inside linebackers (4): Jonathan Bostic, Christian Jones, Shea McClellin, John Timu
Cornerbacks (7): Alan Ball, Bryce Callahan, Kyle Fuller, Demontre Hurst, Sherrick McManis, Terrance Mitchell, Tracy Porter
Safeties (4): Adrian Amos, Sherrod Martin, Antrel Rolle, Brock Vereen
Specialists (3): Thomas Gafford, Robbie Gould, Patrick O'Donnell
