There were few true surprises to the Bears' roster cutdowns, which began Friday evening after the transaction wire was set for the day and continued near Saturday's 3 p.m. CT deadline.
The Bears did waive defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard, their third-round pick in 2016. That could potentially be the precursor to adding to the defensive line through waivers Sunday.
Rookie running back Kerrith Whyte Jr. won an apparent position battle with second-year running back Ryan Nall. The Bears hope for Nall to land on their practice squad, a source said. Meanwhile, Chicago added inside linebacker Josh Woods to its active roster after he produced a strong preseason. Woods was on the practice squad all of 2018.
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Quarterback Tyler Bray, the Bears' third-stringer, was waived by the team. He's likely to land back on the practice squad, as was the case a year ago. The Bears opted to go with four tight ends -- Trey Burton, Adam Shaheen, Ben Braunecker and Bradley Sowell -- while not keeping any of the undrafted rookies they had competing for spots.
Eddy Pineiro remains on the roster as the Bears' kicker, though his fate may not be certain until Sunday's circuit of the waiver wires. The Vikings waived Kaare Vedvik, whom they acquired from the Ravens for a fifth-round pick. However, Vedvik could be claimed on waivers by another kicker-needy team like the Jets.
The Bears are 24th in the waiver-claiming order. Until then, here's the initial 53-man roster.
There were no surprises here as the Bears fill their quarterback position as expected. Look for Bray to land on the practice squad as the team's third-string arm.
Coach Matt Nagy spoke recently of the differences between Whyte and Nall. Ultimately, the Bears chose Whyte's speed and pass-catching abilities over the potential H-back role Nall could've served.
The top four names on the depth chart are certainly no surprise. Beyond them, the Bears will continue to invest in the two Georgia Bulldogs -- Ridley and Wims -- whom they've drafted in recent years.
The Bears stacked their 90-man roster with some intriguing rookies at tight end, but none of those players -- Jesper Horsted, Dax Raymond or Ian Bunting -- landed among their 53.
The cut of Alex Bars was considered a surprise after he proved his versatility at both guard and tackle. Lucas instead won over the job.
The Bears have a pair of stars in Hicks and Goldman, plus two rising players in Nichols and Robertson-Harris.
Happy anniversary, Bears fans. One year ago this weekend, your team traded for Mack.
Congratulations to Woods, who spent all 2018 on the Bears' practice squad and showcased his growth during the preseason.
The Bears rounded out their cornerback depth by keeping the sixth-round pick Shelley while cutting the seventh-round pick Stephen Denmark.
There were no real surprises here. The converted cornerback McManis will continue his role on special teams.
Pineiro has another day to hold his breath, but his nerves have been tested plenty these last few months.
Daryle Banfield, DLAlex Bars, OLMatt Betts, DEJonathan Bullard, DEIan Bunting, TEJosh Caldwell, RBJalen Dalton, DLStephen Denmark, CBTommy Doles, OLClifton Duck, DBRashard Fant, DBKylie Fitts, LBJohn Franklin, DBTanner Gentry, WRMarvin Hall, WRChuck Harris, DEJonathan Harris, DEJesper Horsted, TEThomas Ives, WRDoyan Jibowu, DBMichael Joseph, DBJoe Lowery, OLJordan McCray, OLTaquan Mizzell, RBSam Mustipher, OLRyan Nall, RBEllis Richardson, TEJames Thurman, LBMarquez Tucker, OLJames Vaughters, LBJoe Walker, WRJordan Williams-Lambert, WRJohn Wirtel, LS
Vested veterans released
Tyler Bray, QB
Dax Raymond, TEBlake Blackmar, OL