Schrock’s Bears’ 53-man roster projection after preseason opener vs. Titans

Schrock’s Bears’ 53-man roster projection after preseason opener vs. Titans originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

The Bears opened their preseason with 23-17 win vs. the Tennessee Titans at Soldier Field on Saturday.

Quarterback Justin Fields played sparingly, going 3-for-3 with 129 yards in two series. While select starters got just a handful of snaps Saturday, several players made an impression in the exhibition opener.

The Bears will take Sunday off before returning to Halas Hall on Monday for practice. They’ll take Tuesday off to travel to Indianapolis for joint practices with the Colts on Wednesday and Thursday.

With the preseason slate 1/3 of the way done, here’s my latest projection for the Bears’ 53-man roster.

QUARTERBACK (2): Justin Fields, P.J. Walker

Others on roster: Nathan Peterman, Tyson Bagent

There’s little to dissect here.

The Bears have great belief in Fields but need to see a big leap forward as a passer in 2023. The improved supporting cast should aid that growth. The Bears signed Walker in the offseason to have a reliable backup with a similar skill set to Fields.

RUNNING BACKS (5): Khalil Herbert, D’Onta Foreman, Roschon Johnson, Travis Homer, Khari Blasingame (FB)

On bubble: Trestan Ebner
Others on roster: Robert Burns (FB)

Herbert and Foreman entered camp battling for the top running back spot. While Herbert was RB1 on the unofficial depth chart for the first preseason game, Foreman has been the more effective back in camp. He has been reliable as a pass-catcher and has shown great vision and wiggle as a runner.

With the Bears still planning to go with a running-back-by-committee approach, Foreman and Herbert should get close to an even number of carries. The Bears love Johnson’s physicality and think he’s a long-term piece. They gave Homer a two-year contract in the offseason because of his special teams value and ability as a pass protector if needed.

Ebner has had a good camp, but he’s on the outside looking in right now. Homer’s contract isn’t…

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