Royal's return leaves Bears crowded at WR

Veteran Eddie Royal is back at full strength after suffering a concussion almost a month ago, further crowding the Bears' wide receiver position.

Only six wideouts, at most, are expected to make the 53-man roster, so some hard decisions must be made by Saturday, when final cuts come down.

“That's probably one of the deepest positions on the team,” Bears coach John Fox said. “It's one of our more competitive positions.”

And that's without Marquess Wilson, who hasn't practiced since a fractured foot sidelined him during the summer and will probably start the season on the physically unable to perform list.

Alshon Jeffery and Kevin White are locks. After that, the picture isn't as clear.

Royal is coming off an injury-marred 2015 that was the least productive of his eight NFL seasons. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound slot receiver's 37 catches for 238 yards, 1 touchdown and 6.4-yard average per catch did not correspond with the three-year, $15 million deal he signed as an unrestricted free agent. This year's base salary of $4.5 million is guaranteed — but not necessarily his roster spot.

“I think every time you step on the field you've got something to prove,” the 30-year-old Royal said. “You want to prove it to your teammates, yourself, your family and the guys that you're playing against. You want to go out there and show them the type of player that you are.

“I'm no different. I want to go out there and make plays every time I'm on the field.”

The problem is Royal hasn't been on the field in the preseason and isn't expected to play in Thursday night's final exhibition game when most Bears starters won't do much more than get dressed.

Just two years ago, Royal caught 62 passes for 778 yards and 7 touchdowns with the San Diego Chargers. But is he still the same player?

“Eddie's had his moments as far as it relates to injuries,” Fox said. “Sometimes it's a string of bad luck, but when healthy, he's a very talented player.”

The same could be said of Cam Meredith and Josh Bellamy. After spending most of the previous three seasons on practice squads with Kansas City, Washington and the Bears, the 27-year-old Bellamy played in all 16 games with the Bears in 2015 and caught 19 passes for 224 yards and 2 touchdowns. The 6-foot, 211-pound Louisville product was also second on the team with 10 special teams tackles.

The 6-foot-3, 207-pound Meredith went undrafted out of Illinois State last year but caught 11 passes for 120 yards after he was signed by the Bears.

While Royal has experience playing outside, he is most valuable as a slot receiver, utilizing his quickness to exploit gaps underneath the coverage. But there's also competition inside, including veteran Marc Mariani, who's coming off a career year (22 catches, 300 yards) after being almost exclusively a return specialist. Seventh-round pick Daniel Braverman was one of the stars of training camp. He hasn't shown the same production in preseason games, but he possesses many of the physical attributes that have made Royal successful. The 5-foot-10, 177-pound Braverman could be a candidate for the practice squad if the Bears are confident he won't be poached by another team.

Deonte Thompson, currently sidelined by a knee injury, provided a spark on kickoff returns last year, averaging 29.2 yards after he replaced Mariani in that role. His rare speed also makes him a dangerous deep threat.

With wide receivers, especially non-starters, their ability to contribute on special teams is always a key consideration on cutdown day.

“A lot is put into what they can do on fourth down,” Fox said, “how they're going to be utilized in all facets of the game.”

Fox believes injuries at wide receiver and along the offensive line have contributed to an attack that has appeared out of rhythm for much of the preseason. With the regular-season opener just around the corner, players who can step in and fit in quickly are valuable commodities.

“It's still about performance,” Fox said. “I don't know about comfort level and trust and all of that stuff. (Having) guys that execute and perform under pressure is the key.”

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