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53-man roster set, but changes still could come

The Bears are unlikely to keep all five tight ends who are currently on the roster, and there could be other changes coming as well.

Five safeties might also be a luxury they cannot afford.

Based on last year's 3-13 record the Bears are third in line to claim waived players and will be especially interested in wide receivers and pass rushers. They might also be on the lookout for a veteran long-snapper to challenge inexperienced Jeff Overbaugh, who was signed late in the preseason after incumbent Patrick Scales suffered a knee injury.

Waiver claims will begin being awarded at 11 a.m. Sunday.

Last year the Bears cut kicker Robbie Gould and signed Connor Barth to replace him after cutdown day. They also added cornerback Cre'Von LeBlanc when the New England Patriots waived him, and grabbed Pro Bowl guard Josh Sitton, who was cut by the Green Bay Packers.

Health report: The Bears have major injury questions among several starters or key backups as they begin preparation Monday for their Week One game against the Atlanta Falcons at Soldier Field, Sept. 10.

Left guard Kyle Long (knee), inside linebacker Danny Trevathan (knee), wide receiver Markus Wheaton (fractured finger), defensive linemen Eddie Goldman (concussion) and Jonathan Bullard (gluteus) and cornerback Prince Amukamara (hamstring) either didn't practice at all last week or were extremely limited.

May be back:

Some of the young players the Bears waived Saturday, will be welcome on the practice squad if they clear waivers.

Wide receiver Tanner Gentry, safeties Harold Jones-Quartey and DeAndre Houston-Carson and linebackers Jonathan Anderson and Isaiah Irving are likely candidates to return.

Practice squads can be formed beginning at noon Sunday.

Bears 53-man roster

QUARTERBACKS (3): Mike Glennon, Mark Sanchez, Mitch Trubisky

RUNNING BACKS (4): Jordan Howard, Tarik Cohen, Jeremy Langford, Benny Cunningham,

FULLBACKS (1): Michael Burton

WIDE RECEIVERS (5): Kevin White, Kendall Wright, Markus Wheaton, Josh Bellamy, Deonte Thompson

TIGHT ENDS (5): Dion Sims, Zach Miller, Adam Shaheen, Daniel Brown, Ben Braunecker,

OFFENSIVE LINE (8): Charles Leno, Kyle Long, Cody Whitehair, Josh Sitton, Bobby Massie, Hroniss Grasu, Tom Compton, Bradley Sowell

DEFENSIVE LINE (5): Akiem Hicks, Eddie Goldman, Mitch Unrein, Jonathan Bullard, Roy Robertson-Harris

OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS (4) Leonard Floyd, Willie Young, Pernell McPhee, Sam Acho

INSIDE LINEBACKERS (4): Jerrell Freeman, Danny Trevathan, Nick Kwiatkoski, Christian Jones

CORNERBACKS (6): Prince Amukamara, Marcus Cooper, Bryce Callahan, Kyle Fuller, Cre'Von LeBlanc, Sherrick McManis

SAFETIES (5): Quintin Demps, Eddie Jackson, Adrian Amos, Deon Bush, Deiondre' Hall

SPECIALISTS (3): Connor Barth, Pat O'Donnell, Jeff Overbaugh

• Follow Bob's Bears reports on Twitter @BobLeGere.

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