Arkush: The number of inside linebackers, offensive lineman on Bears roster is surprising
On one of the strangest final cutdown days in recent memory for the Bears, it is my strong suspicion that in a week or so we will remember it more for the cuts that remained to be made and the signings that were still to come than the 53 players who were left standing at 3 p.m. Tuesday in Chicago.
Click here for Sean Hammond's story and the full roster and list of cuts.
What we saw when the smoke cleared was a roster seemingly made up more to stock special teams than the offense or defense - and dangerously thin in a couple spots.
To be clear, there are no real shockers among the cuts.
As unfortunate as Desmond Trufant's personal situation is, the team had nothing to base giving him a spot on the 53 on, and his full contract would have been guaranteed for the year had they kept him.
If he doesn't sign elsewhere - which seems pretty unlikely for where he's at - the Bears can re-sign him after Sunday night's game against the Rams, but his contract will run week-to-week until midseason instead of being guaranteed.
The biggest surprise for me is Marquis Christian, who I believe was the best nickel in camp - and it's hard to imagine what more he could have done to claim a spot.
The news that Tarik Cohen will miss at least six more weeks was expected, and the Bears will probably move quickly to get Teven Jenkins to IR now, which will free up at least one more spot right away.
Teams are reluctant to cut any draft choices regardless of the round, and the fact that Thomas Graham Jr. and Dazz Newsome - at positions where the Bears are clearly short in numbers right now - couldn't wrest spots away from the likes of Josh Woods, Joel Iyiegbuniwe, J.P. Holtz, Lachavious Simmons or a few others is surprising.
Rodney Adams clearly earned his spot. I'm not sure Jesper Horsted even needed the 3 touchdowns vs. the Titans to stick, and Caleb Johnson is a young man I've tweeted about a few times the last 10 days as he's flashed repeatedly in the Bills and Titans games and in practice as well.
If anyone played their way onto the roster last Saturday night in Tennessee, I have to believe it was Iyiegbuniwe and Johnson. I guess the biggest surprise right now is Xavier Crawford emerging from that huge cornerback scrum, because I can't remember anything he did to make it happen.
But the real story of this roster for now is its construction.
NFL teams rarely go to battle with just three running backs. Five receivers has happened, but six is a lot more common.
On the other hand, while there is precedent for five tight ends, it's quite rare - and I can't ever remember a club keeping 10 offensive linemen.
On the other side of the ball, five or six D-linemen seems right, and it will be six when Mario Edwards Jr.'s two-game suspension passes. Four edge rushers isn't all that unusual, especially with the pass rush ability of Akiem Hicks and Bilal Nichols and blitzing ability of Roquan Smith and Danny Trevathan.
But while I never bet on anything, I will wager there has never been an NFL club with seven, count 'em, seven inside linebackers, or just four cornerbacks.
If they stick - and I doubt all three will, and wouldn't be stunned if none did - "Iggy," Woods and Johnson have to be here for special teams because they aren't getting on the field on defense ahead of Smith, Trevathan, Ogletree or Jones.
So what are the Bears thinking here?
We know that only 46 of these guys will dress on Sundays, so for now our waiver wire focus should be on these positions: running backs and cornerbacks, where the team may not have enough bodies to be comfortable on Sunday; another edge rusher for depth; and potential upgrades at tackle, wide receiver and cornerback.
What's my biggest worry?
With what appeared to be all the "quality competition" on the corners, it never occurred to me that all who would emerge would be Duke Shelley and Crawford behind Jaylon Johnson and Kindle Vildor.
I love Johnson and Vildor has impressed, but we still best hope that help is on the way.