LAKE FOREST, Ill. – The Chicago Bears have cut 15 players, trimming their roster to the NFL-mandated 75 players. Here’s a closer look at the first cuts:
Most significant move: This happened a couple of weeks ago, but starting center Hroniss Grasu’s season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament forced the Bears to reshuffle their offensive line by sliding veteran Ted Larsen from guard to center. A 2015 third-round pick, Grasu played well in camp prior to the injury, but his long-term future in Chicago is a bit cloudy. The Bears said Grasu is expected to compete for a starting job next year, although nothing is usually guaranteed for players coming off serious injuries.
Backfield in motion: The release of veteran fullback Darrel Young is a good sign for Paul Lasike, who spent part of last year on the Bears’ practice squad. Coach John Fox emphasized keeping a fullback on the 53-man roster, and unless Chicago scans the waiver wire and locates an upgrade, Lasike, a former rugby player who played football for the first time after enrolling at BYU, has a reasonable chance to survive final cuts.
Sad break: Third-string quarterback Connor Shaw shined during the preseason before suffering multiple fractures above his shin in last Saturday’s preseason loss to Kansas City. The injury looked gruesome, and the setback is incredibly unfortunate for Shaw, who performed well enough to earn a spot on the practice squad, at the bare minimum.
Bears moves: DL Keith Browner, WR Kieran Duncan, WR Derek Keaton, OL John Kling, RB Senorise Perry, WR Darrin Peterson, DB Joel Ross, TE Gannon Sinclair, OL Martin Wallace, FB Darrel Young (terminated vested veteran), LB Jarrett Grace, LB Lamin Barrow (waived/injured), LB Roy Robertson-Harris (reserve/non-football illness), OL Hroniss Grasu (injured reserve), QB Connor Shaw (injured reserve).
