CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – NOVEMBER 06: Cody Whitehair, #65 of the Chicago Bears, walks off the field after a loss to the Miami Dolphins at Soldier Field on November 06, 2022, in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
The NFL Draft usually provides teams with players that take roster spots from others, and the Chicago Bears are likely to lose three players after the rookie class takes over.
Days from the NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears are finalizing their free-agent contracts and turning the page to the big event held in Kansas City this year. With holes to fill and roster spots up for grabs, this year’s draft is critical for the Windy City.
At the same time, this means several faces from last year’s team that went 3-14 are likely to be given their walking papers. Some due to their contract and others due to lack of production. Whatever it is, changes are coming to the roster, and time is running out for those individuals. Within days, they will likely end up clearing out their lockers and moving on in search of new employment.
General Manager Ryan Poles, Assistant GM Ian Cunningham, and Head Coach Matt Eberflus have a lot of work left to do before they get on the clock with the 9th pick. By trading the No. 1 overall pick, they made it clear that they wish to get more picks to build the roster their way, therefore changing the entire look of the roster. It bodes well for some players but not for others.
Bears rumors: 3 cap casualties who will be gone after NFL Draft
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Cody Whitehair
OC Chicago Bears
Cody Whitehair will leave due to a hefty salary and multiple cheaper options.
It’s a bit unfair, considering Whitehair has been a veteran leader for this young team despite all the turbulence. However, Ryan Poles did not draft Whitehair or give him a hefty contract. That was Ryan Pace and his overaggressive mindset, a mindset that is nice but sunk the Bears heavily. Additionally, Whitehair is possible to either be released or traded.
The reason for this is that if we look closely at what is coming out in this year’s draft, several quality interior offensive linemen can be inserted into lineups immediately. Notable names include John Michael Schmitz of Minnesota, Ricky Stromberg of Arkansas, Juice Scruggs of Penn State, and Joe Tippmann of Wisconsin. All are players that can jump into the starting lineup on Day One.
Ryan Poles needs a younger offensive line in front of Justin Fields. At the same time, only Teven Jenkins and newly signed Nate Davis are presumed locks to start on day one. Yes, Braxton Jones isn’t guaranteed, either. Poles will want to build the line his way, and Whitehair, unfortunately, isn’t part of those plans.
