Keyshawn Johnson doesn’t like the Chicago Bears roster
Most national analysts don’t like the current Chicago Bears roster. Keyshawn Johnson took his take on the Bears to another level recently. He claimed most of the roster couldn’t start for another team.
PFF also really dislikes most of the roster. They rank several of the Bears units in the 30s. It’s not surprising, as the Bears are at the beginning of a rebuild this season. Johnson made these critical comments on ESPN:
"This roster sucks. It's the reality of it. There are no players there. Think about it, they only got 2-3 players that can probably start for another team and that's it."
– Super Bowl champ and three-time Pro Bowler Keyshawn Johnson on the Chicago Bears(Via ESPN)
— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) July 13, 2022
Those need to be fighting words to the Bears roster heading into training camp. But the sentiment is also not far off from the “culture” general manager Ryan Poles wants to create. Poles made it clear the Bears were going after cheap players at later waves of the NFL free agency. Ones who want to prove their worth for a better contract in the future.
“You’re going to have some players that are motivated, they’ve got a chip on their shoulder and they want to get back to free agency and go at it again, so they play with a purpose,” Poles said. When you add a whole bunch of other roster cuts, you get a lot of Chicago Bears players who wouldn’t start for other teams.
It’s an interesting strategy for the Bears to take. The Bears might be better off in a few years when they have more draft picks and money for good free agents. But this season is looking like the most that Bears fans can hope is for Justin Fields to escape the season unscathed.
These four Chicago Bears players could start for other NFL teams.
Johnson seemed crude in saying only two to three Bears players could start for another team. I wasn’t sure which three he meant. When looking at the roster, I can name a solid four who could start for another team’s franchise. Many more Bears would arguably be on the cusp of starting.
- Roquan Smith: Smith makes a lot of tackles. Last season, Smith made 95 tackles, 12 of them being tackles for a loss. Most teams in the NFL would want Smith.
- Robert Quinn: Quinn set the Bears franchise record for most sacks in a season at 18.5. He’s a beast that’s on the Bears for now. But he might be traded soon and would start for that team right away.
- Darnell Mooney: Mooney had a great season for the Bears last season. His 1055 yards receiving outdid Allen Robinson in 2021. Mooney would make an excellent slot receiver for most of the league. He just doesn’t score a lot of touchdowns.
- Jaylon Johnson: Johnson made Cooper Kupp and the Los Angeles Rams worried in game preparation. The third-year veteran has defended 24 passes during his time with the Bears.
Honorable mention would go to David Montgomery, Fields, and Eddie Jackson. Montgomery, with his speed, would probably make an awesome thunder running back to compliment a speedy starter. His yards per rush keep him in the 40s.
Fields would need to take a Mitchell Trubisky-like year off and need to be an understudy for a Josh Allen or Kyler Murray before becoming a dark horse in the MVP race the following year. Jackson had a bad year in 2021 but has the skills to start for another team if he gets angry enough.
Without Quinn, the Chicago Bears roster would be in trouble
If the Chicago Bears part ways with Quinn, as is expected this season, Johnson might be on the nose. His absence would leave the Bears with a lot of borderline starting talent and just three solid starters. Not good for a NFL team that hasn’t won a playoff game in over a decade. The Chicago Bears would be left with no solid pass rush as Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks left this offseason.
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