SerpApi.Org
The Chicago Bears entered the offseason with one of the most talented offenses in the game. Then, instead of addressing their glaring needs of defense, they added even more firepower to the mix with TE Sam Roush and WR Zavion Thomas.
The Bears could afford to let D.J. Moore go because of how stacked they were in the pass-catching department. Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III look like superstars in the making, and Colston Loveland may have made Cole Kmet expendable.
That's why, with only six roster spots and 11 candidates, veteran wide receiver Maurice Alexander is facing a tough task to make the 53-man roster. As Anthony Miler of Bear Goggles On pointed out, he's facing steep competition for the job:
"Now back for another season, things are only going to get tougher for Alexander to make the roster, with five receivers already looking like locks to make the team," wrote Miller.
Maurice Alexander might be the odd man out in Chicago again
Notably, this isn't the first time that Alexander has been in this position. He went undrafted out of FIU in 2020 and started his career in the USFL with the Philadelphia Star a couple of years later. He caught the Detroit Lions' attention, and he spent three years with the Lions.
He played sparingly and only had one reception for seven yards, spending most of his time on the practice squad. Then, he followed Ben Johnson, his former offensive coordinator, to the Windy City last season.
Once again, he was on the outside looking in, and while he turned some heads in the preseason with nine receptions for 71 yards and one score, he didn't make the final cut. He spent the year on the practice squad and wasn't active for any of the games.
Clearly, Ben Johnson likes him enough to keep him around for five years now. Still, just like what happened in Detroit, the Bears have way too many options, with Odunze, Burden, Thomas, Jahdae Walker, and Kalif Raymond all looking like locks to make the roster.
Alexander would have to beat JP Richardson, Scotty Miller, Omari Kelly, Kaden Davis and Kyron Hudson for the sixth and final spot in the 53-man roster, and even if he does that, he might have a tough time getting on the field and drawing Caleb Williams' attention.
Will Johnson's trust and his knowledge of the system be enough to give him the upper hand over his competitors, some of which come with more NFL experience? He'll have to show that in training camp.
| More Bears News and Rumors |
- Jim Dray could become the Bears next coaching success story
- The Bears still made the right choice with Caleb Williams
- Colston Loveland's latest draft admission is another big win for the Bears
- Devonte Wyatt just made the Bears Gervon Dexter extension more expensive
This article was originally published on dawindycity.com as Ben Johnson favorite facing an uphill battle to make Bears' roster.
