Every day, coach Lovie Smith stares at the 90 names on the Bears’ training-camp roster. And every day, Smith mentally crosses off 37 of them to pare it to the 53 players he expects to keep. It’s never the same 37 names.
With that in mind, here’s an early look at how the 53-man roster might be shaping up.
Defensive tackle
Locks: Tommie Harris, Tank Johnson, Bryan Robinson, Alfonso Boone.
On the bubble: Tron LaFavor, Ian Scott.
The buzz: Final spot likely will come down to college teammates Scott and LaFavor, who’s a better fit for the scheme.
Defensive end
Locks: Michael Haynes, Alex Brown, Claude Harriott.
On the bubble: Joe Tafoya, Israel Idonije, Alain Kashama.
The buzz: Both starting ends have been solid but not spectacular.
Cornerback
Locks: Charles Tillman, R.W. McQuarters, Jerry Azumah, Nathan Vasher.
On the bubble: Eric Kelly, Todd McMillon, Alfonso Marshall, Brock Williams.
The buzz: In reality, only four healthy cornerbacks might make the team, with the fifth slot being saved for Azumah.
Safety
Locks: Mike Brown, Mike Green, Bobby Gray, Todd Johnson.
On the bubble: Cameron Worrell.
The buzz: Johnson has an edge over Worrell, in part because the Bears drafted him but also because he plays the ball better.
Offensive line
Locks: Olin Kreutz, Rex Tucker, John Tait, Terrence Metcalf, Qasim Mitchell, Aaron Gibson, Patrick Mannelly.
On the bubble: Ruben Brown, Mike Gandy, Steve Edwards, Josh Warner, Michael Keathley, Bryan Anderson.
The buzz: A good player with experience will get cut. Metcalf’s emergence has complicated the situation because he has passed Gandy and Brown.
Wide receiver
Locks: Marty Booker, David Terrell, Bobby Wade, Justin Gage, Bernard Berrian.
On the bubble: Ahmad Merritt, Jamin Elliott.
The buzz: Terrell looks serious about making a statement this season. Gage provides the big-play potential.
Running back
Locks: Thomas Jones, Anthony Thomas.
On the bubble: Brock Forsey, Adrian Peterson, Jason McKie.
The buzz: Peterson had pulled slightly ahead of Forsey until injuring his hamstring. Forsey might offer more on special teams, which could be the deciding factor.
