Bears Cut Candidates Include 2 Recent, Prominent Draft Picks

The Chicago Bears targeted specific position groups for improvement during new head coach Ben Johnson’s first offseason with the team, which could lead to a couple of well-known contributors over playing elsewhere come Week 1.

One area the team focused on was the collective of pass-catchers at the disposal of second-year quarterback Caleb Williams. The Bears used their first-round pick (No. 10 overall) to select tight end Colston Loveland before drafting slot receiver Luther Burden III early in the second round (No. 39 overall).

Loveland’s presence could threaten incumbent tight end Cole Kmet’s longterm future with the team as well as his snap count in 2025, though Kmet is likely to remain on the roster for at least the upcoming season, as Johnson is known for favoring two tight-end sets (12 personnel) from his days as offensive coordinator with the Detroit Lions.

Burden, however, could render third-year wideout and 2023 fourth-round pick Tyler Scott superfluous this season.

“The team has a new head coach who did not draft him,” Parker Hurley of FanSided wrote of Scott on Saturday, June 14. “The Bears have added multiple receivers who should push him off the roster, including notable players like Luther Burden III, Devin Duvernay and Myles Boykin, who serve in bigger special teams roles. You could make a strong case that Scott is not one of the six best receivers on the roster.”

Tyler Scott’s Lack of Special Teams Expertise Will Hurt His Chances to Remain With Bears

GettyChicago Bears wide receiver Tyler Scott.

Scott, who will play his third NFL season at the age of 24, carries a cap hit of just $1.2 million in 2025, which should work in his favor in terms of retaining his roster spot if there is any role for him whatsoever on offense or special teams.

The speedy wide receiver appeared in all 17 regular-season games as a rookie and earned four starts. Scott saw 32 targets and tallied 17 receptions for 168 yards in 2023. However, he played in just 11 games with no starts last year and made only a single catch for five yards.

Scott saw his offensive snaps drop from 439 in 2023 to just 20 last season, while his special teams snaps also dipped from 55 to 35 year over year.

Bill Zimmerman of Windy City Gridiron made his case for Scott as a cut candidate earlier this month.

“Scott is in for an uphill battle out of training camp due to his deficiencies on special teams,” Zimmerman wrote on June 4. “If Scott doesn’t make the roster, it’s probably a long shot he would even get stashed on the practice squad because of his inability to play special teams.”

Defensive Tackle Zacch Pickens Could Also Face Cut This Summer

GettyChicago Bears defensive tackle Zacch Pickens.

Another recent and relatively prominent draft pick in danger of losing his spot on the Bears’ 2025 roster is defensive tackle Zacch Pickens.

Chicago focused on strengthening the interior of the defensive line in both free agency and the draft, which could mean the 2023 third-rounder finds himself on the outside looking in come the end of August.

“Chicago added Shemar Turner in the draft, and with Grady Jarrett added in free agency along with Andrew Billings being healthy, there is no room for Pickens,” Hurley wrote Saturday. “Even when Billings was out, the team leaned to Chris Williams more, and Williams is still on the roster.”

Pickens has two years remaining on his $5.8 million rookie contract. He has appeared in 26 games over two seasons in the league, starting three of those contests, and played a total of 492 defensive snaps over that span.