Chicago

Bears

Roschon Johnson played 15. It, of course, is bad news either player was even dressed for tonight’s meaningless exhibition tilt, though the Bears have several injuries in their backfield, leaving them with limited options. Someone had to play in Canton. It is nevertheless confirmation both holdover backs are seemingly miles behind free agent addition D’Andre Swift on the depth chart, and could be left fighting for rotational reps come Week 1.

At his peak, Cohen was a speedy and shifty back who wowed everyone with his ability to shake any defender out of his shoes. Known as “The Human Joystick,” Cohen totaled 2676 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns in his first four years as a pro, but a myriad of devastating injuries have followed him in recent seasons. Cohen suffered a torn ACL and MCL, along with a tibia fracture during the 2020 season, and missed all of 2021 as a result. In 2022, he suffered a torn Achilles while training in hopes of a return. He caught on with the Panthers practice squad last season but didn’t play a down of regular season football. After a week in Jets minicamp, the former fourth-round pick has opted to call it quits just days after his 29th birthday.

Moore and the Bears agreed to a deal that locks him in for four more years, with $82.6 million guaranteed out of $110 million. He had two years left on his deal, but the Bears decided to give him the largest deal in franchise history and keep him around until 2029. The 27-year-old spent the first five years of his career with the Panthers, but had his best season last year. It was his first with the Bears and Moore was the definitive No. 1 wideout, totaling 96 receptions for 1,364 yards and eight touchdowns. With rookie first-overall pick Caleb Williams coming in, Moore now has the most invested in him among the pass-catchers, with rookie Rome Odunze and veteran Keenan Allen also supporting the group. He had his best fantasy season in 2023 and the extension indicates the Bears believe Moore to be their top option for the foreseeable future. The wide receiver market continues to climb, as Moore joins Justin Jefferson, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and several other elite receivers in signing massive deals while CeeDee Lamb and Brandon Aiyuk await theirs. For now, the Bears continue to show no shyness about investing into the offense.

This isn’t too much of a surprise as the HOF game will serve as an extra preseason for both the Bears and Texans. Williams, who was announced as the starter soon after being drafted, will sit with the rest of the starters. Fans will likely get their first glimpse of Williams against the Bills in Week 1 or the preseason.

After reports of Williams struggling early in OTAs, Waldron praised the No. 1 overall pick for his preparation since then. The Bears OC said Williams’ next level of play “shows that he did a great job during his time away from the building” and praised him for “owning the offense.” We’re still over a month away from Week 1, but Waldron noted that Williams has made “smarter plays” and “quicker plays” through the first two days of training camp, which is an encouraging sign for both Bears fans and fantasy managers. The Bears surrounded Williams with ample talent to kick off his rookie campaign. If he lives up to his billing early in the season, it should make for a profitable season for those who invested in the Bears’ offense in their fantasy drafts.

Everett’s stay on the NFI list was about as short as we expected. The veteran tight end was placed on the list late last week but is now set to begin working out with the team. Everett posted a receiving line of 51-411-3 last season with the Chargers and will be sharing reps with incumbent Cole Kmet. He won’t have much fantasy upside as long as Kmet is healthy and active.

According to Cronin, Williams will get “ample run” in the preseason — a plan the Bears have reportedly been discussing all spring. Head coach Matt Eberflus said the team hasn’t made any concrete decisions for the No. 1 overall pick but said, “We certainly want to get him some reps [in the preseason].” Williams enters a rookie year with lofty expectations and a roster built for immediate success. In addition to having DJ Moore, the Bears also went out and added veteran receiver Keenan Allen and rookie Rome Odunze to give him three legitimate weapons in the passing game. Williams has been drafted as a high-end QB2 for much of the fantasy offseason but could return far more value if things click early. A substantial number of preseason reps could help him progress at a faster rate.

We don’t know the specifics of Everett’s injury, but we’d assume it’s minor until we hear otherwise. The veteran tight end signed a two-year deal with the Bears this offseason and will work in tandem with Cole Kmet in a revamped Bears offense. Everett, 30, caught 51 passes for 411 yards and three touchdowns while averaging a career-low 8.1 YPR with the Chargers last season. As long as Kmet is healthy, Everett can be left off fantasy rosters. Everett can be activated from the NFI list at any time.

A third-round pick in this year’s draft, Amegadjie will start training camp on the non-football injury list. He did not participate in the offseason programs as he recovers from a quad injury suffered at Yale last season. Rehabbing from October surgery, Amegadjie will have to wait a little longer to see the field.

The number one overall pick can now report to camp with the rest of his rookie teammates. Williams’ deal includes a $25.5 million signing bonus along with the team’s fifth-year option. Rome Odunze signed just hours before and now both of the Bears’ top rookies are on the books. Williams was named the starter soon after he was drafted by the Bears in late April.