LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Bears released quarterback Matt Gutierrez, receiver Zeke Markshausen and defensive tackle Maurice Evans on Monday in adherence to Tuesday's mandatory roster reduction deadline, which limits teams to a maximum of 75 players.

Running back Harvey Unga, who is on injured reserve, no longer counts towards the 80-man active roster. The Bears roster currently stands at 76.

Gutierrez, 26, has spent time on the rosters with the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots. Gutierrez played in one game last season with the Chiefs, throwing only one pass in all of 2009.

The play of rookie Dan LeFevour on Saturday against the Arizona Cardinals may have played in the club's decision to cut Gutierrez. LeFevour posted a 129.2 passer rating against the Cardinals, while completing 10-of-12 attempts for 100 yards and a touchdown.

LeFevour had struggled during training-camp workouts, but appears to be progressing. Once backup Caleb Hanie returns from a shoulder injury, the club will have to make a decision on whether to keep LeFevour because the Bears still have four quarterbacks on the roster.

It's unlikely the club will keep four quarterbacks, so if it decides it wants to retain LeFevour, the Bears will have to risk putting him on the practice squad.

The club faces a final mandatory roster reduction deadline on Sept. 4 to 53 players.

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/nfl/n ... id=5512658

moolamaka wrote:Were those rookies undrafted free agents from Division 4 football that will end up starting?

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Bears reached the 75-man roster limit on Tuesday by placing fullback Will Ta’ufo’ou on the waived/injured list.

Ta’ufo’ou suffered a sprained right knee during the third quarter of the club’s 14-9 loss Saturday to the Arizona Cardinals. Ta’ufo’ou’s right leg was caught under a pileup at the end of a play to cause the injury.

Ta’ufo’ou spent time in 2009 on the Bears’ practice squad. But he faced long odds toward making the 53-man roster because of the team’s surplus of tight ends who also can play H-back. Tight end Desmond Clark is currently listed as the club’s starting H-back.

The fact that fullbacks are sparsely utilized in Mike Martz’s scheme also diminished Ta’ufo’ou’s chances of making the roster.

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/bears/p ... ck-taufoou

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Bears have cut second-year safety Al Afalava, while veteran Josh Bullocks appears to have made the final 53-man roster, according to a source familiar with the situation.

Cornerback Cornelius Brown and linebacker Kelvin Smith also were cut, according to sources.

Afalava, a 2009 sixth-round draft choice, started 13 games for the Bears last season, recording 70 tackles and one forced fumble.

Bullocks, sidelined much of the preseason by injury, graded out highly in the Bears final few games of the 2009 regular season.

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/nfl/n ... id=5527978

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Bears got down to the mandatory 53-man roster Saturday, handing out pink slips to a few notable players, including the organization's top two picks of the 2009 NFL draft, third-round choices wide receiver Juaquin Iglesias and defensive end Jarron Gilbert.

Iglesias saw action in only one game last season and failed in training camp and four preseason games to sway the staff into giving him another opportunity in 2010. The wideout out of Oklahoma averaged 21.3 yards on four catches in the preseason, including one touchdown reception. But Iglesias, who was slowed by injury early in camp, couldn't beat out veteran Rashied Davis -- who is also a special teams contributor -- for the final roster spot at receiver. A second-year player, Iglesias still has practice-squad eligibility, so there's a chance the receiver could be brought back.

Gilbert registered two sacks in the preseason, but failed to crack the defensive line rotation, beaten out by fellow 2009 draft class member Henry Melton and 2010 fourth-round selection Corey Wootton

In other news, efforts to trade special teams standout Tim Shaw were unsuccessful, and he was released, just one year after recording an impressive 30 special teams tackles.

"Tim did a great job on special teams, but we replaced him with Brian [Iwuh]," Bears general manager Jerry Angelo said. "We felt Brian was more tailored for our scheme defensively and did a real good job on special teams as well. It was a tough call. Tim was an excellent player for us."

Two former starters were also shown the door: guard/center Josh Beekman and safety Al Afalava. Beekman was the team's starting left guard in 2008, but lost his job to free agent offensive lineman Frank Omiyale at the beginning of the 2009 campaign. Although Beekman eventually returned to the starting lineup for a brief time last year, he was never seriously considered for the job this past offseason, and spent the bulk of training camp backing up veteran center Olin Kreutz.

"That was a tough decision, and it certainly came down to the wire," Angelo said of the decision to cut Beekman. "But we felt going forward that we wanted to go with younger players, in particular Johan [Asiata] and J'Marcus [Webb]. Johan is still developing, and [offensive line coach] Mike [Tice] liked the direction [Asiata] was going and wanted to keep that process going. We felt this is what was best for us, but we wish Josh well."

Afalava started 13 games at safety for the Bears last season, but after a mediocre preseason, lost out to veteran Josh Bullocks for the fifth and final spot at the safety position.

"Chris Harris wasn't here last year and we drafted Major Wright, and we like both of those player," Bears head coach Lovie Smith said." That's what affected Al a little bit. Al's a good player, but the numbers just kind of got him."

Despite much uncertainty this summer, the Bears decided to keep four running backs, which allowed the team to retain special teams standout Garrett Wolfe. But unlike last season, the Bears opted to carry three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, but did release 2010 sixth-round selection Dan LeFevour.

Other players cut included: Freddie Barnes, Cornelius Brown, Levi Horn, Kevin Malast, James Marten, Greg Matthews, Quentin Scott, Kelvin Smith, Woodny Turenne, Barry Turner, Tim Walter, Aaron Webster, Eddie Williams, Mick Williams and vested veteran Richard Angulo.

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/nfl/n ... id=5531136

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Chicago Bears added seven players to their practice squad on Sunday, including wide receiver Juaquin Iglesias, a day after he was cut by the team.

Iglesias, a third-round pick in 2009, is joined on the practice squad by offensive linemen Levi Horn, James Marten and Edwin Williams, receiver Greg Mathews, defensive end Barry Turner and fullback Eddie Williams.

Quarterback Dan LeFevour, a sixth-round pick by the Bears in April who was thought to be an option for the Bears' practice squad, was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Bears have one remaining spot on their practice squad.

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/nfl/n ... id=5536916

CINCINNATI -- The Bengals have released second-string quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan, who struggled during the preseason.

O'Sullivan completed only 35 of 60 passes for 396 yards with two interceptions and five sacks during five preseason games, working with the Bengals' second-string players. He appeared in only three games last season as Carson Palmer's backup.

Palmer's younger brother, Jordan, is the third-string quarterback.

The Bengals replaced O'Sullivan -- at least temporarily -- by claiming quarterback Dan LeFevour off waivers from Chicago on Sunday. LeFevour was a sixth-round pick from Central Michigan, where he threw for more than 12,000 yards and ran for more than 2,500 during his career.

LeFevour's coach at Central Michigan was Butch Jones, who is in his first season at the University of Cincinnati.

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/nfl/n ... id=5536648

DE

Peppers, Anderson, Wootton, Melton

DT

Adams, Harris, Harrison, Idonije, Toeaina

gtriv420 wrote:I thought Idonije was playing End this year