Team news: Chicago Bears | Page 8

The Chicago Bears released backup quarterback P.J. Walker on Sunday, the team announced.

Related players: Tyson Bagent, Nathan Peterman, Justin Fields

Walker signed a two-year contract worth $4.15 million in March with over $2 million in guarantees. After three seasons with the Carolina Panthers, Walker was brought in to compete for the backup quarterback job behind Justin Fields. The Bears will now hand that role to undrafted rookie Bagent or veteran Peterman. Bagent, who signed with Chicago after playing for offensive coordinator Luke Getsy's squad at the Senior Bowl, has been the team's strongest backup QB throughout training camp, the story went on to say.

Per Adam Jahns, "I thought D'Onta Foreman would show more throughout camp. Instead, it’s Roschon Johnson, the rookie, who earned headlines with his play."

Related Players: Khalil Herbert

The team at the Athletic listed Roschon Johnson as the RB2, an eventuality that many of us considered from the time he was drafted. Johnson should see a lot of action on a team that runs so often, but his ceiling is very, very low as long as Khalil Herbert is healthy.

Head coach Dan Campbell added that WR Amon-Ra St. Brown will likely be back on the field between Monday-Friday of next week after a small ankle injury suffered yesterday.

Related Players: Marvin Jones, Josh Reynolds, Denzel Mims, Kalif Raymond

It doesn't seem to be anything to be concerned about, but we'll keep an eye on it. The wide receiver depth chart looks iffy, with Jameson Williams suspended until October and now nursing a hamstring injury that will keep him out of the rest of the preseason. Rookie tight end Sam LaPorta may be a bigger part of this offense than most were expecting.

Lions’ WR Jameson Williams has a hamstring injury that is likely to sideline him for the remainder of the preseason.

Related Players: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Josh Reynolds, Marvin Jones, Kalif Raymond

Another setback for what has been nothing short of a dramatic beginning to a career. The next time we see Williams on the field will be in mid-October, following his gambling suspension. This opens the door for other Lions options to pick up the slack alongside St. Brown, as the sophomore wide receiver has to be thought of as an easy fade at his 11th-round ADP.

The Eagles have given away all the signs throughout training camp where Kenneth Gainwell stands on this roster. He's the back they trust the most in late-game and pressure situations, showcasing that by not playing him in the preseason opener (along with the designated players who weren't going to play).

Philadelphia backed that up by having Gainwell on the first team of 11-on-11s during the joint practice, getting the first snaps before D'Andre Swift spelled him. Swift is the back splitting the reps with Gainwell, as the Eagles line him out wide and use his explosiveness in pass-catching.

Related players: Rashaad Penny

The story went on to say Gainwell is the lead guy, but Swift is the counter punch. They are the 1-2 combination at running back, splitting the bulk of the touches. Swift has had an excellent camp and will be in integral part of the offense, the story went on to say. There was no mention of Penny. We've already reflected this on our depth chart and it's no surprise considering Gainwell had a big role last year even with Miles Sanders on the team.

"And since (Roschon Johnson has) gotten in there, we really love the style. We’re just gonna keep letting that thing compete out where it belongs, and we’ll see where it goes."

Related players: Khalil Herbert, D'Onta Foreman

Fantasy opinions have been all over the place when it comes to Johnson and his potential, while reports so far say Herbert has had a great camp and will be tough to overtake as the RB1. Johnson got a couple reps with the first team in 11/11 and in the two min drill on Monday. Cronin said Bears coaches are impressed with what they've seen to give him a look with the starters. The unnamed coach in the post added about Johnson: "Just the running style. He’s a downhill guy that we’re excited about. He’s got good vision."

Much like his first two seasons, Kenneth Gainwell is the team’s featured running back during the two-minute drill.

Related Players: Rashaad Penny, D'Andre Swift

Though we've tried to make this work in fantasy before, it's very unlikely that Gainwell is going to be used enough to play outside of sneaky DFS Showdown slates. What is likely, is that Swift's role in this offense might be squeezed into a much smaller box than we think it's going to. With a healthy Penny being the early down back, Gainwell handling the two-minute drill, and Jalen Hurts running the ball instead of checking it down, you have to squint to see RB3 production for Swift.

Bears and TE Cole Kmet reached an agreement on a four-year, $50 million extension, including $32.8 million guaranteed and $20 million in new first-year cash.

Related Players: Robert Tonyan

Chicago locks in Kmet, who has become a favorite target of QB Justin Fields. This quells any consternation about veteran TE Tonyan taking a ton of snaps away from him in 2023, but that still doesn't make Kmet a reliable fantasy option, as he had three or fewer receptions in 10/17 games last season despite having a career year with a 50-544-7 line. Kmet was among the most "over-performing" touchdown scorer last season, and we're projecting him for much less this season. He will be a streaming option in plus matchups yet he is going off boards as an overpay at the TE10.

The New York Jets are trading Mims and a 2025 seventh-round pick to the Detroit Lions for a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported on Wednesday night. The condition on the pick swap is that Mims makes Detroit's 53-man roster, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported on Thursday.

Related Players: Corey Davis, Randall Cobb, Mecole Hardman, Marvin Jones, Kalif Raymond

The impact in the fantasy world is likely slight, if at all, but Mims can be on Dyntasy radars for those looking to get a cheap former second-rounder. This trade could very well lock Corey Davis into a roster spot which makes him similarly watchable.

Though Khalil Herbert is taking first-team reps during OTAs, the competition for the RB1 with the Bears includes D'Onta Foreman, Travis Homer, and fourth-round pick Roschon Johnson.

In the article, running backs coach David Walker was quoted as saying, “No one has earned a seat in that room yet, and they’re all going to earn their seats from what we do now until August whatever, whenever that third preseason game is,” Walker said. “So that’s the good thing and they know it. That’s been communicated to them.”

This makes the presumed "backups" more intriguing in fantasy drafts, as they are basically free at the moment. Roschon Johnson is coming off the board as the RB46 in the 13th round, while D'Onta Foreman is the RB51, in the 14th.