Bears Establish 53-Man Roster

Who exactly is going to make up your 2008 Chicago Bears? The 53-man roster was announced during the afternoon hours Saturday, and there are some fairly well-known names on the list. GM Jerry Angelo had to hand pink slips to six former draft choices, including a pair taken on Day 1 just two Aprils ago.

LAKE FOREST, IL — The Chicago Bears waived the following 19 players Saturday:

Name	Position	College
Zacrey Atterberry	Punter	Lindenwood
Ervin Baldwin	Defensive End	Michigan State
Cody Balogh	Offensive Tackle	Montana
Dan Bazuin	Defensive End	Central Michigan
Trey Brown	Cornerback	UCLA
Joe Clermond	Defensive End	Pittsburgh
Thomas Gafford	Long Snapper	Houston
Mike Hass	Wide Receiver	Oregon State
Joey LaRocque	Linebacker	Oredon State
Fontel Mines	Tight End	Virginia
Anthony Oakley	Center/Guard	Western Kentucky
Michael Okwo	Linebacker	Stanford
Nick Osborn	Defensive End	San Diego State
Leonard Peters	Safety	Hawaii
Ryan Poles	Guard	Boston College
P.J. Pope	Running Back	Bowling Green
Tyler Reed	Guard	Penn State
Brandon Rideau	Wide Receiver	Kansas
Marcus Stone	Tight End	North Carolina State

The Bears also waived/injured guard Chester Adams from Georgia. Lousaka Polite, a vested veteran fullback from Pittsburgh, had his contract terminated.

JC's Take: It was not a good day for the front office, as six of the players waived Saturday were former draft picks for general manager Jerry Angelo. Two of those draftees, Bazuin and Okwo, were Day-1 selections just last year. The toughest cut of the bunch had to have been Rideau, who caught three touchdown passes during the preseason and can't seem to get a break in the NFL despite performing incredibly well the last two training camps in Chicago. Caleb Hanie, the undrafted free agent quarterback from Colorado State, made the 53-man roster thanks to a fantastic showing during the exhibition schedule. The organization simply couldn't afford potentially losing him to another team if placed on the waiver wire.

The Bears have an opportunity to bring back up to eight players Sunday, when the practice squad will be announced.

John Crist is the Publisher of Bear Report and a member of the Professional Football Writers of America. To read him every day, visit BearReport.com and become a Chicago Bears insider.