The back end of the Chicago Bears' 53-man roster could remain in flux throughout the season. But for now here's a quick look at the group that will take the field for Sunday's season opener against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field.
Quarterback (3):
Jay Cutler, Jimmy Clausen, David Fales.
Fales did nothing during training camp because of an illness and barely played in the preseason until the final game, when he made it almost impossible for the Bears to cut him after posting a 134.0 passer rating.
Clausen is functional as a backup, but it's troubling that he has had two concussions in just over eight months.
Once again, Cutler is expected to avoid mistakes in a new offense, and this year he might. But anyone still harboring hopes that he will become an elite quarterback should stop immediately.
Running back (4):
Matt Forte, Jeremy Langford, Jacquizz Rodgers, Ka'Deem Carey.
Carey, a fourth-round pick in 2014, was in danger of not making the roster until Senorise Perry, who is a much better special-teams player, went on injured reserve with a foot injury. To keep his roster spot, Carey might have to contribute more on special teams.
The Bears know what they have in Rodgers: a dependable, change-of-pace backup. But if workhorse Forte were to be sidelined for any length of time, explosive rookie Langford likely would become the starter. He has more home run potential than any of the other backs.
Wide receiver (6):
Alshon Jeffery, Eddie Royal, Marquess Wilson, Josh Bellamy, Cam Meredith, Marc Mariani.
As the team's top kick returner, Mariani already is a key special-teams performer. Bellamy and Meredith also must contribute on special teams because once Jeffery (calf), Royal (hip) and Wilson (hamstring) are healthy the backups won't contribute much on offense.
Tight end (3):
Martellus Bennett, Khari Lee, Zach Miller.
Miller is strictly a receiver, while Lee is the better blocker. Bennett can do it all, and he could be Cutler's security blanket in a more controlled passing game, especially if all the wide receivers aren't 100 percent healthy on opening day.
Offensive line (9):
LT Jermon Bushrod, LG Matt Slauson, C Will Montgomery, RG Vlad Ducasse, RT Kyle Long, T Charles Leno, C Hroniss Grasu, T Tayo Fabuluje, G, G Patrick Omameh.
The possibility of two-time Pro Bowl right guard Long moving to right tackle are expected to finally become a reality Monday at practice. Aside from Long and Slauson, this isn't a very talented group, and it also lacks depth -- at least for now.
The hope is that rookies Grasu and Fabuluje develop quickly so that they are viable options by the end of the season. Ditto for 2014 seventh-round pick Leno, who showed in the preseason that he is not ready for prime time. Bushrod's finicky back is a major concern.
Defensive line (5):
E Ego Ferguson, E Jarvis Jenkins, NT Eddie Goldman, DL Will Sutton, E Cornelius Washington.
Until NT Jeremiah Ratliff returns from a three-game suspension, the D-line is dangerously thin. But everyone in this group except 27-year-old Jenkins is 25 or younger, so it's a position that could become much better with some age and experience.
Linebacker (9):
OLB Pernell McPhee, ILB Christian Jones, ILB Shea McClellin, OLB Jared Allen, OLB Sam Acho, OLB Lamarr Houston, OLB Willie Young, ILB Jon Bostic, ILB John Timu.
McPhee is being counted on to be not only the best player in the new 3-4 but the leader of a group that still is dominated by players from the past two seasons, when the Bears were one of the NFL's worst defenses.
The jury is still out on ILB starters McClellin and Jones, despite the attention they have received since they were handed their jobs in the off-season.
Former DE Allen appears to have adapted to his new position and could still be an impact pass rusher.
If Young can quickly regain his 10-sack form of 2014 as he continues to bounce back from an Achilles injury, it would be a huge boost. Despite being undrafted, Timu looks like a playmaker and a potential special-teams standout.
Cornerback (6):
Kyle Fuller, Alan Ball, Sherrick McManis, Terrance Mitchell, Tracy Porter, Bryce Callahan.
Fuller needs to take another big step after an uneven rookie season. This group has more than enough size in Ball (6-feet-2) and McManis (6-1) to match up with the increasingly bigger wide receivers throughout the league.
Safety (5):
Antrel Rolle, Adrian Amos, Brock Vereen, Demontre Hurst, Harold Jones-Quartey.
The 32-year-old Rolle has to prove that he hasn't lost a couple of steps, Vereen needs to display more physicality than he has in the past, and Amos has to show that he didn't get his job by default.
Waiver pickup Jones-Quartey, undrafted out of Findlay, was a player the Arizona Cardinals wanted to re-sign to their practice squad. Hurst (5-10, 183 pounds) is built more like a nickel corner, but the Bears list him at safety on their depth chart.
Specialists (3):
PK Robbie Gould, P Patrick O'Donnell, LS Thomas Gafford.
Gould made 9 of 10 preseason field-goal attempts, which is about what's expected from the steady veteran.
In his second season, O'Donnell should establish himself as a fixture for years to come. Gafford must continue to show the consistency that helped him win the job in training camp.
