The Bears placed left tackle Braxton Jones on injured reserve and elevated defensive end Marcus Davenport and cornerback Nick McCloud from the practice squad to the active roster, moves that land ahead of Sunday's noon kick against the Jets at Soldier Field.
Jones is the only part of this that touches fantasy. Losing a left tackle changes protection on every dropback and shrinks the menu in the run game. Expect Chicago to keep a back or a tight end in to chip, and expect the left edge to be treated as a problem to manage rather than one to fix. That is a small downgrade for every Bears skill player, not a reason to cut anyone. If you were flexing a Chicago pass catcher on the strength of a clean-pocket projection, knock him down a slot.
Davenport joined the team Aug. 17 and has been working his way into shape, and he has 25 career sacks in 77 games. He is a rotational rusher on a defense that needs one. McCloud has appeared in 62 regular season games and played 15 for the Bears last season. Neither is an IDP add in standard formats. If Davenport is active and clears 20 snaps, that number is worth tracking in deep leagues. Nothing more.
The useful unknown is who plays left tackle. Reporting points to Theo Benedet, and his first start there matters more than either elevation.
My verdict: Benedet starts, holds up well enough, and Chicago does not go shopping for a tackle before the deadline. If they do, I read this roster wrong.
