Chicago Bears receiver Dazz Newsome, a sixth-round pick in 2021, was among five players cut Tuesday morning as the team trimmed its roster to 80 players before the league’s official deadline.
The biggest wave of cuts will come next week with all 32 teams needing to finalize their initial 53-man rosters by 3 p.m. on Aug. 30. The Bears have one more preseason game this weekend on the road against the Cleveland Browns.
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New general manager Ryan Poles also waived fullback Jake Bargas, defensive back BoPete Keyes and defensive tackle Lacale London, while also terminating the contract of vested veteran Julien Davenport. But Tuesday’s move to waive Newsome was the most notable, sending another one of former general manager Ryan Pace’s draft selections out the door.
Pace made 46 draft picks during his seven years as Bears GM. As of Tuesday morning, 17 remained on the roster but only five who were selected before 2020: running back David Montgomery, linebacker Roquan Smith, safety Eddie Jackson, guard Cody Whitehair and defensive back DeAndre Houston-Carson.
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Newsome fractured his collarbone during the spring of his rookie season and never broke through to become a bigger part of the team’s offensive plans in 2021. He spent most of the year on the practice squad and was flexed to the game-day roster twice before being activated to the 53-man roster for the team’s season finale against the Minnesota Vikings.
Newsome made two receptions for the Bears, a 10-yarder in the team’s Week 16 win over the Seattle Seahawks and a 13-yarder in the finale against the Vikings. He also returned six punts for 75 yards last season. Now, his career is headed down a new path as the Bears’ rebuilding efforts under a new regime continue.
