My final 53

Here’s how I think the Bears' final 53-man roster will look when the cutting is completed on Saturday:

QUARTERBACKS – (2) Jay Cutler, Caleb Hanie.
Skinny: Brett Basanez is still eligible for the practice squad.

RUNNING BACKS – (4) Matt Forte, Kevin Jones, Adrian Peterson, Garrett Wolfe.
Skinny: Peterson and Wolfe are too valuable on special teams to let go.

FULLBACKS – (1) Jason McKie.

WIDE RECEIVERS -- (6) Devin Hester, Earl Bennett, Devin Aromashodu, Rashied Davis, Juaquin Iglesias, Johnny Knox.
Skinny: Brandon Rideau could lose out in a tough numbers’ game. Rookies Iglesias and Knox may not be ready to contribute much right now, but they’ll get at least a year to mature.

TIGHT ENDS – (3) Greg Olsen, Desmond Clark, Kellen Davis.
Skinny: Free agent Michael Gaines hasn’t really found a niche and Davis has become a good special teams player.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN – (8) Orlando Pace, Frank Omiyale, Olin Kreutz, Roberto Garza, Chris Williams, Josh Beekman, Kevin Shaffer, Dan Buenning.
Skinny: Buenning’s the safer pick, but rookie Lance Louis has potential and could be a practice squad guy.

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN – (10) Alex Brown, Adewale Ogunleye, Tommie Harris, Anthony Adams, Marcus Harrison, Israel Idonije, Mark Anderson, Jarron Gilbert, Matt Toeaina, Henry Melton.
Skinny: Melton hasn’t done much, but he was a fourth-round pick, and he’s an athlete.

LINEBACKERS – (6) Lance Briggs, Brian Urlacher, Pisa Tinoisamoa, Hunter Hillenmeyer, Nick Roach, Jamar Williams.
Skinny: The Bears might not be able to afford the luxury of keeping Darrell McClover strictly for his play on special teams. Rookie Marcus Freeman looks as if he could be headed for the practice squad.

CORNERBACKS – (6) Charles Tillman, Nate Vasher, Zack Bowman, Corey Graham, Rod Hood, D.J. Moore.
Skinny: Trumaine McBride had plenty of opportunities but didn’t take advantage of them, and Hood is bigger and more experienced.

SAFETIES – (4) Danieal Manning, Kevin Payne, Al Afalava, Josh Bullocks.
Skinny: They might find a way to keep Steltz, who was penciled in as the starter early in the off-season and was considered a future starter when he was drafted in the fourth round in 2008.

SPECIALISTS – (3) P Brad Maynard, PK Robbie Gould, LS Patrick Mannelly.