The Bears are waiving defensive tackle Bravvion Roy, per Cameron Wolfe of the NFL Network. Chicago claimed Roy off waivers from the Panthers earlier this month.
The Bears did a great deal of work on their defensive front this offseason, signing DT Andrew Billings and hybrid defensive lineman DeMarcus Walker in free agency and selecting Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens on Day 2 of the 2023 draft. As such, there was not a ton of room, barring injury or underpeformance, for Roy in Chicago. However, the Bears, who presently hold the top waiver priority, were willing to give the Baylor product a chance to impress in a new environment.
Now 26, Roy flashed considerable pass-rushing potential in his final collegiate season, with 5.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss. Matt Rhule, who coached Roy in Waco before becoming the head coach of the Panthers in 2020, added his former pupil in the sixth round of the 2020 draft. Unfortunately, Roy’s production did not translate to the professional ranks.
Roy recorded only one sack and three TFLs across 45 games in Carolina, where he primarily played in a rotational capacity. He started nine games as a rookie but only six contests after that, and his snap share in 2021 and ’22 (31% and 34%, respectively) was noticeably lower than his debut campaign. A hamstring injury led to an IR stint last season and limited him to 13 games. Pro Football Focus considered him the 86th-best defender out of 127 qualifiers in 2022, which actually represented the highest PFF ranking of his three-year career.
Roy appeared in all three of Chicago’s preseason games, recording two total tackles.