The writing was on the wall, probably, when the Bears signed two veteran interior linemen and then drafted guard Cody Whitehair in the second round.
Sunday, it became official: the Bears cut left guard Matt Slauson, one of the leaders of their locker room.
Slauson had started 37 games since — 33 at left guard and four at center — with the Bears. He first joined the Bears in 2013 and was re-signed to a multi-year deal the next season. He had two years left on a four-year, $12.8 million contract.
Safety Antrel Rolle was also cut Sunday.
“We thank Matt and Antrel for the dedication and leadership they brought to our organization,” Bears GM Ryan Pace said in a statement. “Both men did everything we asked of them. Part of growing as a team is making difficult decisions like the ones we made today.
“We never take them lightly, given the respect we have for everyone who has put on a Bears uniform. We wish each of them the very best as they move forward.”
The Bears signed center/guard Manny Ramirez and guard Ted Larsen in March.
About the offensive line this week, both Pace and coach John Fox stressed the need for competition.
“It’s a fluid process,” Fox said. “Right now I think we’ve helped build competition between our football team.”
