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McMillon, 12 others cut as Bears reduce roster to 58
By Larry Mayer
September 2, 2005

LAKE FOREST, Ill. - Cornerback Todd McMillon and tight ends Ron Johnson and Darnell Sanders were among 13 players cut by the Bears Friday as they moved closer to reaching the NFL's mandatory 53-man roster limit.

Others released included quarterback Ryan Dinwiddie, running backs Antoineo Harris and Zack Abron, guard/center A.J. Ricker, defensive ends Greg White and Shurron Pierson, linebackers LeVar Woods and Derrick Ballard, cornerback Leroy Smith and punter Gabe Lindstrom.

The Bears also placed receiver Eddie Berlin (groin) and rookie linebacker Rod Wilson (knee) on injured reserve, making them ineligible to play this season.

Fullback Jason McKie (pectoral muscle) and rookie wide receiver Airese Currie (foot) were put on the reserve/non-football injury list, meaning they'll miss at least the first five games of the season.

The Bears must cut four more players before 5 p.m. Saturday. That will leave them with 54, but they have a roster exemption for recently-signed running back Cedric Benson that expires either on Sept. 12 or earlier if he were to play in the Sept. 11 opener in Washington.

McMillon appeared in 48 games primarily on special teams and as a reserve cornerback in five seasons with the Bears. He registered 32 tackles on defense and 50 stops on special teams, improving in the latter category each season from 0 to 7 to 10 to 12 to 21 last year.

The 5-11, 185-pounder apparently lost out at cornerback to Rashied Davis and Jerrell Pippens, though one of the two promising young prospects still could be released on Sunday.

Davis seems like a more logical choice to stay. He may have cemented a spot in Thursday's preseason loss to the Browns with a 34-yard punt return, four tackles and one pass breakup.

When asked after the game if he felt he had earned a job, Davis said: "I don't know. I just go out there and try to play hard and whatever happens happens. It's in God's hands right now.

"I don't know what's in the coaches' minds. I can't really tell you exactly. I just try to go out there and play hard every time and try to minimize my mistakes."

On his punt return against the Browns, Davis retreated to his own 10-yard line, scooped the ball up off the ground and eluded four would-be tacklers before dashing down the sideline. He fumbled at the end of the play, but teammate Bobby Wade recovered.

"It's just instinct when I get the ball in my hands," said Davis, an Arena Football League star with the San Jose SaberCats the past four seasons. "I know that I have to do something.

"Arena has kind of helped me in punt returns because in Arena you have to turn around to catch the ball (off the netting) and when you turn around you have to read your blocks. Everything happens so fast, so you have to be able to make something out of nothing sometimes."

Davis (13.5-yard average) and Bobby Wade (11.9-yard average including a 54-yard TD) both excelled on punt returns in the preseason, but the Bears have not yet determined the winner of that job.

Johnson (6 catches for 57 yards) and Sanders (6-56) were released after tying for the team lead in receptions among tight ends in the preseason. Their departure apparently indicates that Gabe Reid has secured the third spot at the position behind Desmond Clark and John Gilmore.

Reid, though, wasn't ready to celebrate on Friday.

"I still don't know what's going to happen," said Reid, who spent the afternoon bagging shoes donated by teammates to send to his native Samoa.

"But if things do work out here, for a guy like me I know you can be here one week and not here the next week. So what I've got to do is just make sure that I prove myself every single day of the week to show them that I want to be here and that I belong here."