Bears Final Roster Spots: Who earned a spot last night?

It's always difficult to give your full attention to the fourth and final preseason game. On one hand, yes it is the Bears and it is football, but on the other, it's always going against the opening night of college football and there are usually a couple of decent match ups in the college ranks that are on par with 22 practice squad-eligible players duking it out in front of a one-third capacity crowd.

Plus my alma mater always plays on the opening Thursdays as well. But with divided attention I had Ball State on my laptop and the Bears on TV and found myself paying much closer attention to Chicago and Cleveland than the Cardinals and VMI (quick aside, did you know the Virginia Military Institute's nickname is the Keydets and NOT the cadets? Kind of weird, kind of clever).

There was some actual intrigue with the Bears game because their roster is so thin that there is a good chance that at some point they may need to turn to these fourth string guys or the brass may be hinging hopes on developing some of the back-end roster talent for future years.

If the latter is true, then there are certainly several candidates. The fourth preseason game must always be taken with a grain of salt because, let's face it, these are fourth stringers going against fourth stringers; a guy who stands out here would still be outclassed by most starters.

There were some guys who stuck out to me though and I'd like to highlight them and then add what I think their prospects are for making the final 53:

David Fales, QB: Fales played pretty well but he still has a long, long way to go in terms of development. I'm by no means a QB guru but when I could tell that Fales wasn't looking beyond his first target on most plays and was staring guys down, then it's a sure sign he has some work to do. That aside though he made several really nice plays and some nice throws. I feel like he's shown enough over the past couple of preseasons that he might not make it through waivers again.

Cameron Meredith, WR: Meredith finishes the preseason with nine catches for 86 yards and he made a few nice plays along the way. That said, even with injuries I doubt he has a shot at anything more than a practice squad spot.

Ify Umodu, WR: Everyone's favorite name finished the preseason with four catches for 35 yards, a touchdown and a blocked punt returned for a TD. I think Bellamy is ahead of him for a roster spot but maybe he sneaks on if John Fox and Ryan Pace can't get enough healthy WR bodies for week one. Umodu is certainly a PS candidate.

Marc Mariani, WR: I thought Mariani was a shoo-in for punt returner when camp opened and once Senorise Perry landed IR it was all but assured. What has surprised me is Mariani's ability as a WR because that's an area he's never made an impact with in the NFL. Mariani is a roster lock at this time.

Terrence Mitchell, CB: Nine solo stops and an interception, Mitchell has locked down the last CB spot. He could see significant playing time as well.

Sherrod Martin, S: Martin is a guy who really impressed me last night, but then again he should because he's been in the league for six years and has 38 NFL starts under his belt, so he should be able to light up fourth stringers. Martin should be able to hang on as quality safety depth, which we all know the Bears can use.

Kyle Woestmann, LB: I really like this kid's enthusiasm and playmaking ability. He had two sacks last night and he always seems to be around the ball when he's in the game. With that said, I'm not so sure there is a final spot for him with more experienced players like Sam Acho around. Woestmann, to me, seems like a sure-fire PS guy.

Ka'Deem Carey, RB: When Pace and Fox came in and went out and drafted Jeremy Langford and then brought in Jaquizz Rodgers I bought into the whole "Carey is going to be out" thing. Now though, with all of preseason behind us, I'm not so sure Langford and Carey should be in ahead of 'Quizz. Rodgers has a knack for pass-blocking but throughout the preseason he's managed a 3.7 yards per carry average. Carey has outgained him on a per-carry basis by a full yard with only three more carries (26 for Carey, 23 for Rodgers). Granted Carey has been playing later in games against lesser defenders but even so, Carey has dominated his competition more than Rodgers has. I hope the Bears find a spot for Carey or go ahead and keep all four backs.

Which players stood out to you last night and do you think deserve a spot on the practice squad or final 53?