RealGM

The Bears on Sunday began the process of reaching the NFL's 75-man roster limit by releasing nine players, including veteran safety Adrian Wilson and defensive tackle Nate Collins.

Wilson, 34, signed with the Bears on June 23. He was voted to five Pro Bowls during 12 seasons with the Arizona Cardinals from 2001-12, but missed all of last season with a leg injury after joining the New England Patriots.

Collins appeared in 14 games with two starts for the Bears the past two seasons, recording 25 tackles and one sack. He played in the first five contests last year before suffering a torn ACL last Oct. 6 in a loss to the New Orleans Saints.

During the offseason, the Bears addressed the defensive tackle position by re-signing Jeremiah Ratliff and selecting Ego Ferguson and Will Sutton in the second and third rounds of the draft.

The Bears also waived second-year running back Michael Ford, who appeared in 12 games as a rookie last season after earning a roster spot as an undrafted free agent. Coach Marc Trestman acknowledged last week that Ford was behind Shaun Draughn and rookie fourth-round pick Ka'Deem Carey in the competition for backup positions behind starter Matt Forte.

Other players waived Sunday included cornerbacks Derricus Purdy and Peyton Thompson, guard/center Dylan Gandy, tackle Joe Long, and receivers Greg Herd and Kofi Hughes.

The Bears must trim six more players by 3 pm Tuesday to reach the NFL's mandatory 75-man roster limit. Teams must then reach the 53-man limit by 5 pm Saturday.