Replacement level was devised to be a baseline standard. It is the lowest of the low that can competently play the game as opposed to like fans going out there.

It was devised in baseball to be basically a AAA team playing in MLB. A team made up of replacement level players would win 48 games.

It is freely available talent i.e. a replacement level player is Scott Kingery. It means someone that could be had a literally any time to put a body on the field as the absolute baseline player for the league.

That concept is not insurance in any sense of meaning. If you have to put replacement level players on the field your team is in a bad space.

The Bears should not be looking for replacement level players in any sense to add at the end of training camp. It is pointless and it is not insurance.

Now during the season as injuries take their place they’ll probably have to find replacement level players off the practice squad and waivers to fill in some roster spots.