Countdown to Kickoff… 53 Days Until Chicago Bears Season Opener

Jun 11, 2013; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears running back Michael Bush (29) catches a pass against linebacker Jerry Franklin (53) during minicamp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

We decided to do a countdown to the Chicago Bears season opener on September 8th versus the Cincinnati Bengals.  Thanks to one of our Twitter followers,se decided to combine the countdown with a roster preview of sorts.

We’re 53 days until kickoff!  That’s PJ Lonergen  and Jerry Franklin days away.  Let’s get to know these two in our roster preview.

Jerry Franklin is a second year linebacker out of Arkansas.  He signed on as an undrafted free agent with the Denver Broncos.  He’s had brief stints with the Broncos, Panthers and Cowboys before finally catching on with the Bears for the final three games of 2012.  Let’s face it, he’s a long shot to make the final 53 man roster with all of the depth the Bears have added this offseason.

On the other side of the ball is PJ Lonergan, a rookie center out of LSU.  Lonergan is an interesting prospect in that the Bears are a little thin at center behind Roberto Garza.  Lonergan could flourish under the tutelage of Aaron Kromer, who’s turned late-round picks into Pro Bowlers.  Lonergan has a decent shot to make the practice squad as a project for Kromer to develop.

We’re 53 days away.  Are you ready???