Chicago Bears – Minicamp Recap
– The Bears also released S Sean Cattouse who appeared in one game late in the season for the Bears last year.
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– LB Jon Bostric is making a run at the starting MLB job. DC Mel Tucker has simplified his responsibilities a little and Bostic is playing with the speed and power that he showed in pre-season last year. Veteran DJ Williams is still the favorite to win the starting job, but it’s a good sign that Bostic, last year’s 2nd round pick, is pushing him for the job.
– Rookie S Brock Vereen is the front-runner for the starting free safety job. Chris Conte has been out with a shoulder injury, so there will be more competition during training camp but Vereen clearly beat out free agent acquisition M.D. Jennings in both mini-camp and OTAs. Vereen has been solid in coverage and has picked up defensive schemes quickly. My biggest worry with Vereen is his tackling ability, so we will see how he holds up once hitting intensifies in training camp.
– Ex-Bear WR Earl Bennett was released by the Browns a few days ago. It was a pretty big surprise considering that Josh Gordon is facing suspension and the Browns don’t have much talent at the position behind him. Bennett was listed as a starter on the Browns depth chart, so I’m not sure what happened to warrant his release. It’s possible he had trouble staying healthy, as he did with the Bears, or perhaps he’s lost a step or two. It was a surprising release and has sparked rumors that he may be heading back to the Bears for significantly less than the $1M the Bears offered him when they asked him to take a pay cut in the off-season.
– Rookie CB Kyle Fuller has been earning praise for his ability to stop the run, coming up to stop multiple plays behind the line of scrimmage. Fuller has struggled a bit in coverage though getting burned deep by both Alshon Jeffrey and Marquess Wilson during mini-camp.
– The Bears signed DE Jamil Merrell (Rutgers) and LB Conor O’Neil (Wisconsin),undrafted rookies who participated in both mini-camps.