Countdown to Kickoff: Jon Bostic Days Until Season Opener

We had so much fun doing our Countdown to Kickoff series last season that we decided to do it again.  In case you’re new to the series, we’ll do a roster preview as we count down the days until the Chicago Bears September 7th season opener against the Buffalo Bills.

A little over eight weeks. We can make it.

Jon Bostic is an inside linebacker from the University of Florida  going into his second year with the team. Last season, he showed flashes of excellence, but also looked lost a lot of the time. His confusion was partly due to being thrown into the starting job after a DJ Williams injury. He finished the year with 57 tackles, 2 sacks and an interception. In the 2013 preseason, he had some amazing plays, including a wicked hit on Chargers’ receiver Mike Willie (which lead to a ridiculous fine) and an athletic pick six against Cam Newton. I’m hoping this type of play can carry over to when it counts.

Bostic is young, unlike the more likely starter in DJ Williams. He definitely has a lot of raw talent, but he has a lot to learn, like any second-year player. Next season, I don’t expect him to start but i do expect him to share a lot of playing time with Williams. I expect that Bostic’s improvements will show more than his growing pains. I expect him to be decent this season before really blossoming in the future.

As for the number 57, the first Bear who comes to mind is the great center Olin Kreutz. This third round pick in 1998 was selected for six Pro Bowls and paved the way for Chicago Bears running backs from Anthony Thomas to Matt Forte. He was the anchor of the offensive line for years. There are not very many men who embody the blue-collar style of Chicago Bears football the way Kreutz did.

Olin Kreutz blocks downfield against the Oakland Raiders. Dennis Wierzbicki/US Presswire