Chicago Bears Preseason Game #1: Stock Watch Offense
Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports
The Bears beat the Miami Dolphins 27-10 in their first preseason game on Thursday night. The main point of preseason games is to decide who earns the last quarter or so of the spots on the 53-man roster, and those 2nd and 3rd team players were the reason for the Bears win as they dominated the 2nd half. The Bears made it tough on the turk last night by crushing the Dolphins 24-0 in the 2nd half.
Preseason games are the crucible for the bottom third of the roster and the performance of players in live preseason action plays a big part in determining who makes the final 53-man roster. I’ve listed the offensive players below who either helped or hurt their chance to make the team Thursday night. I will be posting the defensive players stock watch next.
Chicago Bears Preseason: Stock Watch
Stock Up:
RB Jacquizz Rodgers – With starter Matt Forte sitting this one out, Rodgers got the start and had a solid game. Despite being just 5’6, 196 pounds, Rodgers ran with surprising power inside and average 4.7 YPC. His four years of experience and pass pro skills give him an edge over youngsters Carey and Langford, but he will have to continue to produce when given carries to earn a roster spot. Rodgers if off to a good start after 33 yards on 7 carries.
RB Ka’Deem Carey – He’s been a forgotten man after the Bears drafted Jeremy Langford in the 4th round, but Carey put himself back in the conversation with 34 yards on 7 carries (4.9 YPC) on Thursday night. He showed a good burst through the line and ran through a few arm tackles. With rookie Jeremy Langford being drafted by the new regime and Senorise Perry being one of the best special teams players on the team, Carey is going to need strong performances in every preseason game to earn a roster spot. He was good enough in week 1 to stay in the mix.
Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
RB Senorise Perry – Had a couple solid highlights with a 54-yard TD run and a 42-yard kick return. Perry was the Bears leading special team tackler last season which gives him a solid shot at making the roster. If Perry can keep flashing skills as a RB and return man, than he can lock up a roster spot.
WR Cameron Meredith – Led the team with 4 catches for 47 yards on 6 targets. Meredith was signed as an undrafted free agent in the offseason and is a big receiver (6’3 | 208) with good speed (4.49) and athleticism (39″ vertical, 10’7″ broad jump, 6.76 3-cone). He played against low-caliber competition at Illinois St, but was productive (66, 1061, 9). Meredith is probably destined for the practice squad, but has NFL potential.
QB Jimmy Clausen – Had a solid stat line completing 17/27 passes for 151 yards and should have had a TD but Josh Bellamy dropped a slant pass that hit him in the hands. Clausen wasn’t bad, but he didn’t take many chances either. He consistently checked down even on 3rd and long situations and didn’t take many chances down field. I guess some teams value a game manager as their backup and if that’s what Fox wants, then Clausen played well. I feel like he has the talent to be more than that, but we’ll see what he does over the next few games.
OT Jason Weaver – Playing against the team he spent 2013 with on the practice squad, Weaver had one of the best performances of any Bears O-linemen. He was solid in both pass pro and run blocking though did have a false start penalty. If Mills and Leno continue to struggle, Weaver could make a play for the starting RT position.
K Robbie Gould – After the first bad season of Gould’s career last year, he started the preseason 4/4 with a 48-yarder being the highlight.