Most notably, 2007 second round draft pick Dan Bazuin and 2007 third round pick Michael Okwo.  Bazuin was touted as a solid defensive end to compete with Mark Anderson.  At that time the Bears had ideas of putting more speed and youth and defensive end and part ways with Alex Brown.  Brown is extremely solid against the run but is not known for his passing rushing skills.  After the Bears started Anderson last year and saw how poorly he struggled against the run the Bears opted to sign Brown for a few more years.

Bazuin never got into a game for the Bears and struggled with injuries.  Even when healthy this preseason he looked slow off the ball and didn’t appear to fit the mold of quick, suffocating ends the Bears need.

Okwo was picked one pick after running back Garrett Wolfe but never managed to get into any game action.  The Bears have shown a commitment to their current linebackers with Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs signed long-term and Hunter Hillenmeyer consistently playing solid.  However, the Bears had a need for a talented young linebacker to step up in the event any of the big three have an injury.  Okwo was overshadowed by the solid play of Nick Roach, a young linebacker signed to the practice squad last year who looked fantastic in training camp and preseason.

That leaves the Bears out two high draft picks from just last year.  Add that to the fact that the Bears have lost first round draft pick, tackle Chris Williams for most of the season and the fact that of five seventh round picks this year, the Bears have only kept one on the 53-man roster, drafting continues to be a thorn in the side of the Bears organization.

The biggest question mark was at the wide receiver position where the Bears had a ton of competition and no clear front runners.  The Bears settled on Devin Hester, Marty Booker, Rashied Davis, Earl Bennett, Mark Bradley, and Brandon Lloyd.  Fans have to be disappointed that Mike Hass once again failed to make the final roster after showing an uncanny ability to make great catches.  However, coaches are still reluctant to use him because of his slow speed off the ball.  The biggest surprise has to be Mark Bradley, who was a good as gone a couple weeks ago.  What a difference a couple preseason games can make.  After making some great connections with Rex Grossman he appears to be ready to embrace the expectations put on him as a big play receiver.  The Bears sorely needed a big play receiver to compliment Devin Hester on the field.  Booker, Davis, and Lloyd all play well in the slot receiver position but are limited in their big play speed.

The ability of rookie Earl Bennett remains undetermined.  He has not been regarded as a great receiver but has shown good hands and looked awesome in a punt return for a touchdown in the preseason.  He remains the biggest gamble on the roster as a possible big talent.

However, for those still looking for fantasy wide receivers, I think the biggest impact could be made by Rashied Davis.  Since Kyle Orton took over the starting job Davis has been his go-to-guy early and the two appear to have a good chemistry on the football field.

Of course my excitement is curbed by reality of this being an exhibition game.  We’ll like only see a quarter or half tops of good football and then the remainder of the game will feature the players fighting for a roster spot.  The third and fourth string players certainly play with plenty of heart but they run around the field with a wild disregard that makes you wonder if they really know what play was just called in the huddle. 

For the Chicago Bears, the preseason holds an important test for several positions on the field.  A season cannot be made or lost in a single preseason game, but tomorrow night’s contest certainly holds the futures and opinions of my players in the balance.  Without further delay, here are my players to watch tomorrow night.

First Round Bench Warmers

The Bears and Chiefs have a lot invested in the success of their first round picks, all of whom will not be dressing tomorrow.  Bears first round pick, and hopeful for left tackle of the future, Chris Williams will not be playing due to a lingering back injury.  He has missed significant practice time and is now reaching the point where coaches should be concerned if he will be ready for the actual season.  Without Williams playing left tackle the Bears will be starting the season with a weak offensive line.  The Chiefs will also be playing without their first rounders, Glenn Dorsey and Branden Albert.  Both players need to get healthy and contribute to help the Chiefs rebuilding process begin.

Matt Forte Show

The Bears signed free agent running back Kevin Jones to help in the backfield but Jones is still coming back from his injury.  He is almost ready to put on pads and get his first taste of game action but for tomorrow, it will be the Matt Forte show.  There is no understatement in saying all eyes will be on his every move and touch of the ball.  He should get about ten touches before being pulled for Adrian Peterson, but he needs to show some of the flashes coaches have been telling us about.  Fans may extend a learning curve to the rookie, but I think everyone will feel better on Friday if Forte can show he can run the ball in the NFL.

Wide Receiver Madness

The Bears have a LOT of receivers to choose from and players need to stand out or find themselves at the bottom of a deep depth chart.  Bears quarterbacks can throw to Marty Booker, Devin Hester, Brandon Lloyd, Rashied Davis, Mike Hass, Marcus Monk, Earl Bennett, Brandon Rideau, and Ryan Grice-Mullen.  Every day I read articles from reporters at training camp and every day they seem to have a new favorite at the receiver position.  The Bears appear committed to Booker, Hester, Lloyd and Davis as their starting four for the upcoming season.  The remaining players will have to come up with big plays to earn a place among the top.  Fan favorite Mike Hass is known for making spectacular catches but coaches are afraid he’s too slow to put him on the field.  Little has been said about rookie draft picks Bennett and Monk so any contribution will help get their names in the running.

O-Line Disaster

I’ve been talking all summer until blue in the face about the importance of the Bears to solidify the offensive line.  First round pick and left tackle Chris Williams is out indefinately with back pain and Olin Kreutz missed practice time with injuries early in camp.  More recently there have been troubles with the guard position and the Bears may be forced to start Josh Beekman.  No one really knows if Beekman is good or bad because coaches have never opted to use him.  Even last season when the offensive line was terrible, Beekman dressed but was never put into a game.  That’s not a good sign for things to come.  I for one will be watching Beekman to see if he can step up with this opportunity.

QB Coin Flip

Coach Lovie Smith didn’t rely on a coin flip to make his decision this time, but he did continue to flip.  Kyle Orton will be the starter of tomorrow’s game and Rex Grossman will the starter for next week’s game.  Grossman and Orton have been very close throughout training camp and game situations could prove to be the final test.  Grossman has always given the Bears the better chance to win, but his failure to maintain his composure and mechanics have proven disasterous.  If Orton shows he can stand in the pocket he may move ahead in the competition.

Injury Bug

Defensive tackle Dusty Dvoracek is considered a possible key player for the defense at tackle but can’t seem to stay healthy.  For the third year in a row he has been injured and will force the Bears to find a new tackle to play alongside Tommie Harris.  Rookie Marcus Harrison was ranked by many teams as a possible first round pick but passed on him because of character issues.  Reports indicate he has been a model citizen in training camp and he may get a lot of activity tomorrow night.  At the present moment he appears to be the best candidate for surprise draft pick if he can deliver.

Roach Factor

Nick Roach is a second year linebacker with the team that is getting a lot of attention.  He recently moved up the depth chart ahead of Rod Wilson as backup middle linebacker to Brian Urlacher.  I thougth highly enough of Wilson that I suggested last season the Bears should let Lance Briggs go and start him this season.  If Roach is even better he may prove to be valuable addition to the defense.  If he can make a big play Roach may see more significant playing time.

Establish The Running Game

Believe it or not, the Bears may have done themselves a favor getting rid of Cedric Benson.  He was never able to translate his success in college to success in the NFL.  The Bears kept giving him second chances because they wasted a high first round draft pick on him and were hoping to get a little production for their wasted money.  With Benson out of the way it paves the way for rookie Matt Forte and veteran Adrian Peterson.  Between the two they pose a better chance for the Bears to establish a running game than wasting more time hoping Benson would produce.  Coach Lovie Smith recently said that he likes the Bears running back depth chart and they don’t see a need to pursue a free agent running back.  Quarterback Rex Grossman looks like he’s running sand when he’s scrambling in the pocket, but he throws a beautiful deep ball off play action.  If the Bears have a running game, they can produce some big plays.

D-FENCE

Last year the offense got most of the attention as the reason the Bears lots.  Let’s get something straight right now, the Bears never have and never will pretend to be an offensive team.  They preach defense and then more defense.  Last year the entire defense got banged up, losing both starting cornerbacks, safety Mike Brown, and Tommie Harris played with a bad knee the entire season.  The return of a healthy defense could quickly return the Bears to dominance quicker than critics believe.  The Bears defense got them to the Super Bowl two years ago when all they had on offense was Thomas Jones and a chance-taking Rex Grossman.  This defensive unit can create turnovers, score touchdowns, and win games all by itself.  If the injury bug can stay off their backs this season, the results may look much different than last year.

The X-Factor: Devin Hester

Last season, the Bears offense was so pathetic that opposing teams were willing to kickoff out-of-bounds and give the Bears the ball on the 40-yard line rather than kick to Devin Hester.  I can tell you from sitting in the stands and watching him on the field, he is the fastest, most ellusive man I have ever seen.  The Bears have talked about letting Hester sit out some kickoffs so he can focus more of his energy on playing wide receiver.  Everyone is holding their breath to see how this experiment works out for the offense.  Last season Hester looked confused after leaving the huddle and frequently had to be reminded his assignment by a fellow receiver, usually Muhsin Muhammed.  Hester has had a full season to study the playbook and if he can make an impact on offense he will offer an immediate spark to ignite scoring.  The quarterback just has to get the ball in Hester’s hands and he can carve up the defense on his own.  If the offense can produce, they will either be able to take advantage of the great field position, or teams will have to kick to Hester.  Either option works in the Bears favor.

A Deep Pass To……Who?

The Bears decided the offense needed to go in a new direction this season.  Last year they got a very talented tight end in Greg Olsen who can run and block and this year they picked up a top tackle in Chris Williams to solidify the line.  Everyone already knows about the running back situation, but the wide receiver corps is a complete unknown.  The top 2 receivers from last season, Muhsin Muhammed and Bernard Berrian, are gone and in are Marty Booker, Brandon Lloyd, rookie Earl Bennett, rookie Marcus Monk, Mark Bradley, Rashied Davis, and Mike Hass.  That’s a lot of names isn’t it?  That’s because the Bears have no idea who will be the starting wide receivers and have brought in a whole new crop to choose from.  Marty Booker had a lot of success the first time he played with the Bears and is happy to be home.  He will be the veteran presence but it is unclear how much talent he has left.  Brandon Lloyd has be praised as the best looking receiver in OTA’s and appears to be the most promising prospect of the bunch.  Surprising little has been said about rookie draft picks Bennett and Monk, which isn’t good and means they need to step it up in training camp.  Davis and Bradley have been with the team a few years and are good, but far from being great.  Mike Hass just missed making the team last year but made some absolutely amazing catches in the preseason last year and eyes will be on him this year.  I will say one thing, the Bears have made many mistakes in the draft but they have rarely made mistakes with wide receiver.  Booker and Lloyd will be the front runners, but Bennett and Monk may become big producers down the line.

NFC NORTH

Last year the Bears had a tough time with their own division, getting beat up by the Vikings, Packers, and the Lions.  Hopefully this year the Bears will solve the riddle of how a terrible Lions team managed to give them hell and keep the Vikings’ Adrian Peterson from running all over the field.  Brett Favre was always a Bears killer and with him gone the defense should be able to exhale a little bit.  The problem is the NFL North appears to have replaced Favre with the new division star in Peterson.  It will be hard to match up against a good Vikings team, but I will be interested to see how they treat Berrian in the first game.  If the Bears are going to have any success, they have to find a way to at least split the games with their three rivals.

Season Schedule

Coach Lovie Smith likes to break the season into quarters so I’ll do the same.  First quarter: open against the Colts in their new stadium, at Panthers, Bucs, and Eagles.  I would LOVE to see the Bears take out the Colts in their new stadium but I doubt the Bears will have everything ready.  This team will take time to feel each other with so many new faces.  The Bears need to rebound quickly with a win against the Panthers.  The Bears have always enjoyed success against the Bucs and they have bigger problems than the Bears with their roster.  The Eagles are always tough in the beginning of the season with a healthy McNabb.  They’ll likely open 2-2.

Second quarter: at Lions, at Falcons, Vikings, Lions.  The Bears played the Lions close together last season and it spelled disaster as they confused Bears coaches both times.  This year I doubt they will let the same thing happen.  The Falcons are a few years away from being competitive in the NFL and should offer some relief.  The first match up against the Vikings will be charged up for the Bears to test themselves against the new NFL darling as NFC favorite.  Second quarter record: 3-1.

Third quarter: Titans, at Packers, at Rams, at Vikings.  You never know what to expect from the Titans and Vince Young.  However, Brian Urlacher has always matched up well against scrambling quarterbacks by chasing down all over the field.  He did it to Michael Vick and he should be able to do it against Young.  The Bears then have a tough three game stretch of away games but thankfully they are all in the midwest and will save players from travel fatigue.  The Bears will try to take advantage of a Favre-less Packers, shut down the Ram offense, and try to escape Minnesota with a victory.  They will be successful in 2 out of 3 trips.  Third quarter record:  3-1.

Fourth quarter:  Jaguars, Saints, Packers, at Texans.  This will be the toughest stretch of the season for the Bears and will test their ability.  By this time they will be in contention for a playoff spot but will have to fight hard to keep it.  The Bears play the Jaguars on Sunday and then must prepare for the Saints on Thursday night.  The Jaguars are a physical team and may present a problem for players to be ready by Thursday for a talented Saints team.  I fear at best they will split these games and could possibly drop them both.  The Bears will have no problem getting focused for the Packers game at Soldier Field on December 22nd for Monday Night Football.  The house will be rocking and the Bears will be looking to put on a good show.  The Texans offer a nice trip to warm Texas and hopefully wrap up a playoff spot.  Fourth quarter record:  2-2. 

That leaves the Bears with a record of 10-6 and in the NFC that will always get you to the playoffs. 

Playoff Match Ups

The good news about a good Minnesota team is that if the Bears meet them in the playoffs, they will be very familiar with each other.  The more experience you have with a team, regardless of talent, the better chance you have to find a way to beat them.  Teams like the Saints and Cowboys are unpredictable but talented and may face challenges for the Bears.  However, no NFC team has really established itself as a top team beyond ranking speculation.  As we have seen, a key injury to the Cowboys or Saints lineup can leave them vulnerable.  A lot of things can happen in a football season.  As the saying goes, any given sunday.  The opportunities are there for the Bears if they can seize it.