Good morning Bears fans! Welcome to this edition of Bear Dawn, the latest Chicago Bears news and notes from across the web. I am going to look to get your Friday morning off to a strong start, as we head into the weekend.
Blair Sheade of the Chicago Sun-Times notices a difference in running back Matt Forte. Sheade notes that Forte is “bulking up to handle the workload.” Forte has clearly done some work in the gym this off season, and appears primed and ready to go.
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Forte has always been a major part of the Bears’ offense, both in the running game and catching passes out of the backfield. Now, that he is bulking up, will the Bears look to rely on him even more?
I suppose it is possible. Forte will be an unrestricted free agent next off season, and at 29-years-old, his return to Chicago is questionable at best. The Bears are also expected to feature the run game much more this season under John Fox and Adam Gase. I could certainly see a scenario where the Bears ride Forte all season long, and move on from him next off season.
It seems unfathomable that Forte could become an even larger part of the Bears’ offense, but I think it is possible. They are best off getting the production out of him before it is too late.
Speaking of Forte, Arthur Arkush looks at “Who’s up next if Forte goes down?” for The Daily Journal. I am personally a big Jeremy Langford fan, and think that he is the guy to replace Forte if he does not return next season. Because of this, I probably give him the edge if Forte were to go down this season.
However, Jacquizz Rodgers would be able to help fill Forte’s role in the passing game, and Daniel Thomas may have some life left in his legs. Ka’Deem Carey is still a very interesting player, but he struggled to adapt to the NFL game last season, and his pass protection must improve if he is to see any serious playing time.
Langford holds the most upside, but the Bears would still have some interesting options if Forte were to unfortunately miss time for an injury.
The Bears head to Bourbonnais for Training Camp on July 30th. With a brand-new coaching staff and front office in place, there will be many story-lines to watch throughout camp, including a fair share of position battles.
Matt Eurich of Bleacher Reports takes a look at the five most important position battles for the Bears when they head to camp.
Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com continues ranking the Bears top 10 players. Coming in at number eight is wide receiver Eddie Royal. While I think Royal is a solid player who will make a difference from the slot for the Bears this season, he is not the eighth best player on this team. I think the buzz and excitement surrounding Royal is starting to get out of hand, and it is time to check the brakes a little bit.
Keeping with the countdowns, Chicago Football’s Bear Necessities continue with cornerback Kyle Fuller at number seven. Arthur Arkush does the profile on Fuller.
Brad Biggs wrote for the Chicago Tribune about whether the Bears could be playoff contenders this season.
This last one does not mean much, or really anything at all, but I found it to be very interesting. I am a sucker for NFL mock drafts all year round, and while they mean close to nothing at the moment, I still check them out when I come across them.
I recently came across one from Philadelphia Eagles SB Nation site, Bleeding Green Nation. In Ben Nathan’s 2016 NFL mock draft, he has the Bears selecting cornerback Kendall Fuller with the 10th overall pick. Fuller is a legitimate top 10 draft prospect this season.
He will enter the NFL out of Virginia Tech, just like his brother Kyle. Wouldn’t that be interesting to see the Bears line-up Kyle and Kendall Fuller at their two cornerback positions?
Next: Top Five Breakout Candidates for the Bears