Welcome to the latest installment of Bear Dawn, the latest Chicago Bears news and notes from around the web.
It is finally here! Today is the day that the Chicago Bears report to training camp. Now, there will not be any practice sessions until Thursday, but still, this is just a major step along the way as we approach the start of the regular season.
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Training camp is always a time for hot takes across the board, and this year will not be any different. In fact, with a new coaching staff taking over this season I expect an uptick in said takes.
There is a lot of mystery in what the Bears will look like this season. Many of the same faces around, but they will now be used in completely different ways. How will Jared Allen look in Vic Fangio’s 3-4 defense? What will Jay Cutler look like in an Adam Gase system? Will the Bears look to feature Matt Forte even more than before?
All of these questions and many more will begin to be answered when the Bears hit the practice field on Thursday. If nothing else, seeing it unfold will be extremely interesting.
Before heading off to camp, the Bears made a couple of interesting roster moves on Tuesday. They signed defensive lineman David Carter and WR/KR A.J. Cruz. To make room for both players on the roster, the team waived linebacker Jonathan Brown.
Carter played every game for the Arizona Cardinals in 2011 and 2012, and three games for the Dallas Cowboys in 2013. He has never been a huge contributor, but the 6-foot-5, 300-pound defensive lineman has some experience in the 3-4 defense, which is something that the Bears are lacking.
The 5-foot-9, 195-pound Cruz joins the Bears from the Arena Football League. He played both sides of the ball in the AFL, but mostly excelled as a returner, leading the entire league in return average last season. He will be a direct competitor to Marc Mariani to be the Bears’ primary return man next season.
Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com takes a look at the offensive line, and how two-time Pro Bowl selection Kyle Long gives the team plenty of options. I am a firm believer in Long’s ability to play tackle, and think the Bears should give him a chance on the outside.
That being said, the safe bet is on Long sticking at his familiar right guard position. However, this is pretty interesting:
#Bears GM Ryan Pace to http://t.co/l2X9nDM38C on OL Kyle Long: "I think you're going to see him line up at a variety of positions."
— Zach Zaidman (@ZachZaidman) July 28, 2015
With camp literally right around the corner, Larry Mayer looks at five Bears’ to watch during training camp.
Former Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall had some interesting comments on his former team at a panel discussion.
Deadspin continues their “Why Your Team Sucks” series, and you guessed it, the Chicago Bears are up next. There is some pretty funny stuff in there, with Cutler getting the bulk of the attention it seems. No surprise there.
Next: What to Expect Out of Eddie Royal in 2015