Chicago Bears Preseason Game #4: Position Battles (Defense)
Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Backup Safeties
Is Brock Vereen‘s roster spot safe? He has had a rough preseason and the new regime has no ties to last year’s 4th round pick. Vereen has proven to be a weak tackler and hasn’t shown enough competence in coverage to make up for it. The Bears are probably too thin at safety to release Vereen but if he gets a lot of playing time Thursday, it would be a pretty clear sign that his roster spot is in jeopardy. The release of Vereen would leave two roster spots open at safety after Rolle and Amos, with veteran Sherrod Martin, former slot corner Demontre Hurst, and undrafted rookie Anthony Jefferson competing for those two spots.
Hurst showed potential as a slot corner last year and is an aggressive enough run stopper that he should be able to transition to the safety position quickly. Martin has bounced around the league and based on his play this preseason, I’m not surprised. Jefferson has flashed during training camp but is slow (4.72) and prone to taking bad angles against the run.
I think the Bears will end up keeping Vereen unless two of that group impresses on Thursday or a better option at safety becomes available on waivers. My guess is Vereen and Hurst are the backups with Jefferson taking a spot on the practice squad, but Thursday could change things.
Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
6th CB
Assuming veteran corner Tracy Porter is healthy, the Bears depth chart at corner should be fairly set with Kyle Fuller and some combination of Alan Ball, Porter, Sherrick McManis, and Terrance Mitchell rounding out the top five spots. The Bears usually keep at least six corners and the last spot will probably come down to undrafted rookies Bryce Callahan, Jacoby Glenn, and Qumain Black fighting for the last spot. The other two will probably end up on the practice squad, assuming they clear waivers, but whoever wins the job will have a chance to see the field at some point this season. All three have flashed talent at times during training camp and preseason games, so whoever plays the best on Thursday may end up earning a spot on the final 53-man roster.
Next: 2015 Fantasy Football Last Minute Sleepers