Chicago Bears Preseason Game #4: Position Battles (Offense)
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5th-6th WR
Last week was a golden opportunity for some of the wide receivers on the roster bubble to separate from the pack with the Bears top four receivers all on the sideline, but none of them stood out against the Bengals. This will be the last chance for someone out of the Joshua Bellamy, Rashad Lawrence, Cameron Meredith, and perhaps Ify Umodu group to make a bid for a spot on the final 53-man roster.
Right Tackle
No position has been worse the last two weeks than right tackle. 2nd year player Charles Leno Jr got promoted to the starting lineup before the Bears 2nd preseason game, but was awful last week. Former starter Jordan Mills took over in the 2nd half and was arguably even worse despite playing against the Bengals reserves. Swing tackle Michael Ola was maybe a little better as the backup left tackle last Saturday, but was still pretty bad and didn’t do anything to prove he deserves a chance at right tackle. Unless someone steps up on Thursday night, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bears move OG Kyle Long to right tackle or perhaps bring in someone released during final cuts on another team to compete at the position. It’s a big game for both Leno and Mills with a starting job on the line.
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Backup TEs
The Bears just traded for inline TE Khari Lee from the Texans which further complicates an already murky battle for the 2nd and 3rd tight end spots. Veteran TE Donte Rosario probably has the best shot at a job considering he has played for Fox before in Carolina and has been a solid, if unspectacular, backup. Oft-injured TE Zach Miller was a star during last year’s preseason and has the most offensive upside, but hasn’t made any impact so far this preseason. Former Giant TE Bear Pascoe has probably showed the most promise on the field the last few seasons, but hasn’t gotten many snaps in the preseason. The Bears will most likely only keep two of the Lee, Rosario, Miller, and Pascoe group, with Lee and Rosario the favorites unless Miller or Pascoe show something on Thursday night.
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