Bears Preseason Stock Watch: Week 1 Offense

More Good than Bad:

WR Josh Bellamy – Led the team with three catches, but for only 26 yards. Bellamy would have led them in receiving yards as well, but had an 18-yard reception on 3rd and long called back by a Cody Whitehair holding (more on him later). Bellamy also led the team in targets and had a chance to make another two catches. They would have been excellent grabs, but those are the types of plays Bellamy needs to make to stand out and secure his roster spot.

OT Garry Williams – It’s hard to give any positive reinforcement to an offensive linemen after the Bears gave up seven sacks Thursday night, but most of the pressure came from the inside. I saw three plays on tape where Williams stoned an outside pass rusher. His contributions would have given Hoyer more time if there wasn’t so much pressure coming from everywhere else on the line.

With the retirement of Nate Chandler, Willaims has a legit shot to be the Bears swing tackle and he made a decent impression in week one despite the incompetence of the blockers around him and only a week on the Bears roster. Williams didn’t do much as a run blocker, but at left tackle I’m guessing the coaching staff is more concerned with Williams’ ability to protect Cutler’s blindside if needed.

WRs Alshon Jeffery & Kevin White – The fact that they were both on the field for the Bears first offensive possession is a positive sign in itself. They also each caught one of Cutler’s first two passes. If they can both stay healthy and the o-line can give Cutler a few seconds to throw… The Bears passing game could be much more explosive in 2016, despite the lackluster showing against the Broncos.

WR Darrin Peterson – The intriguing undrafted rookie from Liberty caught his first NFL pass for 13 yards. With the uncertain health of the Bears top four WRs, anyone who plays the position could see important minutes in 2016 and Peterson has NFL size and athleticism. At 6’2, 214 pounds with 4.49 speed and impressive college stats (3,155 yards, 27 TDs in three years as a starter), Peterson is a developmental receiver to keep an eye on.

I’m out of positive things I can say about the Bears offense and even the last few felt like a stretch to be honest. It was an ugly game for the Bears offense and they only had the ball for 23 minutes, barely over half of the Broncos time of possession. Let’s hope for a better showing in week two.

Next: More Bad than Good