The Bears face the New England Patriots on Thursday in their second preseason game. It would be difficult to be less impressive than they were in the preseason opener, but the Patriots are a tough match-up (at least their starters). Practicing against the Pats all week should give the Bears at least some familiarity with what the Pats are doing, but that works both ways.
I’m hoping the Bears starters at least cross the 50-yard-line this week as they failed to get even close against the Broncos. There are a lot of areas for the offense to improve and quite a few players who need to start making a positive impact during games if they want to stay on the roster.
I’ll break down some offensive players below who need a good showing on Thursday to secure their roster spot for next week’s game.
Players to Watch (Offense):
WR Josh Bellamy – With projected starting slot receiver Eddie Royal still out with concussion symptoms and potential 4th WR Marquess Wilson missing time with a foot injury, the door is wide open for Bellamy to step up and claim consistent snaps early in the season. He made a couple nice grabs in week one, but also dropped two throws that were difficult but catchable.
Bellamy has the size (6’0, 211) and speed (4.47) to be an impact player outside or in the slot. He was a cornerback in college, so it’s understandable for the transition to receiver to take some time but he’s been in the league since 2012 so his development stage is about over. Bellamy missed a prime opportunity last season due to injury and finished the year with just 19 catches for 224 yards, but did make two nice TD grabs. The talent and opportunity are there for Bellamy to break out this year, but he needs to start showing that he’s more than a backup WR.
Back-up Centers (Edison, Holmes, Smith) – The Bears are in trouble at the center position. Losing Hroniss Grasu, who many thought was the most improved player in camp this year, has left the Bears without a quality starting center. They signed veteran Manny Ramirez in the offseason to back up Grasu, but he retired unexpectedly leaving the Bears on their 3rd string center already.
They tried rookie Cody Whitehair at center last week, but he looked lost and hopefully they’ve already scratched that idea since he’s needed as their starting left guard. Veteran Ted Larsen is atop the depth chart, but hasn’t played the position since 2012 and is far from a sure thing.
The Bears signed two free agent centers this week to compete with 2nd year, undrafted free agent Cornelius Edison at the position. Edison struggled in week one, but the coaches were high on him coming into the season after a dominant FCS career (Rimington Award) and promising year on the Bears practice squad in 2015.
In case Edison continues to struggle, the Bears brought in veteran centers Khaled Holmes and Shelley Smith this week. Neither center has played at a high level recently, but they both have more starting center experience in the NFL than either Larsen or Edison. I’m not sure either player will be ready to take snaps after only a few days with the team, but both players have a legitimate shot at the final 53-man roster once they do.
T Garry Williams – He is another recent addition to the roster forced by a veteran retiring (Nate Chandler), but flashed some ability in week one with a few nice plays in pass protection. The swing tackle position is wide open and Williams is the current favorite for the job. Another strong performance in week two would give Williams a significant edge over the young tackles on the Bears roster (Weaver, Kling, Wallace) and give him a good shot at the final 53, unless the Bears bring in a more established veteran.
Next: Players to Watch - Offense