How would you rank the Chicago Bears 90-man roster heading into training camp?
Chicago Bears Ranking 90-86 85-81 80-76 75-71 70-66 65-61 60-56 55-50
50-46 45-41 40-36 35-31 30-26 25-21 20-16 15-11
10. Roquan Smith
A player who has never touched an NFL field cracking the top ten of most valuable players on his team? It can happen. Heck, Roquan Smith has every chance to finish the season higher on the list. It may not come this season, but in the near future, Smith is likely to be the top defensive player on the team.
The fact of the matter is that Roquan Smith is a very easy evaluation. It is easy to see where he will find success, and where he may struggle. Where he finds success is going to get him on the field immediately.
His ability to read and react and maintain game speed throughout his motion is the toughest thing to translate to the NFL and it arguably his greatest strength. When things speed up, he speeds up.
He is a bit undersized and can give up some yards after the catch. However, with an athletic Danny Trevathan beside him, the team should be able to keep him in good positions when it comes to sticking his head into the box and defending bigger tight ends.
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Trevathan also should help Roquan Smith in his ability to call the plays. Do not be surprised if this is in the arsenal of Smith by the end of the season. So yes, he has proven nothing yet. However, he has starter expectations with the plans to slowly become the leader of the defense. Can he do this all in year one? We will see.
9. Eddie Goldman
Eddie Goldman is an undervalued player on this unit. As the nose tackle next to Akiem Hicks, Goldman has a specific job that is pretty thankless. His job is to hold up blockers on the inside. He is supposed to clear the lanes for Hicks and the other pass rushers.
Of course, Goldman can get after the quarterback at times, and had 1.5 sacks last season. However, his job is typically to increase the sack totals of other players. With that said, he does his job very well.
Last season he started in 15 games which was a career high for Eddie Goldman. In that was arguably the best season of his career. What was impressive about Goldman was his ability to stay on the field for nickel situations last season. Most nose tackles are early down players, but Goldman was able to provide three-down value.
Now, he is entering season four with little injury issues to speak of. He is entrenched in his role and provides an impact.
8. Leonard Floyd
Floyd is entering his third season in the NFL. After a seven-sack rookie season, the arrow was pointing directly upon his progression.
However, after just 4.5 sacks in 10 games, an ACL injury sidelined Floyd for the season. 11.5 sacks in two years is a strong start and leave the expectations that more can come. However, there are also questions that linger.
7.5 of his 11.5 sacks have come in four games. He tends to run hot and cold, and while he can take advantage of the situation, he is not the best when it comes to one-on-one combat.
On top of that is the obvious concern of coming off of an ACL injury. Floyd did take to the field in OTAs and should be ready to go fully on the first day of training camp. Still, he will not only need to prove that he is healthy but also prove that he is a more consistent player in his third season.
With all of that in mind, he truly has to carry what is looked at as the worst position on the team in terms of depth. This is going to be a huge season for Leonard Floyd.
7. Danny Trevathan
This has the chance to be a very big season for Danny Trevathan. Both on and off of the field. Trevathan has talked extensively about how optimistic he is this season, mainly because of a full offseason to workout.
Over the past two seasons, it has been offseasons spent recovering from an injury. This season. Trevathan says he is fully healthy and it should impact his game. Trevathan is set to be the signal caller and the run stuffer in the middle of the field. Last year he was rated as the 12th overall linebacker in the NFL, an above average rating by PFF. That was with three missed games due to injury and one due to suspension.
It was also with a rotating cast around him. Now, he gets Roquan Smith, who can take a lot of the attention away from him. On the field, the signs are pointing to a big step forward.
Speaking of Smith, Trevathan is also going to show value this season by what he brings to Smith off of the field. He has already mentioned welcoming Smith with open arms and Smith has mentioned looking up to Trevathan all the way back to his days in Denver.
Trevathan should be able to pass on the play calling duties to his teammate, and the duo should be rock solid up the middle. A veteran providing an impact and leaving an impact on Smith is an extremely valuable piece.
6. Kyle Fuller
Last season Kyle Fuller was on the verge of being released. This season, Fuller signed a four-year, $56 million extension. Not a bad season, I guess. The Green Bay Packers added pressure to get the deal done, but nonetheless, the Chicago Bears are officially invested in the long-term future of their former first-round cornerback.
Fuller was tested often last season. He struggled against the Packers but otherwise had an excellent season. It was highlighted and capped with a strong performance against a frustrated A.J. Green.
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Fuller is not a ball hawk and does not put up big interceptions. However, he plays the man better than the ball and does well with his back to the football, which is a tough skill on its own.
While the Chicago Bears play sides, the upside, youth, and overall talent say that Fuller is the alpha of this group. While he has only had two strong seasons sandwiched between two questionable seasons, there is a lot of optimism surrounding Fuller this upcoming season. He will have to live up to that and be one of the most impactful players on the team.