Chicago Bears Training Camp: 5 players who must step up

Chicago Bears - Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Chicago Bears - Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Chicago Bears, Anthony Miller
Chicago Bears – Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /

The Chicago Bears need Anthony Miller to step up this season, let’s start at camp

Anthony Miller has been the talk of possible trades this offseason, but at this point, he is not likely going anywhere. This offense has been waiting to see Miller reach his potential for a few years now and if he does not do enough this season he will be looking for a new team.

Some even believe he might be flat-out cut before the regular season starts. I find that hard to believe, but he will need to step up if he wants to see WR3 targets this season. We already know that Darnell Mooney will be playing the secondary role of Allen Robinson.

Miller has flashed elite playmaking ability, but his lack of consistency and on-field nonsense has cost him snaps and targets as time progressed. We saw Miller go from the second option to the third as Mooney slowly surpassed him in offensive snaps.

The thing is, if Miller were able to become more consistent, it’s possible that he sees a contract extension and the trio of Robinson, Mooney and Miller would be regarded as one of the best in the league. Unfortunately, if he were to not improve, he will likely lose time to newcomers Damiere Byrd and Marquise Goodwin.

In his rookie season, Miller found the end zone seven times. Although he saw more targets and gained more yards in each of the next two seasons, he only scored two touchdowns in each. The one positive for Miller is that his drop percentage has decreased each season. Despite many saying he has a drop issue, Miller really doesn’t. Over his first three seasons, Miller has dropped four, three and four balls. He has not had a drop percentage of more than 7.4%.

Anthony Miller must step up in camp and develop a rapport with Andy Dalton and/or Justin Fields. His future could go in many different directions if he cannot do so.