10 players on the Chicago Bears who need a dominant training camp
We are less than two weeks away from the start of training camp. This is the slowest time of the NFL offseason, but in less than 10 days we will finally have some actual news to talk about that doesn’t involve free agent signings being arrested. The Chicago Bears need to put the pads on and start hitting one another as we are going to need to find out which combination on the offensive line is going to be able to produce the best come September.
Personally, I think too many are writing Teven Jenkins off because he was moved to the second string in a rotation that even Matt Eberflus has said not to read too much into right now. Jenkins is a mauler and a physical force on the football field. I saw it on his college tape and I saw enough flashes in 2021 despite coming off back surgery to believe he will be a starter for years in the NFL. This is not the type of player I am referring to though when I am talking about guys who need a dominant training camp this year.
No, instead, I am talking about guys on the bubble who are likely to be let go if they don’t prove themselves in a couple of weeks. Let’s take a look at one guy I am not high on and believe if he doesn’t do enough this offseason that he will be shown the door.
Chicago Bears who need a dominant training camp: Duke Shelley, CB
Listen, I have been on record stating that Duke Shelley needs to go. He is not a player I have faith in and I think this team can find adequate depth elsewhere. By letting Shelley walk, the Chicago Bears could add another nearly $1 million to their salary cap. That might not seem like much now, but it could be helpful as the team decides to sign some of their current players to long-term deals. Roquan Smith for example is not going to come cheap. He is going to cost between $90 and $100 million over a five-year span in my opinion.
As far as Shelley goes on the field, he just isn’t good enough to still be on this roster. Over the last three years, Shelley saw six starts and played in 30 games. During that time, he has four pass deflections, 53 combined tackles (37 solos), and that’s it stats-wise. When we look at the advanced stats, he has been targeted 63 times and has allowed 48 of those passes to be completed (76.2%). He needs to prove himself at training camp or will likely be cut.