At this point in the preseason, you would hope to have more clarity on key roster battles and questions. For the Chicago Bears, we're not quite there yet in a few notable spots.
While we can all agree that the Bears are indeed in a good spot, mostly thanks to Caleb Williams' Year 3 trajectory and projected leap, there are some injuries within the roster, along with some difficult position battles going on at the moment.
A few positions, in particular, might have fans worried or unsettled. These are officially talking points, and we're now less than three weeks away from the regular season.
When will Ozzy Trapilo rescue the Bears from what's become an atrocious LT competition?
If we've learned anything about the left tackle position over the past couple of weeks, it's that this team is missing Ozzy Trapilo way more than we could have thought possible. Both Braxton Jones and Theo Benedet have been underwhelming.
The saddest part of the entire saga is that Jones still has zero anchor, and we're in Year 5. He is still the same guy who gets blown off the line of scrimmage by any defensive lineman who has average strength. We thought the Bears would be "fine" with Jones at left tackle, and anyone who thought that (myself included) is dead wrong.
Benedet looks slightly better because of his run blocking, but who the heck is going to protect Caleb Williams? This isn't just a talking point. It's nearing a state of emergency.
Please, Ozzy. Come back soon.
Malik Muhammad for the Bears' starting nickel?
This may not be far from being settled, and hopefully, it's rookie Malik Muhammad. We're not going to touch on Kyler Gordon. Most Bears fans know of his situation and how unbelievably mysterious it's gotten. We need to know who's starting in Gordon's place, and I think it will be Muhammad.
Could it be Josh Blackwell, Cam Lewis, or Jaylon Jones? It could be. But I think Muhammad's physicality gives him an edge. He's far better in coverage than Blackwell, and his physicality/size combination is something that Lewis and Jones can't match.
Dennis Allen's nickel has the potential to be an absolute demon within his system, and Muhammad's build, strength, and play style suit that position the best. Let's hope things continue to trend that direction.
Who deserves playing time over Jordan van den Berg?
In short: nobody.
OK, that's a bit hyperbolic.
But the rookie has made a statement throughout camp and the preseason. He moves the offensive line himself. He collapses pockets, creates pressure, and blows up plays all on his own. The athleticism and explosiveness are just astounding. They jump off the screen.
I am positive, at this point, you cannot keep van den Berg out of the rotation. But I am also darn-near positive that he deserves to be on the field more than Neville Gallimore, Kentavius Street, and, yes, even Grady Jarrett.
He has been that good. A one-two punch of Gervon Dexter and van den Berg, in certain situations, could be a whole lot of fun for us and a whole lot of "oh no!" for opposing offenses in passing situations.
Honorable mention: Dayo Odeyingbo has officially entered the chat
It is about time we see a sign of life out of this guy. The Bears invested in him financially. He was never a big sack guy, but if he can create pressure the way he did a couple of times on back-to-back snaps against the Bengals, then maybe we're trending upward.
This guy was completely written off, injury or not. Hardly any Bears fans thought he'd ever be a difference-maker, and here we are, seeing just a glimpse of hope after the preseason game versus Cincy.
Read more: 4 Bears non-starters who don’t need to play another preseason snap
Can he do enough to overtake Austin Booker and be the No. 2 the Bears thought they were getting? Hopefully, he creates some much-needed competition.
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