Chicago Bears rookie defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg has been a hot topic lately, and it's all his own doing.
The sixth-round pick out of Georgia Tech has used the past three weeks to completely shake up the Bears' depth chart. He has come on so much that now the Bears are rumored to be shopping the guy whose job van den Berg is trying to steal, Gervon Dexter.
Gearing up for his final tune-up before the regular season, van den Berg is likely to see some of the Tennessee Titans' rookie guard Fernando Carmona. And, in speaking with FanSided's Titans expert, Justin Melo over at Titan Sized, I learned that van den Berg could be looking at a similarly talented player in front of him.
"The Titans have some questions across the interior. Titans rookie RG Fernando Carmona appears to be winning that position battle," Melo told me. "It could be a fun rookie-on-rookie matchup with van den Berg."
Jordan van den Berg and Fernando Carmona provide Bears and Titans fans with an under-the-radar matchup worth watching
Like van den Berg, Carmona was a Day 3 pick this year; specifically, a fifth rounder out of Arkansas.
The former Razorback comes into the league possessing an athletic profile, just like van den Berg. Of course, the Bears' rookie scored a ridiculous 10.00 on the RAS prior to the draft, which is impossible to compete with. However, Carmona scored an impressive 8.87 himself.
League scouts and experts note Carmona being light on his feet with an ability to accelerate into "crunching blows" at times. He's big, he's physical, and he's also the son of a high school coach.
For both of these players, Saturday's preseason matchup presents a significant opportunity.
For van den Berg, this could be the final chance to prove that he not only deserves playing time but is also better suited to start for the Bears' defense under Dennis Allen. It's one more opportunity to prove the Bears are just fine with trading Dexter.
And, that's saying something. Dexter is a former second-round pick, and the Bears need to decide whether or not to pay him in the coming months.
That decision could be much easier if the Bears end up trading Dexter and rolling with van den Berg, going forward.
For Carmona, he has the chance to start on an offensive line protecting a young, up-and-coming quarterback the Titans hope and believe is their franchise passer, Cam Ward. It's not every day you see a Day 3 offensive lineman come in and perform so well that he earns a starting gig in Year 1 (shoutout, Braxton Jones).
For fans wanting to keep an eye on the trenches and follow along with those nitty-gritty battles, the van den Berg vs. Carmona matchup could be a whole lot of fun.
With the way both players have been spoken about during camp and the preseason, it's very likely the two of them each get some wins against one another -- and that's obviously a good thing for both franchises.
Read more: Bears set to see an old friend who's turned the Titans into believers
Football "sickos," as they're sometimes called, should love this matchup if both end up on the field at the same time. You've got two Day 3 rookies, both highly athletic and physical, competing for more than just a roster spot. It's almost as if they're both going to be looking in the mirror once or twice on Saturday.
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