Well, Bears fans, we are just two months away from actual football being played. OTAs and mandatory minicamp are now behind us, with training camp and the preseason quickly approaching.
Unlike years past, this roster appears to be mostly set. Tons of veteran talent was added this offseason and the team added a new face of the franchise in the draft by selecting Caleb Williams. It will be interesting to see how the bottom of the roster shakes out over the course of the next couple of months.
While it appears many of the starting jobs are set, there are still a few interesting position battles to watch. Today, let's identify the three positions that could be gearing up for intense battles.
Backup QB
Well, there's no doubt who QB1 will be in Chicago. However, there is some mystery surrounding who the backup will be.
Tyson Bagent should be considered the favorite as of now. The former UDFA impressed last offseason and made the roster. Bagent even got four starts as a rookie and finished with 859 yards, three touchdowns, and six interceptions. This offseason, the Bears added veteran journeyman Brett Rypien and UDFA Austin Reed.
Reed and Williams shared a QB trainer and worked out together this offseason. That friendship could help Reed supplant Bagent as the primary backup. Rypien has four career starts over five seasons and has produced mediocre results.
This is a battle that may come down to the last preseason game. Bagent has experience in the offense, but Reed has a higher ceiling. It's also entirely possible the team brings in a veteran with experience to help Williams develop.
Defensive end
Montez Sweat has one defensive end slot locked down, but the other side has more questions. DeMarcus Walker started at the spot in 2023 and produced 30 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
The Bears were hoping for more from Walker after the veteran reached a career-high in sacks with the Tennessee Titans in 2022. Jacob Martin is the only notable veteran added to the DE group this offseason, but the team did draft Austin Booker in the fifth round.
Booker is a toolsy pass rusher who could develop into a great player when he gets more experience. Some draft experts had Booker rated as high as a third-round prospect, and his length and explosiveness make him hard to ignore. Do not be surprised if Booker impresses this summer and takes the starting spot away from the veteran.
Center
In 2023, Lucas Patrick started 15 games at center for the Bears. The veteran was penalized more than any center in the league and earned a 50.5 PFF grade. Naturally, the Bears let Patrick depart this offseason.
In return, the Bears added Ryan Bates from the Bills and signed former Los Angeles Ram Coleman Shelton. Doug Kramer is also still on the roster and could factor into the battle as well. Shelton started all 17 games at center for the Rams in 2023, while Bates has 19 games of starting experience at guard.
This is probably the position with the least amount of clarity on who will be starting. It appears that this is a wide-open battle with any of these players winning the job based on how this summer goes. No matter who wins the job, it's ecnouraging that the team has multiple options who can fill in when needed.