The Chicago Bears released their first depth chart of the 2024 NFL Preseason on Friday, ahead of their Hall of Fame game against the Houston Texans next Thursday.
The first takeaway for the Bears may be that the roster looks better than usual. Still, the depth chart shows plenty of battles and positioning. What are the big takeaways?
The Bears' first depth chart heading into the Hall of Fame game is here.
— Sean Hammond (@sean_hammond) July 26, 2024
No real surprises. Ryan Bates or Coleman Shelton starting center, with Bates listed first. Velus Jones Jr. or DeAndre Carter for both kick and punt return. pic.twitter.com/Y5Q71XTLY2
5. The Chicago Bears have a competition at center
The first notable takeaway is at center. The Chicago Bears have an “OR” right in between the starter and the backup. Ryan Bates is listed as the starter, but the or tells us that it could just as easily be Coleman Shelton when the season starts.
The Bears seem to want Bates to take ahold of the job, but they do not want to give it to him. Shelton has more center experience, he is more familiar with the offense and could win the job fair and square. More than that, an injury to Nate Davis or Teven Jenkins could force the Bears to push Bates to guard and then play Shelton at center. Thus, they will continue to split the snaps between the two. No starter has been named.
4. Roschon Johnson could be the Chicago Bears' backup running back
The Bears signed D’Andre Swift early into the offseason and he is the highest-paid back on the roster by a good bit. He is the starter. However, there is another “OR” situation on the roster, and it comes at back up running back. Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson are listed as potential backups, although Herbert technically got the nod.
Still, the depth chart shows us that Johnson could easily be number two by next week, let alone at the start of the season. This makes sense when you break it down. First, Johnson is going to be with the team much longer due to the contract status of both. Second, Herbert is more of a direct backup to Swift in that they share a similar skill set.
Meanwhile, Johnson has a skill set that compliments Swift and Herbert. So, when the team gets Swift off of the field, it would make sense that they would be more interested in Johnson than Herbert.
Do not be surprised if Johnson gets a lot of snaps this preseason and wins the backup job.
3. There is a quarterback competition in Chicago
Would it really be summer in Chicago without a quarterback debate? Even when Caleb Williams is locked into the starting job there is somehow a discussion and a battle going on. This year, Bears fans can be relieved to know that this is a backup battle, not starting quarterback drama.
Most fans figured Tyson Bagent was the backup, but the Bears brought in Brett Rypien. Rypien has more NFL experience and he is more familiar with the Shane Waldron offense, where Bagent was a UDFA who signed with the team because he was close to Luke Getsy.
Maybe the Raiders will trade for Bagent after a strong preseason? Either way, he is listed as the backup, but we once again see an “OR” situation. Bagent was the backup last year, so he should be unseated first, but seeing that he is not as firm in his standing as many think has to raise eyebrows.
Rypien has a few strong edges and may flash them in the preseason. Is that enough to force Chicago off of Bagent?
2. Who will be the Chicago Bears' return man?
Due to the new kick return rules, there is a higher emphasis on the return game. This is good for Velus Jones in some ways, but bad in others. Good because it may help him keep a job. If he did not return kicks, he would have no role. However, it was bad because the team knew that they could not solely rely on Velus Jones, and they had to find competition for him.
DeAndre Carter was signed, and he will push Jones. Not only can he return kicks, he is a better punt return option than Jones. Do they trust him to do both and move on from Jones? Jones is listed as the starting kick return man, but Carter is another “OR” player. Meanwhile, Carter is the starting punt return man, but Jones is “OR” as the backup.
It almost feels like this could swing either way. They are unlikely to keep both, but both are listed as a starter in a key role. Can they decide if Jones can push Carter away or if he should keep the door wide open?
1. Other small updates
There were a few other small notes that were worth taking in. Freddie Swain and Nsimba Webster were ahead of Dante Pettis, furthering the idea that the return job is down to just Carter and Jones.
Byron Cowart is currently the backup behind Andrew Billings. He will be competing with Michael Dwumfour. Amen Ogbonigbmeinga is ahead of both Noah Sewell and Micah Baskersville. The latter two were on the roster last season, and the former is a new addition, so seeing him get the preference is notable.
Lastly, Greg Stroman is the backup slot ahead of Josh Blackwell. Blackwell played well as a rookie replacing an injured Kyler Gordon, but he was injured in year two, and Stroman took advantage. Now, the veteran Stroman has the advantage over Blackwell, who is hoping to make the roster as a former UDFA for the third straight season.