The Chicago Bears concluded the OTA and minicamp sessions, and now the offseason is officially over with eyes on the start of the season and training camp. While the movement is not significant, some players are able to edge up and down the depth chart or at least lay the foundation in these periods.
We highlighted some of the risers, but now who are the fallers from these sessions?
4. Chase Claypool continues to let down the Chicago Bears
Things have not gone well for Chase Claypool since he was traded to the Chicago Bears. To be fair, things were not going great in the weeks prior to him getting traded, either. Still, his first half of a season with the team was a disaster.
The Bears coaches have been supportive, saying they did not expect much and that this year is why the team wanted Claypool. Justin Fields said early into OTAs that he saw a different attitude from Claypool. Then, another injury, and he was sidelined for the entirety of the minicamp.
For a player in a contract year who needs to get on the same page as the quarterback, a minor injury in the off-season workout stages can go a long way. It just takes another chance for these two to get on the same page away.
What has been stark is seeing the difference between Claypool and D.J. Moore. Moore and Justin Fields have clicked instantly and there are major connections every day. Claypool has been here much longer and cannot get on the same page. Beyond that Fields talks about how Moore sets the tone in the locker room, while he says that Claypool has bought in more. Moore is already changing things while they are just happy Claypool is not disengaged.
The presence of Moore highlights how much this missed time is killing Claypool. He is trending down once again.
3. Jack Sanborn is losing ground in his position battle
This one is even tougher to pin on Jack Sanborn. Like Claypool, you cannot crush the guy for an injury, and even in the case of Sanborn, his injury was more severe than Claypool's. Still, Sanborn is a UDFA, and while he was strong as a rookie, it was a very small sample size.
With that in mind, he does not have much locked down. He saw the Chicago Bears sign Tremaine Edmunds and TJ Edwards and even draft Noah Sewell on day three. Day three is not significant, but when you are a UDFA, it looks like a real commitment.
Still, the Chicago Bears staff has said they are committed to Sanborn. He will enter training camp healthy and starting SAM. That does not mean Noah Sewell is not coming for him, though. Sanborn could not do anything about it, but the experience that Sewell got stepping in for the injured linebacker may end up going a long way in him taking the starting job.
This was a week where Sewell was a riser, and in-turn, it is hard not to call Sanborn a faller.
2. Dante Pettis is watching Chicago Bears try to replace him
Dante Pettis is weirdly in a spot where you can make the case that is he is a riser and a faller. Due to the injuries of Chase Claypool and Darnell Mooney, he has been able to get starting work still. Beyond that, the team does not have anyone to push him out of the starting punt return job, yet.
On the flip side, when you look at the numbers one of Pettis, Velus Jones, and Equanimeous St. Brown will get cut. Of the three, Pettis seems to be the one that they are activetley trying to replace.
Pettis is getting wide receiver work due to the injuries, but his job is won and lost based on being a punt return man. This is why it is significant that Velus Jones and Tyler Scott were getting long looks as a return option. Scott is a rookie, and Jones lost the job last year, so neither is locked in.
However, you can tell that if the Bears had their way, one of those two would step up. Jones being a dual return man would lock him in, and they want to keep the rookie Scott, but he needs to bring some sort of value such as returning. Scott will get six weeks to come back and win the job, and it may be favored for him to take it, so long as he does not mess it up. Pettis will not go easily, but the Chicago Bears would like for him to be replaced by younger options.
1. Is Kyler Gordon falling behind Tyrique Stevenson?
Last season Kyler Gordon was playing 100% of the snaps when he was active for the Chicago Bears. He would play outside in two cornerback sets, then slide inside to the nickel when the team got lighter.
This year that does not appear to be the case, and Gordon may not see very much time on the outside. Some of it is due to his struggles last year, but most of it is due to Tyrqiue Stevenson. Stevenson has looked the part early into the offseason.
He is expected to come into training camp and have every chance to be the second outside cornerback when the team is in base. This would mean that Gordon is strictly the slot. Teams play so wide-open now that your nickel cornerback will probably see the field 75% of the time. Still, he went from an every-down player to likely 75%.
Of course, Gordon could show up and prove to be the better cornerback, and Stevenson would take the role that Kindle Vildor had last year. However, the combination of Gordon struggling and Stevenson hitting the ground running has Stevenson favored to get the starting work on the outside by the time the regular season rolls around.