The Chicago Bears are expecting big steps forward from the team, and the roster should be better in all areas. So, the competition is ramping up as the team gets ready for the first preseason game. While all eyes will be on Justin Fields and Tremaine Edmunds, they do not have as much to lose or gain as some of the depth players and fringe 53-man roster players.
Who are some of the players who may have to make the most of preseason action this weekend?
10. Velus Jones is in a make-or-break season with the Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears need to see a lot more from Velus Jones. He went from the team hoping that he could start for them to the team hoping that he could just stick around on the active roster for a bit longer. Things were rough in his rookie season, and they are not waiting around for him to be anything.
The Bears traded for DJ Moore and drafted Tyler Scott. This is after trading for Chase Claypool as well. Needless to say, the depth chart is a bit heavier than it was when they drafted Velus Jones. Now, he is competing with Equanimeous St. Brown and Dante Pettis for the fifth and sixth wide receiver spots.
One of St. Brown, Pettis, and Jones will make the roster, and perhaps two of them will as well. Will Velus Jones be one of those players? He will have to prove it in the return game, as the days of the Bears trusting him at wide receiver are over.
9. Will A.J. Thomas make the Chicago Bears roster?
A.J. Thomas was a nice surprise for the Chicago Bears in training camp last season. The UDFA safety from Western Michigan stuck around for a full year and made the practice squad after a strong preseason last season. Then, he got called up to the active roster late in the year and got some special teams and even a few defensive snaps.
Some of that spoke to the state of the roster, but a lot of that was because he was proving himself. Now, things get interesting. The Chicago Bears drafted Kendall Williamson, and they signed Adrian Colbert. This is another situation where one, and maybe two of those three, are going to make the roster.
The question is, which one has the edge? Colbert is the veteran, but that can be good and bad when thinking of depth. Williamson has the draft pick invested in him, but it is just round seven, and he has proven nothing.
Meanwhile, Thomas made the roster last year; he has more experience than Williamson, and he is younger than Colbert. Still, he is less experienced than Colbert, and the team drafted Williamson knowing full and well that the decision could cost Thomas a roster spot. All three players have a case to be made, and all three will get chances this weekend.
8. The Chicago Bears must see growth from Alex Leatherwood
The Chicago Bears need to see something from Alex Leatherwood. When you think about it, the team did not pick up Leatherwood until right before the season, so they did not get a full offseason or a preseason to work with the talented player. However, they did throw him out there for 10 snaps against the Eagles, and he gave up four pressures, including a sack that wound up getting him benched for the rest of the season.
So, it is hard to trust anything he brings to the table at this point. Still, the Chicago Bears obviously need him. At tackle, they have Braxton Jones, Darnell Wright, and Larry Borom. The fourth tackle spot is for Leatherwood, and it is hard to find anyone else capable of taking it on the roster.
The Chicago Bears could be annoyed with Leatherwood and move on. They may just roll with three tackles because Borrom can play both sides. At the same time, if Leatherwood shows enough, they would have to feel good about keeping him. That starts with not embarassing himself in this preseason game.
7. Will Jaylon Jones make the Chicago Bears roster?
Jaylon Jones was a rookie UDFA from Ole Miss. He climbed up the depth chart and ended up getting onto the NFL field for real defensive snaps earlier than many expected. It was not the best season but it will happen when you are a rookie UDFA lining up against Justin Jefferson.
Still, Jones is back for year two and wants to try to win a roster spot. He earned one last year, but the path will be tougher now that Tyrique Stevenson and Terell Smith are in the building. With Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon returning, four spots are locked. Josh Blackwell is the backup slot, and a special teams asset so he could be five.
The last spot could come down to Kindle Vildor or Jaylon Jones. Vildor started last season, so this wll be a tough ask for Jones. Still, Jones is younger, cheaper, and brings more team control. If he gives them a reason, they will choose him. The question is whether he can give them that reason or not. He needs to represent himself well this weekend.
6. Tyson Bagent has to show something for the Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears signed Tyson Bagent as a rookie UDFA out of Shepherd. Coming from such a small school and being undrafted speaks to how raw he is. That is because he has some of the physical tools as well, so that is less of a question. The question is almost solely tied to whether he can make that jump mentally to the NFL.
It is a significant leap and will take plenty of adjustments. That starts with getting real NFL action against a real NFL defense this weekend. Fans will laugh, but Bagent will be in a serious competition with Nathan Peterman.
The Bears will play Justin Fields sparingly and then PJ Walker will get his work. Then, it will come down to Bagent or Peterman. You have to assume that Bagent will get the shot to show more, since we know what Peterman brings. Still, if the Bears do play Peterman more, it is because Bagent has not earned the trust of the coaches. This will be interesting to follow. If Bagent does get almost the entire second half it will be a great learning experience and something to build off of.
5. Is Jack Sanborn under pressure this weekend?
The Chicago Bears have maintained that Jack Sanborn will not lose his starting job due to injury. However, everything the team did was to ensure he saw the field less. They added both Tremaine Edmunds, and TJ Edwards, but more than that they drafted Noah Sewell.
The same front office that did not draft Sanborn clearly had a higher pre-draft grade on Sewell because of the cost to acquire him. So, while they are saying Sanborn has no pressure, the pressure is on. Every day you seem to hear about Sewell making a big hit, being in the right spot, or being near the ball.
On the flip side, Sanborn struggles to stay on the field because he is still recovering. If Sanborn hardly plays this week, and Sewell dominates, you have to wonder when the two start to chnage roles. Things change fast in the NFL, and while it was true that they held down the spot for Sanborn, game tape can change that opinion very quick.
4. Trestan Ebner is fighting for any chances with the Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears did a lot of reshuffling to the running back room. It has left one name pretty much forgotten about, and that is Trestan Ebner. Ebner struggled as a rookie, and it is clear that he lost the confidence of the coaching staff.
The Bears lost David Montgomery, which opened a role for Ebner. However, the additions of D'onta Foreman, Roschon Johnson and Travis Homer assure that he is not in the mix for the team like that. However, Saturday could be a last ditch effort for him to make some noise. He is still in his second NFL season, and this is still the same front office that drafted him. He is a long shot for the roster, but still has a shot.
A key for Ebner willl be producing in the passing game. He failed to set up a screen and got Justin Fields sacked last year because of it. He needs to show maturity and that he understands the timing in the passing game.
3. Can Terrell Lewis cement a roster spot with the Chicago Bears?
The big riser from OTAs until this point of training camp has been Terrell Lewis. Lewis was a third round draft pick from Alabama, so the talent was there. He fell in the draft because of injuries, and has not made noise in the NFL for the same reason.
However, Lewis is healthy now, and that says a lot. He has been a big winner from OTAs through training camp. It says that he may be their best rusher when he is going like this. Now, he has a shot to show it on Saturday. The obvious key is to leave the game healthy. However, he also has to produce. If Lewis can do that, he is not only going to make the roster but make a case to get on the field for week one.
We know that Lewis has the potential, and the team is going to give him plenty of chances to prove himself this summer. He has done it against the Chicago Bears blocking, now can he do it against others? That will determine just how good he can be this year.
2. Will Doug Kramer get to prove himself with the Chicago Bears?
This is obviously going to be a big summer for Doug Kramer. Last year, he hurt himself after just a few snaps and ended his season before the second preseason game. Now, the former seventh round pick is just looking ot get through this game healthy. Still, even if he does that, he does have an uphill climb to make the rosyer.
The issue for Kramer is that he does not bring much posiotion flexibility. He is going to play center, and it will be hard for him to play anywhere else based on his experience and physucal rofile. The issue is that thge Chicago Bears have some dpeth at center.
Both Cody Whitheair and Lucas Patrick can play guard, but they are going to be the top two centers wen it is all said and done. Would they want to keep Kramer, a third center and someone who can only play center over Dieter Eiselen, knowing that Eiselen can play both guard and center. If Kramer plays well enough, the team could justify it by having Patrick as the backup guard, and Kramer as the backup center, but he would really need to play well. That would start this weekend.
1. Is Travis Bell going to make the Chicago Bears roster
The Chicago Bears first of two seventh round picks in the 2023 NFL draft is not a lock to make the roster. Travis Bell is coming from Kennesaw State, which means this will be one heck of an adjustment for the rookie. Beyond that, there are clearly four names ahead of him on the depth chart.
Bell appears to be more of an upfield rusher, and not a nose tackle, but the Chicago Bears did claim Bravvion Roy, a nose tackle as well. Considering the team needs depth at nose tackle more than three-technique, Roy may have the edge as the fifth defensive lineman over Bell. Of course, that is what the preseason is for.
Ryan Poles aid he liked Bell because of how hard he works. Now, we get to see if that hard work pays off, and if he can surprise many. More than that, we can see how he progresses every week, and every snap. That is what is needed, and what Poles said he has in his mentality. Is Travis Bell a year on the practice squad away from making a run at the roster, or is he going to contribute this year? We will find out soon enough.