The Chicago Bears are set to take on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2 of the preseason, which comes on the heels of Thursday’s joint practice. Both teams put in a lot of good work throughout the week.
Each team has an impressive starting quarterback who’s a former number one overall pick. For the Bengals, they are looking to keep Joe Burrow healthy so that they can see one of the five best QBs in the game lead them to the playoffs. For the Bears, it’s about Caleb Williams continuing to develop and reaching the level Burrow has shown on the field. If that is going to be the case for Williams and the Bears, multiple positions have to be better than they were a year ago.
These four positions, in particular, have the toughest battles going on during training camp and preseason. All of them will impact the overall makeup of the football team. The match against the Bengals will be the next chance for jobs to be won.
Left tackle
The battle for left tackle did not have a good showing in preseason game one against the Cleveland Browns. Kiran Amegadjie and Jedrick Wills were not looking like the answer at any point. They are hoping for better once Braxton Jones and Ozzy Trapilo are added to the mix. There is also Theo Benedet as an option, but it seems like he has a higher likelihood of ending up as a swing tackle instead. That leaves the door open for someone else to win the job at left tackle. Right now, Trapilo is the man they’d like to take the job in the future, but early signs indicate that Jones is going to get the nod with Trapilo ramping up from injury. It is the only position on the offensive line with any sort of concern right now, but it is arguably the most important.
Wide receiver
Rome Odunze and the currently injured Luther Burden are set to be the team’s top two receivers. Along with the tight ends and running backs, they are the top weapons on the team. Beyond them, there is depth, but there are some final decisions to be made about the final spot on the team. Kalif Raymond, Jahdae Walker, and Zavion Thomas are likely to be on the team, but who else is going to join the room? This preseason battle against the Bengals is going to go a long way in determining that, as will things that they’ve seen in the joint practices. Specifically, Kaden Davis, Scotty Miller, Ray-Ray McCloud and Maurice Alexander are those battling for the final spot, and Davis certainly appears to have a leg up in the competition. But there are still two preseason games to determine the winner.
Running back
The Bears are set with their top two running backs with D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai, who anchored the league’s third-best rushing attack last season. But there’s a competition behind them for, presumably, the final roster spot in that room (after Chicago carried three running backs on the initial 53-man roster last year). Roschon Johnson, Salvon Ahmed and Brittain Brown are are all competing for that final spot. Johnson, entering a contract year, needs a strong showing to make the roster. Earlier in his career, even going back to college, he has been a great blocking running back. If he can get back to that and make a handful of plays running the ball, especially in these exhibition games leading into final cuts, he will have a chance. Ahmed has been a standout throughout training camp, as well as the preseason opener, and he continues to be Johnson’s main competition. But Brown has also made plays and will keep things interesting in these final two games.
Defensive back
There are some concerns with the defensive backfield for the Bears, especially knowing that this was supposed to be the strength of the defense coming into the year. They already lost safety Coby Bryant, who is going to miss most or all of the season after knee surgery. Chicago has also been without nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon since the start of training camp as he rehabs from a calf injury. That’s left defensive coordinator Dennis Allen with some shifting of players at different positions, whether it’s outside cornerback, nickel cornerback or safety. Rookie Dillon Thieneman will be a starter at safety, and it sounds like veteran newcomer Xavier Woods will be his running mate. But there’s competition at those two cornerback spots, where rookie Malik Muhammad has factored into things amid injuries. If Tyrique Stevenson is healthy, he’s likely the starter opposite Jaylon Johnson on the outside. At nickel, Cam Lewis is expected to fill the hole left by Gordon until his return, and Muhammad should also factor into the equation.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 4 key position battles as Bears battle Bengals in preseason game
Reporting by Vincent Parise, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Vincent Parise, Bears Wire | USA TODAY Network
