The Chicago Bears are in the heart of the preseason, with their second of three games occurring Saturday evening against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Head coach Ben Johnson and his team arrived earlier in the week to the Queen City for a joint practice with the Bengals, a sure sign that the vast majority of the starters on both sides of the ball will not take the field for the game. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor confirmed as much, while Johnson hasn’t made a firm commitment just yet.
With backup quarterback Tyson Bagent still in Chicago dealing with an injury, seasoned veteran Case Keenum will more than likely get the nod to start Saturday’s game. He may end up going head-to-head with fellow longtime veteran Joe Flacco before the rest of the reserves take over.
Even though the starters won’t see action, there are plenty of players who are still looking to put enough good plays on tape to warrant a roster spot. Here are six players who can help their case with a strong outing in Cincinnati.
1. RB Salvon Ahmed
The Bears’ running back room got a bit thinner this week when the team released undrafted rookie Coleman Bennett, which paves a clearer path for veteran Salvon Ahmed to possibly secure a roster spot. Ahmed had an excellent showing last week against the Cleveland Browns, totaling 72 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. He still may have work to do to supplant Roschon Johnson as RB3, but Ahmed can make a statement against an improved Bengals front four.
2. WR Kaden Davis
Kaden Davis cannot stop making plays in the passing game. Whether it’s a practice, joint practice, or a game, Davis always finds a way to stand out. Saturday is yet another opportunity for him to make a statement to the coaching staff that he deserves a role on this team. It’s going to be difficult to earn the WR6 spot while competing with half a dozen players, if the Bears even keep that many receivers. All Davis can do is continue to make plays. Good thing for him he’s quite good at that.
3. OL Caden Barnett
Undrafted rookie Caden Barnett saw extensive playing time last week against the Browns, in part due to the starters sitting and key reserves such as Luke Newman sidelined due to injury. Barnett had a few memorable moments, particularly his effort to seal blocks for Ahmed’s long touchdown. It’s unlikely Newman is healthy for Saturday and with starters likely sitting, Barnett has another golden opportunity to rise up the depth chart. We’ll see how many snaps he takes and where the Bears line him up.
4. OT Kiran Amegadjie
It feels like we’re getting close to Kiran Amegadjie’s last stand with the Bears. After starting at left tackle last week in the hotly contested competition, head coach Ben Johnson moved the third-year tackle to the right side, along with Jedrick Wills, to see which player could be a viable swing tackle. Neither player looked great on Saturday, but Amegadjie seems to have the upper hand on Wills at the moment. He needs to have a strong performance to warrant keeping on the roster. Otherwise we could be looking at another Ryan Pole third-round pick exiting before his rookie contract is up.
5. DL Jamree Kromah
Many Bears fans may have only heard of Jamree Kromah thanks to his strong outing against the Browns, but he’s on his second stint with the team and is no stranger to battling for a roster spot. With the Bears having a relatively thin defensive line, Kromah has as good of a shot as ever to do just that. The Bengals offensive line isn’t strong at any level, which means Kromah is primed to wreak havoc once again.
6. DB Beanie Bishop
Beanie Bishop introduced himself to Bears fans with his two-interception performance last weekend, which came days after he signed with the team. Bishop may have been brought in as a camp body considering the Bears have so many injuries in the secondary, but he’s a dark horse to make the final roster. With other reserve cornerbacks going in and out of the lineup, including veteran Terell Smith, Bishop could make waves again with timely pass breakups and turnovers on Saturday.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 6 Bears roster bubble players to watch vs. Bengals
Reporting by Brendan Sugrue, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
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By Brendan Sugrue, Bears Wire | USA TODAY Network
