Rather than keeping tabs on pivotal positional contests for the Bears this summer, we’ll be monitoring Caleb Williams’ completion percentage and totaling the defense’s takeaways. GM Ryan Poles has rebuilt the roster following its dismantling in 2022. This year’s skill pool is noticeably superior to previous year’s. Because of this, the most, if not all, of the starters are already in place.
Thus, the battles will be near the bottom of the depth chart rather than at the top. Making this team today will be difficult,” Poles remarked last month. “Making this squad is going to be extremely difficult. Practice squad members and undrafted free agents will make up a large portion of the players who are cut from the team. However, with the increased skill across the board, a few veterans and even past starters might not make the team this year.
Introducing four Bears veterans who might not leave camp with the team:
FULLBACK – KHARI BLASINGAME
Any team would benefit from Blasingame’s substantial playing time on special teams as he remains a capable lead blocker. How he will fit into Shane Waldron’s offense is unknown, though. Without a designated fullback, Waldron chose to use a large wide receiver or even a linebacker in the backfield when the offense needed an additional blocker while he was in charge in Seattle. Can Blasingame be retained due to his services to special teams? Or will the group opt to draft a linebacker or tight end as a backup instead?
LARRY BOROM – BALLERY
Borom looked like he would be destined to start at right tackle for many years during his first campaign in 2021. Early in the season, he replaced Germain Ifedi and performed admirably. However, unlike Ryan Pace and the previous administration, Poles had a different plan for offensive linemen when he took over the team. Borom returned to the bench after quickly losing favor. Borom struggled last year despite having some tick as a backup. Borom might be one of the players left off the roster this autumn with rookies Matt Pryor, Kiran Amegadjie, and Jake Curhan in the mix.
Wide receiver/return specialist VELUS Jones Jr.
The Bears think that the NFL’s new kickoff regulations will specifically assist Jones Jr. thrive this season. Additionally, it’s possible that Chris Beatty, the new wide receivers coach, will accelerate Jones Jr.’s offensive development more quickly than Tyke Tolbert did. But compared to 2022, when Jones Jr. joined the team, the Bears wide receiver room is far more packed currently. The top three wide receiver spots are certain for DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze. Freddie Swain, Jones Jr., Tyler Scott, Dante Pettis, Collin Johnson, and a few other players will then battle for what little playing time is left. If Jones Jr. had trouble in camp with special teams, or if any of the others perform better as returners, he might not be back next autumn.
DEFENSIVE END – DOMINIQUE ROBINSON
Robinson was selected in the middle of the draft and appeared to be headed in the right direction very early in his career. Trent Williams, the standout left tackle for the 49ers, was one of Robinson’s clever maneuvers as he recorded 1.5 sacks in his debut game. However, in 27 games with seven starts since that significant debut, Robinson has only managed 0.5 sacks. Defense is not the team’s deepest group, even with Austin Booker entering the mix, thus Robinson’s continued presence could be due to his statistical advantages alone. However, the Bears could lose out if a guy like Jacob Martin or Khalid Kareem performs better during the summer.
