Brad Biggs answers your Chicago Bears questions weekly.
Don’t you think it is a mistake for Matt Eberflus to not play starters for at least a series or two on Thursday night? Didn’t he learn his lesson from the Bears’ slow start last season? — Andre W., Evanston
Matt Eberflus said the plan is for “majority” of the starters — a long list that includes quarterback Caleb Williams — to not play. I think it is the right call. The Bears are pretty healthy, all things considered, and have navigated training camp and three preseason games without sustaining any serious injuries we know of to frontline players. That puts them in pretty good shape with a little more than two weeks to go until the start of the regular season.
Some might disagree but I don’t see the reward being greater than or even to the risk in playing starters against the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Let’s say the plan should be to get the starters two series or about 10-15 snaps against Kansas City. I can’t wrap my mind around how a small sample size, whether it is against Chiefs’ starters or not, will put the Bears in a different position when it comes time to play for real on Sept. 8 against the Tennessee Titans at Soldier Field. There’s just not enough value in those snaps to where I can look at it and say, “Yeah, this helps them in these tangible ways be ready for the Titans.”
I’ve seen core players and key members of the team go down in preseason games with serious injuries. Quarterback Rex Grossman was lost for nearly the entire season with a knee injury at St. Louis. Left guard Rex Tucker had a season-ending injury at New England. Running back Kevin Jones was jumping at the sideline to avoid contact and came down with an ankle injury at Soldier Field that cost him the season. Those are just three injuries I can recall off the top of my head from preseason action.
The Bears feel like they’re in a pretty good spot to be prepared for the season and they can simulate all of the various looks they want for both sides of the ball in practice. It’s not like the team is doing something outside the norm of the other 31 clubs — everyone is placing a huge premium on health. Eberflus said it was an open-ended plan for Williams when preseason started. They wanted to see how things unfolded.
“We wanted to see how it progressed and keep an open mind about it,” Eberflus said “All of us were on board to flex and move wherever we needed. That shows adaptability in terms of the veterans that we are playing there, understanding where (Williams) is. He did a good job of progressing.”
As for which select starters could see action, maybe strong safety Jaquan Brisker. He returned to practice Monday after missing a long stretch and has yet to appear in a preseason game. Cornerbacks Tyrique Stevenson and Kyler Gordon have not gotten a ton of action. I’m sure the Bears would like to get offensive lineman Ryan Bates rolling a little but he’s been sidelined with a shoulder injury.
I think it’s overly simplistic to say the Bears got off to a poor start last year because they didn’t play enough in preseason. They were not good coming out of 2022 and they were deficient at a handful of positions. Blaming preseason playing time is almost a cop-out explanation for why they stumbled out of the gates a year ago.
What is one position to keep an eye on for an addition around roster cuts? Edge rusher? Offensive lineman? Punt returner? — Ted G., McHenry
None of those are outside the realm of possibility but I’ll go with another position here. I imagine there is a good chance the Bears will be keeping a close eye on defensive tackles hitting the waiver wire or veterans who are cut and immediately become free agents. The Bears could always flip a late-round pick for a player if it’s someone they project as a rotational backup.
Right now, they don’t have a lot of options, at least experienced ones, after Zacch Pickens. While everyone has focused on the idea of the Bears adding an edge rusher, I imagine they’re doing work looking at potential castoffs at tackle who could help them. Andrew Billings and Gervon Dexter are set as the starters. Pickens got 264 snaps last season — 25% of the playing time — and after him, it’s pretty wide open. Remember, Justin Jones left via free agency and he had more playing time (739 snaps) than any other player last season.
The team likes to slide DeMarcus Walker inside but that’s mostly in the sub packages. So, they could be looking for a little experience to be in a reserve role unless they want to consider Byron Cowart or one of a group of undrafted rookie free agents — Keith Randolph (Illinois), Jaylon Hutchings or Dashaun Mallory. This just seems like a spot where they add a player and possibly one with a little experience. Even if Pickens’ playing time bumps up this season, who is going to be that fourth guy to log some action?
Is Matt Eberflus calling the defensive signals again this year? — @jtbarczak
That’s the plan when the regular season begins. Defensive coordinator Eric Washington has done most of that through preseason. Eberflus said he handled the first two defensive series of the game at Buffalo just to make sure everything was smooth from a communication standpoint. They wanted Washington to handle it as he settled in with the new team and learned from one another.
“It’s good to be able to work through that exercise,” Eberflus said.
If a team suddenly became QB needy (Vikings, Giants, etc.), what’s Ryan Poles’ asking price for Tyson Bagent? — @caljestice
Now, that’s something. The Bears have been working to replace Sid Luckman for longer than many of us have been alive and Caleb Williams has arrived, to great fanfare, as the next potential quarterback to lead the organization out of the darkness and we’re wondering about flipping Bagent for a draft pick?
Bagent has been solid in preseason and the belief is now that he’s more settled and not learning on the fly as a rookie that he will be a capable No. 2. He’s been steady in preseason (14 of 19 for 150 yards and 2 touchdowns) and I’d expect him to get action Thursday night at Kansas City.
I don’t think Bagent’s trade value would bring a whole heck of a lot right now. That’s not a knock on him. It’s just the way things are. He was an undrafted rookie a year ago, went 2-2 in four starts and the statistics were not overwhelming. In a perfect world, Bagent is a trusted No. 2 or the Bears could get something for him in the future — down the road a ways — after Bagent has increased his value. He’ll need to perform in regular-season games and show he’s potentially capable of taking that next step. Maybe he gets a start or two this season — and no one wants to see Williams injured — and then everyone will get a better sense of where he’s at. Because throwing two touchdown passes against the Bengals backups — or the backups to Cincinnati’s backups — isn’t going to re-write scouting reports for many players.
Again, this isn’t a criticism of Bagent at all. He won the No. 2 job a year ago and the Bears kept him over P.J. Walker because they believed in his upside. They didn’t go out and sign a more experienced No. 2 option this offseason because they believe in his upside. To establish some value where a quarterback-needy team would come wanting to talk about Bagent would require him to enhance his resume in the regular season.
The cornerback room is stacked. Who is making the team? Who is making the practice squad? — @balakay
Six is usually a pretty consistent number for cornerbacks on 53-man rosters. Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, Kyler Gordon, Josh Blackwell, Terell Smith and Jaylon Jones all look like solid bets to make it. Smith projects as the natural backup on the outside, and Blackwell and Jones can both play in the slot.
I think undrafted free agent Reddy Steward has been impressive. He’s probably a long shot to make the roster but could be a guy the team definitely wants on the practice squad. Veteran Greg Stroman could be another practice squad possibility. He’s decent in the slot but a little limited on special teams. It’s possible Stroman’s experience could open a door for him elsewhere. I will post a projected 53-man roster after the preseason finale.
Do you think Ryan Poles has seen enough out of Austin Booker that he won’t sign or trade for an edge now that Matthew Judon is in Atlanta? — @reitz1986
It’s not like Austin Booker did anything sensational since the Matthew Judon trade from New England to Atlanta was finalized, so no. I’d expect Poles to consider all opportunities. It doesn’t look like there is one on the horizon right now but you never know what is potentially turning the corner next week or the week after. It’s a position to keep in the back of your mind this season, for sure.
People have talked about the possibility of a reunion with Yannick Ngakoue since the spring. I’ve maintained all along the presence of Ngakoue probably doesn’t change the need for the Bears. If they do re-sign him, it will be the first time Ngakoue plays for the same team in consecutive seasons since he began his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2016-19. If the Bears do sign Ngakoue, it will have to be for a fraction of the $10.5 million he earned last season.
“I feel really good about where we are in terms of with (Booker) and (DeMarcus Walker) and (Dominique Robinson), all those guys that are in that other spot,” Matt Eberflus said. “And those guys have different skill sets that they bring to the table and those guys play really hard. And the first thing in defensive line play is having a great motor and those guys have really improved and they’ve done a good job with that.”
If the Bears felt great about what they had in addition to Montez Sweat, they wouldn’t have been talking with New England about Judon last week.
Now that Kiran Amegadjie is back, is there any chance that Shane Waldron will use him on the inside at guard if there continue to be questions about the best possible five? — @coachsmyth
I don’t see the Bears asking Amegadjie to play on the inside. He was drafted in the third round with an understanding it would be a while before he could get on the field — the team activated him from the non-football injury list on Monday — because of his athletic gifts and upside as a tackle. He played right guard as a freshman at Yale in 2021 but has been a left tackle since then. I think the prudent thing here is to train him at one position, allow him to get accustomed to the NFL and see where he goes from there. Why complicate things for a player you believe could have a bright future when he’s already playing catch-up, so to speak, having been sidelined?
Amegadjie is super sharp and hopefully that helps with the learning curve but for all players it’s one thing to see it on tape and on the whiteboard and another thing to do it on the field.
“(Offensive line coaches) Chris Morgan and (Jason Houghtaling), they’ve done a really good job where (Amegadjie) has been on the side, hasn’t been able to participate in the live work right there,” Waldron said. “But from a meetings standpoint, from being locked in any chance he’s on the field and is in earshot, I’ve talked to Kiran a lot and he does a great job taking a mental rep every time he hears the play. Looking forward to him. Smart guy. Smart, tough and reliable that can start off with a good base already.
“But there’s no substitute for getting out there and doing it. That’s the biggest thing. I know I talk about it a lot, but each one of these situations are individually based, and there might be different things that you can recall from the past that might lead you to hope one way or another, but that’s just hoping because you don’t know until that individual does it, but he’s put himself in the best position possible knowing he’s dealing with injuries, knowing he’s worked his way and done a great job with the training staff and the strength and conditioning staff to put himself in position to get out on the field. From a mental standpoint, he stayed so locked in every opportunity he’s had, so now it’s just about going out there and doing it.”
What do you see happening at punt returner? Would you expect a waiver pickup there? — @mosconml
The good news is DeAndre Carter was back at practice on Monday after missing a week in between the games against Buffalo and Cincinnati. He’s the most experienced option on the roster (averaging 9.8 yards per punt return in his career) and I think he was signed in the spring with an eye toward his ability as a return specialist.
If it’s not Carter, Dante Pettis has sure hands but doesn’t offer a ton of juice. Josh Blackwell has gotten action in the role lately. He had 25 punt returns during his college career at Duke. The Bears could always scan the landscape following cuts but I’m not sure there is a plus returner who will be cut loose by anyone. My best guess right now is Carter is the Week 1 punt returner.
How many running backs will they keep on the active roster and who will they be? — @ericholmer
Four running backs, for sure, will be on the roster.
I look at D’Andre Swift, Khalil Herbert, Roschon Johnson and Travis Homer making the 53-man roster. I’m curious to see if the team keeps fullback Khari Blasingame. That would be a fifth. Velus Jones Jr. has a shot to make the roster but I don’t know if you call him a running back, returner, receiver or a little bit of everything. Jones is on the bubble, in my opinion. How many dress on game days will be largely dependent on special teams needs, how the numbers work out and how many phases the reserves behind Swift can play on special teams.
The O-line looked brutal against Cincinnati’s second team on Saturday. No physicality. Braxton Jones got pushed around, Darnell Wright (meh), Nate Davis got beat by a third-stringer, Teven Jenkins (meh). Center not much. Do you see the O-line as a major problem that can quickly derail the season? — @treylesniewski5
It was former Bears coach John Fox who once quipped, “It’s all a problem.” Could the Bears have a major problem on the offensive line? If they get wiped out with injuries up front, it could head that direction but you can say that about nearly every roster in the league. I don’t think this group will be a “major” problem this season and I think there’s a chance it’s improved from a year ago. If Caleb Williams can play within the structure of the offense more consistently than Justin Fields did — I’m talking about hitting the top of his drop and letting the ball rip — the line will be better if it plays exactly as it did a year ago. Offensive football is so predicated on timing and the Bears haven’t had that in a long time. Not consistently.
Did the Bears look great against the Bengals? No. They scored 10 points on five possessions with the starters and the primary highlights were some off-schedule plays by Williams. But they didn’t game plan here. They had certain plays they wanted to get through. It’s preseason. I wouldn’t be overly concerned right now but it is fair to say the line is one of the more pressing questions about the roster. Let’s see how the unit performs on Sept. 8 against Tennessee. Jeffery Simmons is a monster in the middle of that Titans defense but Tennessee put a bigger focus on the offensive side of the ball during the offseason.
Why wasn’t the end zone at Soldier Field striped like a regulation NFL field for the Bears game the other day? I mean, fine, it’s preseason. But can you imagine costing the team a touchdown because the grounds crew doesn’t know how to mark the end line? — @wilsonthatsall
It’s funny you bring that up because as I was chatting with Josh Schrock from NBC Sports Chicago at practice on Monday, we talked about how the lines on the practice fields behind the Walter Payton Center were exactly the same way as the ones at Soldier Field for the game on Saturday. There was a narrow line outside of the end line — also a narrow line. I’d expect the field to be in tip-top shape and painted like you’re accustomed to seeing on game days for the start of the season.
One more thing on the field: While it didn’t look great on Saturday, after talking to people the feeling was it performed really well, especially considering there was rain prior to and during the game. You didn’t see players losing their footing. Timing after the Metallica shows was tight for work required on the field and with time before Sept. 8, it should look good and play just as well in the regular season.
