Envisioning Chicago Bears' Starting Lineup for 2015 Season
The NFL draft has come and gone, and the Chicago Bears now have a better idea of who their starters are going to be in 2015.
While the starters at positions like quarterback, running back and wide receiver appear to be set in stone, many other positions will be up for grabs during minicamps, training camp and the preseason.
"We'll all be competing, all fight for starting jobs," said general manager Ryan Pace after the draft, according to Arthur Arkush of ChicagoFootball.com.
Rookie minicamp begins Friday and runs through May 10, and the Bears will then hold organized team activities (OTAs) throughout the month of June before they have their mandatory full-team minicamp from June 16-18. The Bears will then be on break until training camp opens on July 29.
Between now and the end of the preseason, Chicago's coaching staff will be hard at work determining who will be in the starting lineup when the team takes on the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field in Week 1.
Here is our current projection of the Bears' starting lineup for the 2015 season.
Quarterback
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Starter: Jay Cutler
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported last week that the Bears were interested in trading quarterback Jay Cutler to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for the second overall pick (via the Chicago Sun-Times), but the Titans kept the pick and selected Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota.
Cutler will once again be the team's starting quarterback in 2015, and he is coming off statistically one of his best seasons in the NFL.
He threw for 3,812 yards with a career-high 28 touchdowns, but he threw 18 interceptions and lost six fumbles. He was benched in Week 16 in favor of Jimmy Clausen, but he started the final game of the season and completed 23 of his 36 pass attempts for 172 yards.
At this point in his nine-year career, Cutler is who he is. If opposing defenses can pressure him early, he tends to struggle with his mechanics and force his throws.
He has shown flashes throughout his career that he can be a top-level quarterback in the NFL, but the Bears would be wise to lean heavily on the run this season, opening up opportunities for him to push the football down the field off play action.
Running Back
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Starter: Matt Forte
One of the best all-around running backs in the game, Matt Forte will be Chicago's starter out of the backfield once again in 2015.
He rushed for 1,038 yards with six touchdowns and caught 102 passes for 808 yards with four touchdowns last season. A second-round pick out of Tulane in 2008, Forte has rushed for 7,704 yards with 41 touchdowns and has registered 443 catches for 3,727 yards with 16 touchdowns in his seven-year career.
He is entering the final year of his contract and missed Chicago's voluntary minicamp late last month, but he does not plan on holding out.
"If they want to give me a contract extension and have me return as a Chicago Bear and play my entire career here, they can do that," Forte said on The Boers and Bernstein Show last week, via Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune. "If they don’t, then they won’t. It’s as simple as that. I’m not going to hold out.”
He was a workhorse for the Bears last season, playing 1,006 snaps, while his backup, Ka'Deem Carey, played just 100 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Bears will likely try to lean more heavily on their run game under new head coach John Fox, and the Bears added Jacquizz Rodgers in free agency and Jeremy Langford in the draft to help take some of the burden off Forte this season.
Wide Receiver
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Starters: Alshon Jeffery, Kevin White and Eddie Royal
The wide receiver position was starting to look bleak for the Bears after Pace traded Brandon Marshall to the New York Jets earlier this offseason, but the team signed veteran slot receiver Eddie Royal in free agency and took West Virginia wide receiver Kevin White with the seventh overall pick in last week's draft.
Alshon Jeffery will now be the team's No. 1 receiver with Marshall gone, and he has registered 198 catches for 2,921 yards with 20 touchdowns in 42 career games with the Bears. He possesses great hands, has the ability to go up and get the football at its highest point and he is a willing blocker in the run game.
In 98 career games for Royal, he has hauled in 338 passes for 3,750 yards with 25 touchdowns. He is not the type of receiver who can take over a football game, but he has good hands and knows how to get open out of the slot.
The Bears could have went with an edge-rusher with their first-round pick, but they opted to take White instead. After making the selection, Pace was excited about his new wide receiver, saying, according to Larry Mayer of ChicagoBears.com:
"We couldn't be more thrilled right now. This guy's dynamic, he's big, he's strong and he's ultra-competitive. If I could stress one word for this player, he's competitive. You see it after the catch. You see it in the way he attacks the ball in the air. This is a dynamic playmaker for our offense.
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White ran a 4.35-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, and his speed translates to the football field.
Chicago's new wide receiver corps should give Cutler plenty of options in the passing game this season.
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Tight End
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Starter: Martellus Bennett
Just like Forte, tight end Martellus Bennett did not attend Chicago's first minicamp in late April. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported last Wednesday the Bears were entertaining offers for the Pro Bowl tight end, but the Bears did not make a move, and Pace made it known Bennett did not ask for a trade.
"No, no, [Bennett has not asked to be traded]," Pace said last Friday, according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN Chicago.
Bennett is coming off the best season of his career, and he gave Cutler a consistent target in the middle of the field all last season. In 2014, he registered 90 catches for 916 yards with six touchdowns—all career highs.
The team re-signed Dante Rosario and Zach Miller this offseason and added Bear Pascoe in free agency, but barring any sort of injury in the preseason or training camp, Bennett will be the team's starting tight end in 2015.
Offensive Line
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Starters: Jermon Bushrod, Matt Slauson, Will Montgomery, Kyle Long and Jordan Mills
The Bears offensive line took a step back last season, but each starter missed at least one game last year due to injury.
Jermon Bushrod struggled at times last season at left tackle, but he is at his best when allowed to get out in space and should show some improvement this season in Chicago's new offense.
Matt Slauson made just five starts last season after suffering from both an ankle and pectoral injury. Prior to his ankle injury, he had started 65 straight games, and he talked earlier this offseason about how difficult it was playing in just a handful of games last season.
"It was a devastating experience for me," he said, according to Bob LeGere of the Daily Herald. "It was a real trying time, as my wife will tell you. I didn't expect it would be that tough to watch all the trials that our team went through, and I couldn't do a whole lot to help."
He is now healthy and should hold down the left side of the line with Bushrod in 2015.
The team released veteran center Roberto Garza earlier this offseason and signed Will Montgomery to a one-year deal in early April.
Montgomery played for Fox in both Carolina and Denver, and he has started 71 games in his 10-year career. He started eight games last season, and according to Pro Football Focus, he finished as the league's 10th-best center with a plus-3.6 overall grade.
He is better in pass protection than in the running game, but he is a savvy veteran who does well in space, and his experience in offensive coordinator Adam Gase's system is a plus. He could potentially be pushed by third-round pick Hroniss Grasu in training camp, but it may take Grasu some time to adjust to the NFL.
Kyle Long was named to his second straight Pro Bowl last season and is quickly developing into one of the league's best young guards. He is strong and powerful at the point of attack and is extremely quick and athletic. He could potentially move outside to tackle, but the Bears have not announced any plans to move him there.
Four of Chicago's starting offensive line spots appear to be set in stone, but the right tackle position remains a big question mark.
Jordan Mills has been the Bears' starter at right tackle the last two seasons, but he has struggled in pass protection. He has a solid base and possesses above-average athleticism for the position, but he struggles with his footwork, particularly against quick edge-rushers.
The team drafted Tayo Fabuluje in the sixth round last week, but Mills likely has the best chance of claiming the right tackle job out of training camp.
Defensive Line
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Starters: Eddie Goldman (NT), Ray McDonald (DE) and Jeremiah Ratliff (DE)
The Bears selected nose tackle Eddie Goldman in the second round of last week's draft, and the Florida State product will likely begin the season as the team's starter at the 0-technique position.
He is a strong, aggressive presence in the middle of the defensive line, and he has the ability to plug gaps against the run. He needs to improve as a pass-rusher, but he should have a big role in Chicago's new 3-4 defense in 2015.
McDonald played in 14 games last seasons for the San Francisco 49ers before he was cut in December after being investigated for sexual assault. He signed with the Bears this past March.
He was a third-round pick of San Francisco in 2007 and recorded 210 tackles, 19.5 sacks and forced four fumbles in eight seasons with the 49ers. He is not much of a pass-rusher, but he is effective against the run and has the ability to move inside in certain sub-packages.
Veteran Jeremiah Ratliff is entering his 11th season in the league, and although he has had success in the past as a nose tackle, CSNChicago.com's John Mullin thinks the former Pro Bowler will likely begin the season at defensive end.
"Ratliff projects to be at end where his rush skills can be put to maximum use, rather than hunkering down inside with a primary assignment of run stuffing," Mullin wrote.
Ratliff registered 6.5 sacks last season and was one of Chicago's most consistent pass-rushers.
Reserves Jarvis Jenkins, Ego Ferguson and Will Sutton could all push for a starting job this offseason, but it looks like Goldman, McDonald and Ratliff will be the starters along the defensive line in 2015.
Linebacker
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Starters: Lamarr Houston (OLB), Mason Foster (ILB), Jon Bostic (ILB) and Pernell McPhee (OLB)
The Bears spent big money on 4-3 defensive ends Lamarr Houston, Jared Allen and Willie Young last offseason, but all three will be making the transition to outside linebacker in Chicago's new defense.
Houston has experience playing linebacker from his days in Oakland, and while his best fit may be at the 5-technique, the Bears are committed to using him at outside linebacker.
“He’s going to be an outside linebacker, that’s where he’ll start,” Fox said in March about Houston, according to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times. “What he ends up being, until we hit the grass we can’t evaluate it. It’s really kind of too early to stay, but he’ll start as an outside linebacker.”
Because of his experience outside, he will likely get the starting nod at one of the outside linebacker positions, while Allen and Young could be used as situational pass-rushers.
The Bears signed Pernell McPhee to a five-year deal this offseason, and he will likely be the other starting outside linebacker. In four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, McPhee registered 92 tackles and 17 sacks. He does a great job of creating leverage with his strength, and while he is known more as a pass-rusher, he is also a steady contributor against the run.
At inside linebacker, Mason Foster and Jon Bostic look to be the favorites to land the two open starting spots.
Foster spent the last four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and registered 343 tackles, six sacks and five interceptions in 57 career games. He signed a one-year deal with the Bears this offseason. He is at his best in pass coverage, but he also has the ability to step up against the run.
Bostic is a former second-round pick and has struggled in Chicago, but he may be able to thrive in Chicago's 3-4 defense. Foster is quick and athletic, but he will need to do a better job of reading and reacting against the run.
Shea McClellin and Christian Jones both have an opportunity to win one of the open spots at inside linebacker this offseason, but they may end up being used as situational pass-rushers in various sub-packages.
Cornerback
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Starters: Kyle Fuller and Tim Jennings
Kyle Fuller had some growing pains last season as a rookie in Chicago, but he showed flashes of his potential and will enter the 2015 season as one of the team's two starters at cornerback.
He finished last season with 64 tackles, three forced fumbles and four interceptions, but he struggled at times in Chicago's zone coverage. The Bears will likely play more man coverage this season, and that should help Fuller.
Fuller is at his best when allowed to jam the receiver at the line of scrimmage and play physical, and he should thrive in defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's system.
The other starting cornerback spot will feature former Pro Bowler Tim Jennings. Following back-to-back Pro Bowl nods, Jennings struggled last season. After hauling in 13 interceptions between 2012 and 2013, Jennings did not record an interception last season.
Like Fuller, he should benefit from Fangio's more aggressive style. Jennings has great closing speed and is at his best when he can sit on a route and attack just as the football is getting to the wide receiver.
Jennings could potentially move inside to the nickelback position this season in obvious passing situations with either Alan Ball or Sherrick McManis moving to the outside.
If the team sticks with Jennings on the outside, Brock Vereen, Adrian Amos, Demontre Hurst and Al Louis-Jean could all be in the running for the nickelback position this offseason.
Safety
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Starters: Antrel Rolle and Ryan Mundy
The Bears helped solidify their safety corps this offseason by signing Antrel Rolle in free agency and drafting Amos in the fifth round.
Amos still has a ways to go with his development, but Rolle will undoubtedly be one of Chicago's starters at safety this season.
A three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro, Rolle has the ability to play either the strong or free safety position, but he will likely play free safety in Chicago. He struggled at times against the pass last season, but in the past, he has been an effective sideline-to-sideline defender as a single-high safety.
With Rolle likely roaming the back half of the field, strong safety Ryan Mundy will be expected to play up in the box against the run. The two played together for the New York Giants in 2013, and Mundy is excited for the opportunity to play with Rolle again.
“We had a good run in New York—a really good run,” Mundy said, according to Jahns. “I loved playing with Antrel. … I definitely think he’ll be a difference-maker for us.”
Mundy signed a two-year contract last season and led the team with 103 tackles and tied with Fuller for the team lead in interceptions with four.
He struggled in pass coverage at times last season, but he is good against the run and will likely hold onto the strong safety spot in 2015 unless Amos or Vereen has a strong training camp.
Special Teams
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Kicker: Robbie Gould
Punter: Pat O'Donnell
Long Snapper: Thomas Gafford
Barring any setbacks, the Bears will head into the 2015 season with Robbie Gould as their kicker and Pat O'Donnell as their punter.
Gould hit just nine of his 12 field-goal attempts last season and missed the final four games of the year due to a quad injury. His 12 field-goal attempts were the fewest of his career, but a lot of that had to do with Chicago's struggles on offense.
The Bears parted ways with veteran Adam Podlesh last offseason and drafted O'Donnell in the sixth round. He punted 71 times last season and averaged 43.8 yards per punt. He also dropped 20 punts inside the 20-yard line.
O'Donnell struggled early in the season but became more comfortable as the year went on.
The Bears signed long snapper Thomas Gafford earlier this offseason to replace Jeremy Cain. Gafford played 105 games between 2008 and 2014 for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Statistical information courtesy of Sports-Reference.com and NFL.com. Combine numbers courtesy of NFL.com.
Matt Eurich is a Chicago Bears Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.
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