Early Predictions for Chicago Bears' 2015 Training Camp Battles
Now that the NFL draft is officially in the rearview mirror, the Chicago Bears can start envisioning what their starting lineup is going to look like when they take on the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field to start the 2015 season.
Since taking over as the team's general manager in January, Ryan Pace has re-signed six players, signed 15 free agents, drafted six rookies and signed 17 undrafted free agents to round out the team's 90-man roster.
Throughout the coming weeks and months, many players will not only be competing for starting jobs, but they will also be competing for key reserve roles.
Many positions are already set in stone, but positions like strong safety, right tackle and nickelback are currently wide-open, and they will not be finalized until training camp concludes in August.
Just ahead, we predict the outcome for some of Chicago's 2015 training camp battles.
No. 2 Tight End
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Tight end Martellus Bennett's position atop the team's depth chart is safe this offseason, but a mix of both young and experienced tight ends will be competing to be his backup in training camp.
Dante Rosario spent last year as the team's No. 2 tight end, and he was re-signed to a one-year deal this offseason. In his career, he has hauled in 116 passes for 1,235 yards and eight touchdowns, but he is considered to be more of a blocker than a receiver.
The team also re-signed veteran Zach Miller earlier this offseason. He showed flashes of his potential last preseason, but he injured his foot and was placed on injured reserve. He is a big target (6'5", 236 lbs) in the passing game, but he is not a polished blocker.
The Bears also added veteran Bear Pascoe in free agency, and he is the best fit in Chicago's new offense under coordinator Adam Gase. While with the Denver Broncos, Gase had an athletic, pass-catching tight end similar to Bennett in Julius Thomas as his starter, but he leaned on backup tight end Virgil Green as a blocker in both the running and passing game.
Like Green, Pascoe is a good blocker who also has the ability to make plays in the passing game.
Unproven tight ends like Chris Pantale, Brian Vogler, Blake Annen and Jacob Maxwell could emerge with a strong training camp, but they will likely be competing for a spot on the practice squad.
Rosario is a reliable veteran, but he does not possess much upside and struggled at times last season as a blocker. Miller gives the Bears another target in the passing game, but he has not been able to stay healthy in his career.
Pascoe is not flashy, but he has proven he can be a reliable blocker in both the running and passing game, and he should earn the No. 2 tight end spot in training camp.
Winner: Bear Pascoe
Strong Safety
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The Bears added veteran safety Antrel Rolle in free agency earlier this offseason to play free safety, but the strong safety position could be up for grabs.
After signing a two-year contract last offseason, Ryan Mundy started all 16 games at strong safety in 2014 and recorded a team-high 103 tackles and a career-high four interceptions.
Rolle and Mundy played nine games together for the New York Giants in 2013, and Mundy is looking forward to the opportunity to play alongside his former teammate again.
“We had a good run in New York—a really good run,” Mundy said, according to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times. “I loved playing with Antrel. … I definitely think he’ll be a difference-maker for us.”
Mundy is strong against the run and has the ability to play up in the box, but he is stiff in pass coverage and does not possess the speed to match up with quick running backs or tight ends in the passing game.
He is currently the front-runner to hold down the position in 2015, but he will be battling for the starting job with second-year man Brock Vereen in training camp.
Vereen is a quick and fluid athlete, but he is not afraid to play up against the run and has above-average coverage skills for the position. He is not a prototypical strong safety because he lacks ideal bulk and strength for the position, but his versatility could help him earn the position over Mundy.
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has typically leaned toward versatile safeties, and since he prefers his safeties to be interchangeable, Vereen stands a better chance of being a starter this season because he has played multiple positions in the past. He played nickelback, cornerback and safety at the University of Minnesota, and Fangio could use him at both safety spots this season.
There is a good chance both Mundy and Vereen see extensive playing time in 2015, but Vereen's versatility makes him a better option moving forward.
Winner: Brock Vereen
Defensive End
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The Bears added veterans Ray McDonald and Jarvis Jenkins in free agency to play the 5-technique defensive end position in their new 3-4 scheme, but neither is guaranteed a starting spot.
McDonald stands the best shot of beginning the season as the starter because of his experience playing for Fangio in San Francisco, but Jenkins will have to compete with 2014 draft picks Ego Ferguson and Will Sutton this offseason for a spot in the rotation at defensive end.
Jenkins was selected in the second round by the Washington Redskins back in 2011, but he struggled with injuries and was allowed to explore free agency this offseason. He has a lot of the physical tools to be successful in the NFL, but he has been unable to put it all together.
"I was surprised he didn't get signed a little earlier," one general manager said, according to the Chicago Tribune's Brad Biggs. "You thought he was gonna do more in Washington but he's got good size, he's still young and I figured someone would go after him because you're looking at him saying there's still upside there."
He is only 27 years old and has started 33 games in his career, but he will need a strong showing in camp to beat out Ferguson and Sutton.
Ferguson and Sutton were expected to compete inside at nose tackle this offseason, but both were listed on Chicago's unofficial roster as defensive ends, according to the Chicago Sun-Times' Patrick Finley.
In Fangio's system, 5-technique defensive ends typically weigh less than 300 pounds, and Ferguson has shed some weight this offseason to fit in the team's new scheme.
"I lost about 15 pounds, to 298-299, just trying to get a little more pass rushing and being able to run around a little more," Ferguson said, according to John Mullin of CSNChicago.com. "I think 295-300 will be about right. They want you to be strong and explosive, not just big.”
Ferguson is an underrated athlete who possesses good footwork, and he may be able to thrive if given the opportunity to line up on the outside.
Sutton is a bit misplaced in Fangio's scheme because his skill set is better suited at the 3-technique position in a 4-3 defense, but the team is going to try him on the outside at defensive end. He has the ability to be a pass-rusher in certain sub-packages, but that may be all the action he sees in 2015.
Veteran Jeremiah Ratliff will also see time at the 5-technique defensive end position this season, but he is expected to move back and forth between nose tackle and defensive end all year long.
If Ferguson can keep the weight off and improve his pass rush, he has a chance to begin the season atop the team's depth chart at defensive end.
Winner: Ego Ferguson
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Nickelback
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After spending part of the 2013 season on Chicago's practice squad, Demontre Hurst was thrust into the spotlight last season after veteran Charles Tillman was lost for the year with a bicep injury.
After Tillman was injured, rookie Kyle Fuller took over his spot at cornerback, and the Bears opted to leave Tim Jennings on the outside in the team's nickel package instead of moving him inside like they had previously discussed.
With Jennings staying on the outside, the Bears first used Isaiah Frey inside at nickelback, but he struggled and Hurst later won the job.
According to Pro Football Focus, Hurst played 373 snaps at nickelback last season and finished with a minus-1.8 overall grade. He registered a minus-5.3 grade against the pass, but he did finish the year with a plus-2.4 grade against the run.
Hurst has a relentless motor and is willing to step up against the run, but he has a tendency to get pushed around by bigger wide receivers. He is serviceable at nickelback, but the Bears may have better options on their roster.
The team signed veteran Alan Ball in free agency this offseason, and he could potentially move to the outside in Chicago's nickel package if the team decides Jennings is the best option in the slot.
Last offseason, Jennings was excited about the idea of playing out of the slot in the team's nickel package.
"Hopefully, it’ll be a full-time thing," Jennings said at the time, according to Finley. "It’s a little different for me. I’ve got to get back to acclimated to playing nickel and playing two positions on defense."
Jennings is a good fit on the inside because he likes to play physical, and he is willing to play against the run. If Fangio decides his best fit is on the outside, undrafted rookie Jacoby Glenn could make a run for the spot in training camp.
Glenn shocked many by leaving Central Florida early, and even though he was projected to go as high as the fifth round, he ended up going undrafted.
Prior to the draft, NFL.com's Lance Zierlein outlined some of Glenn's strengths, writing:
"Salty cornerback who plays with passion and intensity. Outstanding hands and effective playing the ball. When he's in position, makes it extremely difficult for receivers to make the catch. Has feel for deep routes and understands when to turn and run. Reliable wrap-up tackler who breaks down in space and sticks his face into the target. Showed improved understanding of off coverage and how to restrict throwing windows as 2014 season progressed.
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He is still a work in progress, but he can play physical at the line of scrimmage and has the ability to step up against the run.
Glenn is the most intriguing option on this list, but he will need a very strong showing in training camp to win the job. While Jennings could make the move inside in passing situations, his physicality may be better suited on the outside against a team's top receiver. At this point, Hurst remains the front-runner for the position because of his experience.
Winner: Demontre Hurst
Right Tackle
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After a strong showing in training camp in 2013, then-rookie Jordan Mills took over the starting right tackle spot along Chicago's offensive line.
Mills beat out J'Marcus Webb, Eben Britton and Jonathan Scott for the position that offseason and started all 16 games, but he struggled throughout the year.
According to Pro Football Focus, Mills finished 2013 with a minus-36.2 overall grade and gave up three sacks, 13 quarterback hits and 62 quarterback hurries. He injured his foot in the final game of the season, but he returned as the starter last year.
Mills missed three games due to injury in 2014, but he still allowed six sacks, six quarterback hits and 31 quarterback hurries, per Pro Football Focus. He has shown flashes of his potential, particularly in the running game, but he has been a liability in pass protection since earning the job back in 2013.
The Bears opted not to add a veteran at the position in free agency, but they did draft Tayo Fabuluje out of TCU in the sixth round of this year's draft. After selecting Fabuluje, Pace had nothing but praise for the former Horned Frog, saying, according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com:
"This is a massive player, very strong, very strong, athletic for a big man. He can play tackle; he can play guard. His weight has been well-documented. We’re going to stay on that. We have a great strength and conditioning program here, sports science, that will be an emphasis, he understands that. When this guy is at the right weight, we feel really good about him, and there’s a lot of upside potential there as well. He’s nimble for a big man. He’s got good feet for a big man.
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While Fabuluje does have potential, he is still raw and will need to control his weight. He has the physical tools to play outside at right tackle, but his best position may be inside at guard.
If he is moved to guard, Mills will be competing with Charles Leno, Michael Ola, Jason Weaver and Cameron Jefferson for the starting job. Leno was taken in the seventh round last year by the Bears, but he is better suited inside at guard because he lacks the athleticism to match up with quick edge-rushers on the outside.
Weaver and Jefferson are both candidates for the practice squad, leaving Ola as the best option to compete with Mills this offseason.
Ola started a total of 12 games last season, with six coming at left guard, three at right tackle, two at left tackle and one at right guard. Like others on this list, his skill set is better suited inside at guard, but he proved he can handle his own on the outside.
Unless the Bears add another veteran in free agency to compete with Mills this offseason, it looks like he will remain the team's starter at right tackle this season.
Winner: Jordan Mills
Statistical information courtesy of NFL.com unless otherwise noted.
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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