Breaking Down Chicago Bears' Likely Opening Game Starting Lineup
The Chicago Bears wrapped up their early portion of training camp on the campus of Olivet Nazarene University over the weekend, and the team will resume practices at its training facility in Lake Forest, Illinois, during the preseason.
The Bears are a little less than a month away from the start of the regular season, and Chicago's final 53-man roster will begin to take shape in the coming weeks. Between now and the start of the regular season, the Bears will have to trim their roster from 90 players down to 53 players.
Even though some spots on the final roster are still up for grabs, many of the starting roles appear to be set in stone.
On the offensive side of the football, the Bears are set to return many of the same starters as last season, but the defensive side of the football has a chance to look drastically different in 2015.
The Bears released their first unofficial depth chart of the year ahead of their preseason matchup against the Miami Dolphins last week, but some of those spots on the depth chart could change between now and the start of the regular season.
What will Chicago's opening game starting lineup likely look like when they take on the Green Bay Packers in Week 1 on September 13?
Quarterback
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Just as he has the last six seasons, Jay Cutler will begin the year as Chicago's starting quarterback.
Cutler started 15 games last season and threw for 3,812 yards (his most in Chicago), 28 touchdowns (a career high) and 18 interceptions (his fewest since 2009). He was benched in Week 16 in favor of backup quarterback Jimmy Clausen because of his struggles with turnovers and overall performance. Before Cutler's benching, then-head coach Marc Trestman said Cutler would remain the starter as long as he was healthy, but he eventually changed his mind.
“I did say that at the time. And I’ve changed my mind," Trestman said, per the Chicago Tribune's Rich Campbell and Dan Wiederer. "I think [starting Clausen] is in the best interest of the team. I think we need a lift at quarterback. I think we need a spark."
Clausen completed 23 of his 39 passing attempts for 181 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in his start against the Detroit Lions, but he suffered a concussion and Cutler started the final game of the year.
Trestman and his coaching staff were shown the door following the end of the season, and Cutler has connected with new offensive coordinator Adam Gase this offseason.
"They're pretty tight. They just vibe,” said guard Kyle Long about Cutler and Gase, per Tom Pelissero of USA Today. “And I think [Gase] really calls [Cutler] out on his crap, and it's reciprocated. We like that. We like to have that open line of communication between the coaches and the players.”
Cutler performed well in Bourbonnais, Illinois, and did not throw an interception during training camp until Saturday, according to WGN Radio's Adam Hoge, but the real test for him will come Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers next month.
The former Vanderbilt standout has struggled with turnovers throughout his time in Chicago, but if he can limit his mistakes and play within Gase's system, he has a chance to put up some of the best numbers of his career this season.
Running Back
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Running back Matt Forte has been Chicago's starting running back since joining the team in 2008, and the veteran is expected to resume that role once again this season.
He rushed for 1,038 yards last season on 266 carries and scored six rushing touchdowns, and he also hauled in 102 catches for 808 yards with four touchdowns. His 102 catches were the most by a running back in a single season, but he knows the offense needs to be more balanced in 2015.
"Anybody who has watched film from last year or anybody who is a smart coach knows that we can’t, especially being in Chicago, just throw the ball every down,” Forte said, per Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times. “We have to be balanced.”
Forte has posted three-straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons and has never rushed for fewer than 929 yards in a season in his career. He has been a model of consistency on offense over the last seven seasons, and there is no reason to believe he will be slowing down any time soon.
According to Pro Football Focus, Forte played 1,006 snaps on offense in 2014, while his backup, Ka'Deem Carey, played just 100 snaps. In an effort to keep Forte fresher near the end of games, head coach John Fox said the team intends on using multiple running backs this season, per ESPN.com's Jeff Dickerson.
Even though the Bears will attempt to lighten Forte's load this year, he will still be the team's primary running back.
"Everybody forgets how good of a running back he is," Gase said about Forte, per Campbell. "He's not just here to catch the ball. He can run downhill. He can be outside, gap scheme—the guy's got the whole thing."
Barring any injuries during the preseason, Forte will begin the season as the team's No. 1 running back.
Wide Receiver
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Alshon Jeffery, Eddie Royal and Marquess Wilson
The biggest news to come out of training camp over the weekend was the team announcing that rookie wide receiver Kevin White will have surgery on his shin.
“Late last week, as we were beginning to get further into the running portion [of his conditioning], Kevin suffered a setback,” said general manager Ryan Pace, according to Hoge. “So at this point in time, for his long-term future, the best course of action is going to be to perform surgery to stabilize the stress fracture.”
White participated in the team's rookie minicamp and OTAs, but he did not participate in the team's mandatory minicamp in June and was held out of training camp because of his shin injury.
He will begin the season on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list and will miss at least the first six games of the year. Pace also noted it is possible the young receiver could miss the entire season.
“Honestly, is there a chance that he misses the season? That’s a possibility,” Pace said, per Hoge. “I want to make sure we do this the right way, not rush him back. Sometimes I feel like you have to protect them from themselves.”
White was expected to be a starter this season, but he will not be in the team's starting lineup any time soon.
Another starting wide receiver, Alshon Jeffery, also suffered a setback this week.
The former South Carolina standout did not participate in the team's preseason contest against Miami, and it was later revealed that he has a calf injury.
"He has a mild calf strain so he's not going to participate versus Indianapolis," said Pace, per Chicago Bears radio network sideline reporter Zach Zaidman. "But this isn't a long term injury with Alshon."
Assuming Jeffery returns to form before the end of the preseason, he will be begin the season as the team's No. 1 wide receiver. He is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, and he will be a focal point in the passing game.
With White out of the lineup for the foreseeable future, third-year man Marquess Wilson has a chance to earn significant playing time this season. Wilson was expected to be the team's No. 3 receiver last season, but he broke his clavicle in training camp last year and missed nine games. He finished last season with 17 catches for 140 yards with one touchdown.
Wilson has the size (6'4", 184 lbs) that Cutler likes on the outside, and he has the ability to stretch the defense with his speed. He needs to improve his route running, but he could become a surprise performer in Chicago's offense.
Eddie Royal signed a three-year contract with the team this offseason, and the veteran receiver gives Chicago's offense a talented slot receiver who can also produce on the outside. In seven NFL seasons, Royal has hauled in 338 passes for 3,750 yards with 25 touchdowns. Royal and Cutler played one season together in 2008 in Denver, and Royal registered career highs in both catches (91) and yards (980) that season.
With White out of the lineup, Royal will likely line up on the outside when the Bears use just two receivers and slide down to the slot when they use three or more receivers.
White's injury is a blow to Chicago's offense, but both Wilson and Royal have a chance to put up good numbers in the rookie's absence.
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Tight End
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Martellus Bennett
Tight end Martellus Bennett registered career highs in catches (90), receiving yards (916) and touchdowns (6) last season and was named to his first Pro Bowl.
He gives Cutler a big target (6'6", 265 lbs) in the middle of the field, and Bennett is not afraid to make catches in traffic. He missed part of Chicago's offseason program, but he is fitting in nicely in Chicago's new offense.
"He has caught up," Gase said about Bennett, per Wiederer. "Completely caught up. … [I appreciate] how physical he is in the run game and pass protection. There are not many tight ends you see who can do what he does."
Bennett has the ability to attack the football at its highest point and is a threat in the red zone, but he is also an underrated blocker. The Bears are expected to be more of a power-running team this season, and Bennett likes that brand of football.
"It's just smash-mouth football," Bennett said, according to Wiederer. "I really like blocking in that situation because I can use my strength and my power a lot more than position blocking and kind of running out of shotgun [like we did last year]. I enjoy this offense a lot."
In addition to being an underrated blocker, Bennett is also difficult to tackle once he has the football in his hands. Last season he finished the year tied for 15th in the NFL in yards after the catch with 449.
He is physical in both the passing and the running game, and he will once again be one of Cutler's top targets in the passing game.
Offensive Line
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Guards: Matt Slauson and Kyle Long
Tackles: Jermon Bushrod and Michael Ola
Center: Will Montgomery
Kyle Long is one of the NFL's most talented guards, and the young lineman will once again anchor the right side of Chicago's offensive line this season.
A two-time Pro Bowler, Long is strong and powerful at the point of attack, but he is also athletic enough to get out to the second level. He played some right tackle earlier this offseason, according to the Chicago Tribune's Brad Biggs, but it looks like he will remain at guard this season.
Veteran Matt Slauson struggled with injuries last season and only played five games, but he is set to return as Chicago's starting left guard this season. The Bears plan on being more physical this year up front, and Slauson is embracing that change, according to Wiederer:
"We're trying to be a big, bullying, physical bunch. And that really makes me happy. It's something we've been building since the spring. And it's about creating that demeanor and letting it spread. … We have the physicality. We want to be bruisers. Now we have to start working that within the techniques and the schemes and be perfect with that.
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The Bears have arguably one of the best starting guard duos in the league in Long and Slauson, but there are some question marks surrounding their offensive tackles.
Veteran left tackle Jermon Bushrod missed two games last season due to injury, but he struggled in his other 14 starts. According to Pro Football Focus, Bushrod allowed five sacks, nine quarterback hits and 31 quarterback hurries last season and finished the year with a minus-9.0 overall grade.
He is not the best left tackle in the league, but he is serviceable. Barring any injuries, he will be the team's starter once again this season.
On the other side of the offensive line, the right tackle position is up in the air. Former fifth-round pick Jordan Mills has been Chicago's primary starter at right tackle the last two seasons, but he has been one of the league's worst at the position during that time.
According to Pro Football Focus, in 1,861 snaps between 2013 and 2014, Mills has given up nine sacks, 19 quarterback hits and 93 quarterback hurries.
He lined up with the first-team offense at right tackle last Thursday night against Miami, and he allowed one sack and looked over-matched in his limited snaps. He is a solid run-blocker, but he has struggled in his career in pass protection.
After the starters were taken out of the game Thursday night, second-year man Michael Ola got an opportunity to take over at right tackle. Per Pro Football Focus, he played 59 snaps and finished the night with a plus-1.3 overall grade. Ola made a total of 12 starts last season, including starts at both guard positions and both tackle positions, and he is one of the team's most versatile linemen.
Mills has not lost the starting job just yet, but Ola appears to be less of a liability in pass protection.
The Bears released veteran center Roberto Garza earlier this offseason and signed former Carolina Panther, Washington Redskin, New York Jet and Denver Bronco Will Montgomery to a one-year deal. Montgomery played under Fox and Gase last year in Denver, and he likes the young coordinator's system.
“I like that it’s so balanced," Montgomery said about Gase's scheme, per Dickerson. "He can run inside, outside, we can run power, isolation; we can throw the ball downfield, short routes. I don’t think we lean heavily in one direction. I think we can really do it all.”
Chicago drafted Oregon center Hroniss Grasu in the third round of this year's draft to be the team's center of the future, but Montgomery will hold down the position for at least the 2015 season.
Defensive Line
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Defensive Ends: Ego Ferguson and Jeremiah Ratliff
Nose Tackle: Eddie Goldman
When the Bears debuted their new 3-4 defense last Thursday against the Dolphins, they began the game on defense with Ego Ferguson and Jarvis Jenkins lined up at defensive end, while veteran Jeremiah Ratliff lined up at nose tackle.
Ferguson will be one of the team's starters at the 5-technique defensive end position this season, but Ratliff could slide to the outside to the other 5-technique spot so rookie Eddie Goldman can play nose tackle.
Ratliff has experience playing both inside and outside in a 3-4 defense, and his versatility makes him one of the team's most important players on defense. He has the ability to create pressure and collapse the pocket, but he is also strong enough to set the edge against the run. He could still be the team's starter at the nose tackle position, but Goldman's strong showing on Thursday likely moved him up the depth chart.
A second-round pick of the Bears this past May, Goldman played a handful of snaps with the first-team defense on Thursday night before taking the majority of his reps with the second team. He did a nice job of penetrating up the middle, and he proved he can handle his own at the NFL level.
"Everybody's goal is to be the playmaker and be the person that does their job," Goldman said after the game, per ChicagoFootball.com's Arthur Arkush. "When you do that, consistently, you'll end up being a big role on the team."
The Bears will likely mix and match up front a lot this season, so even if Ferguson, Ratliff and Goldman begin a game as the starters, there is a good chance guys like Jenkins, Will Sutton and Cornelius Washington will be brought in to help keep the rotation fresh.
Linebacker
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Inside Linebackers: Shea McClellin and Christian Jones
Outside Linebackers: Pernell McPhee and Lamarr Houston
Against the Dolphins on Thursday night, fourth-year man Shea McClellin lined up at the "Mike" inside linebacker position, while second-year man Christian Jones lined up at the "Jack" inside linebacker spot.
Neither player jumped off the page with his performance, but both were steady when on the field in the first quarter.
McClellin is playing his third different position in four years, and for the first time in his career, he looked comfortable on Thursday night.
"I thought he did good," said Fox about McClellin's performance against the Dolphins, per Jahns. "He’s getting better every day."
The former Boise State product struggled during his first two years in the league as a 4-3 defensive end, but he showed improvement last season playing as a strong-side linebacker. He struggled against the pass, but according to Pro Football Focus, he finished last season with a plus-10.1 grade against the run.
He still has a ways to go with his development, but unless he stumbles in the coming weeks, he'll begin the season as one of Chicago's starting inside linebackers.
Jones is a good fit at the Jack linebacker spot because of his ability to blitz the quarterback, but he could get pushed by veteran Mason Foster in the coming weeks. Jones is solid against the run and can get after the quarterback, but he struggled against the pass last season.
Foster is not flashy, but he moves well from sideline to sideline, and he has a history of making plays against the pass. In his four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Foster recorded 12 pass deflections and five interceptions. He is a better fit at the Mike spot, but he is versatile enough to play the Jack.
In the end, Jones' upside and athleticism should help him claim the other starting job alongside McClellin.
On the outside, Pernell McPhee is a lock to be a starter at one of the two outside linebacker spots. He spent the last four seasons as a situational pass-rusher in Baltimore, but he will be asked to be an every-down player in Chicago this season.
He needs to continue to improve against the run, but he is a violent pass-rusher who should benefit from increased reps in 2015.
Veteran defensive end-turned-outside linebacker Jared Allen started Thursday night's game at outside linebacker and looked comfortable in his new position. He failed to put much pressure on Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill, but he proved he can effectively drop back in coverage.
Despite Allen's strong performance against Miami, he will help the Bears more by being a situational pass-rusher. If the Bears decide to use Allen in various sub-packages, Lamarr Houston is the team's best option to start opposite of McPhee.
Houston did not play against Miami because he is coming off an ACL injury he suffered last season, but when healthy, he is a fluid athlete who moves well in space and plays well against the run.
Allen could beat out Houston for the starting spot if he continues to play well in the preseason, but Houston has more upside at the position if he is healthy.
Secondary
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Cornerbacks: Kyle Fuller and Tim Jennings
Safeties: Antrel Rolle and Adrian Amos
After veteran cornerback Charles Tillman suffered an injury in Week 2 last season against the San Francisco 49ers, 2014 first-round pick Kyle Fuller was thrust into a starting role. He finished the season with 64 tackles, four interceptions and three forced fumbles, but he struggled down the stretch in Chicago's Cover 2 defense.
Fuller will have the ability to play more man coverage this season in defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's scheme, but he struggled in his limited reps against the Dolphins. Even though Fuller struggled on Thursday night, Fox is confident in the young cornerback's abilities.
"He's got size, speed and the toughness," Fox said, according to Bob LeGere of the Daily Herald. "He'll perform both skills of his job, which is to cover and tackle."
If the former Virginia Tech Hokie can improve his awareness and refine his technique in the next couple of weeks, he should be able to build off his up-and-down rookie season.
Two-time Pro Bowler Tim Jennings is expected to be the other starter opposite of Fuller when the Bears take on the Green Bay Packers in Week 1 next month. Despite appearing to be a better fit on the inside at the nickelback position, Jennings got the start on the outside in the team's preseason opener.
He is a prototypical Cover 2 cornerback who works well in zone coverage, but he will be asked to play more man coverage this season. He could get pushed by veteran Alan Ball in the final three preseason games, but his spot on the outside appears to be secure.
The Bears signed Antrel Rolle this offseason to help stabilize the back half of the field, and the veteran safety is guaranteed a starting job in 2015. He has the ability to play both free safety and strong safety, but Fangio prefers for his safeties to be interchangeable.
Rolle is a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro, and Fangio hopes he can get the veteran safety to play at the level this season.
"Hopefully he can get his movement back to where it was and play like a young man again,” Fangio said, per Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times, “and I think he’ll be a great leader for us. I think he [still has it]. But time will tell.”
He does not possess the same range he had when he entered the league in 2005, but he is still a major upgrade at the position for the Bears.
The other starting safety position does not appear to be as set in stone.
Second-year man Brock Vereen got the start alongside Rolle on Thursday night, but he struggled in his limited reps. When the Bears returned to practice on Saturday, rookie safety Adrian Amos replaced Vereen with the first-team defense, per Jahns.
Amos is a rangy safety who played some cornerback at Penn State, but he needs to improve as a tackler. He flashed at times against the Dolphins, and he could get a chance to line up with the starters this Saturday when the Bears take on the Colts.
Veteran Ryan Mundy could fight for a starting role, but he and Rolle are both similar players. Vereen has some NFL experience, but Amos' upside could help him land the starting free safety job next to Rolle in Week 1.
Special Teams
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Kicker: Robbie Gould
Punter: Pat O'Donnell
Long Snapper: Thomas Gafford
Return Man: Marc Mariani
Kicker Robbie Gould made just nine out of his 12 field-goal attempts last season, but the veteran is set to be the team's kicker once again in 2015. He is the only kicker in training camp, and the 10-year veteran has hit 85.6 percent of his field-goal attempts in his career.
The Bears selected punter Pat O'Donnell in the sixth round of the 2014 draft, and after a slow start, the young specialist came on strong at the end of last season. He punted 71 times and averaged 43.8 yards per punt. Just like Gould, he is the only punter in training camp, and he is expected to hold onto the position this season.
Chicago signed veteran long snapper Thomas Gafford this offseason, and he is competing with rookie Rick Lovato in training camp and the preseason for the position. Gafford played 105 games between 2008 and 2014 for the Kansas City Chiefs, and he should be able to beat out Lovato for the open position.
Veteran return man Marc Mariani signed with the Bears last November and returned 20 kickoffs for 510 yards. He was not flashy, but he was consistent. He is a former Pro Bowler and is confident with the ball in his hands. He will battle undrafted free agent Levi Norwood in the coming weeks for the spot, but his experience should help him land the return man job.
Statistical information and measurables 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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