Chicago Bears OTA Standouts Worth Keeping an Eye on This Offseason
The Chicago Bears kicked off organized team activities (OTAs) on May 27, and the full-team practice session ended on May 29. The team has two more three-day OTA sessions remaining before the start of training camp at the end of July, and its next OTA session is scheduled for June 1 through June 3.
During OTAs, teams are allowed to run both individual and team drills, but tackling is not permitted and players are not allowed to wear helmets.
Even though there are restrictions, the team is still able to work on its scheme on both sides of the football, and players are able to get a better understanding of their roles on the team during the three practice sessions.
It is difficult to get much information out of OTAs at this point in time, but here are five Bears worth keeping an eye on this offseason as the team heads into its second and third OTA sessions.
QB Pat Devlin
1 of 5
There is no doubt Jay Cutler will be Chicago's starting quarterback this season, and veteran Jimmy Clausen has the inside track to be the team's No. 2 quarterback.
With that said, journeyman Pat Devlin has a chance to earn a spot on the roster this offseason.
Devlin was a highly touted recruit coming out of high school in 2006, and he spent two years at Penn State before transferring to the University of Delaware.
He went undrafted in 2011 and was signed by the Miami Dolphins immediately following the draft. He spent the next three seasons with Miami before he was waived and eventually signed by the Minnesota Vikings last season.
He has never appeared in a regular-season game, but the Bears signed him to a one-year deal earlier this offseason after he spent rookie minicamp with the team as a tryout player. He has spent the last couple of weeks learning Chicago's playbook.
“All the terminology is different, but some of the concepts are the same,” Devlin said about Chicago's offense, according to Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “This is my fourth or fifth offense. A lot of the stuff is the same—it’s just called something different. So it’s just a matter of trying to memorize stuff. They say it’s a copycat league.”
It may be difficult for Devlin to beat out Clausen for the No. 2 job, but his experience should help him beat out both Shane Carden and David Fales for the No. 3 spot on the roster.
During his time at Delaware and in the preseason with the Dolphins, Devlin showed off his quick release and strong arm, but he will need to continue to work on his accuracy throughout OTAs and training camp in order to hold down the No. 3 spot this offseason.
He does not have the most upside, but if he can digest Chicago's playbook and continue to impress the coaching staff this offseason, the Bears will have no choice but to keep him on their roster in 2015.
LB Shea McClellin
2 of 5
Shea McClellin, Chicago's first-round pick in 2012, will be playing his third different position in four years in 2015.
Initially drafted as a defensive end, McClellin struggled in his first two years in the league and the Bears decided to move him to strong-side linebacker last season. He had his ups and downs in 2014, but when the Bears hired Vic Fangio to be the team's new defensive coordinator this offseason, the team decided to move him to inside linebacker.
“It feels great, to be honest. I like the way we're doing [things]," McClellin said earlier this week, according to Jake Bartelson of ChicagoFootball.com. “The coaches are great. They just let us play football, and that's one of the most important things.”
During his time at Boise State, McClellin played both inside and outside linebacker in the team's 3-4 defense, but he was unable to make the adjustment to defensive end in Chicago's 4-3 defense. He looked more fluid and comfortable standing up as a linebacker last year, but he struggled against the pass.
According to Pro Football Focus, he finished the season with a minus-6.3 grade against the pass. He was targeted 19 times in coverage and gave up 14 catches for 129 yards and two touchdowns.
Despite playing his third different position in three years, McClellin has seemingly adjusted well to his new role this offseason and was making all the defensive calls when on the field during OTAs, according to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times:
"Christian Jones said he's been working a lot with Shea McClellin at ILB in #Bears 3-4. Said McClellin is handling the defensive calls well.
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) May 27, 2015"
If the Bears feel comfortable enough with having McClellin call the plays in the huddle, they likely view him as a viable starting option at inside linebacker this season.
He still has a ways to go, but McClellin could emerge as one of the biggest surprises out of training camp this offseason.
C Will Montgomery
3 of 5
The Bears released veteran center Roberto Garza earlier this offseason and quickly signed veteran Will Montgomery to a one-year deal to man the middle of the offensive line in 2015.
The team drafted Oregon center Hroniss Grasu in the third round of this year's draft, but Montgomery's experience should help him hold on to the starting job this season.
“I’m familiar with the coaching staff, strength staff—the head guy here was the assistant in Denver—so it’s kind of like a home away from home here,” Montgomery said on Wednesday, according to Arthur Arkush of ChicagoFootball.com.
Montgomery has played in 106 games in his career with 71 starts, and he played for Bears head coach John Fox in both Carolina and Denver.
“I think I said earlier, he [Fox] keeps calling and I keep answering the phone, so I enjoy playing for him,” Montgomery said.
While he does not excel in one particular area on the football field, he is a steady contributor who fully understands his role on the team. The Bears got away from running the football in 2014, but if they decide to put a bigger emphasis on that this season, Montgomery should help improve the team's running game.
The Bears averaged just 90.1 rushing yards per game last season under former head coach Marc Trestman, and the addition of Montgomery should help Chicago's running game up the middle.
Grasu is an intriguing rookie who has a lot of upside and potential, but he needs to get stronger in order to be a force in the running game.
The former Duck has a chance to beat out Montgomery this offseason, but as long as Montgomery can stay healthy and provide stability in the middle of Chicago's offensive line, he will be the team's starter at center in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers.
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DL Ego Ferguson
4 of 5
Following Ray McDonald's arrest and eventual release last week, second-year man Ego Ferguson is now a front-runner for one of Chicago's starting defensive end spots this season.
Ferguson was drafted by the Bears last year to play the nose tackle position in the team's 4-3 defense, but he has lost some weight this offseason and will be getting reps both inside at nose tackle and outside at defensive end.
“My overall quickness has improved,” Ferguson said about his weight loss, per Beth Gorr of Bear Report. “My reaction time is better. I feel more comfortable in lateral moves. Forward speed has a real burst now. That is pretty much the result I was hoping for when I decided to work this hard during the offseason.”
Ferguson will not be locked into one position this offseason, and according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, defensive line coach Jay Rodgers thinks the entire defensive line will be shuffled around all season long:
"Right now we're trying to figure out where everybody fits in the mix. You want to have your best five, six, seven guys and then how they fit because there's a lot of crossover between noses and ends. When you get into a game-day situation and people start getting a shoelace untied, you better have somebody else to put in.
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Ferguson's flexibility will come in handy this season with McDonald now gone, but the young defensive lineman will have to prove he can consistently put pressure on the quarterback in order to earn an expanded role.
Even though Ferguson and 2014 third-round pick Will Sutton will be moving to defensive end in 2015, Rodgers does not think the position change will be very difficult for either of the former interior defensive linemen.
"As far as what we're asking them to do, very similar," Rodgers said, according to Biggs. "What we're asking them to do is be tough, be rugged, knock people around and make plays on the ball."
With McDonald no longer on the roster, Ferguson has a chance to build off his strong offseason and become a starter for the Bears on defense in 2015.
NT Eddie Goldman
5 of 5
After adding wide receiver Kevin White in the first round of this year's draft, the Bears decided to add to the defensive side of the football in the second round by taking Florida State nose tackle Eddie Goldman.
Goldman has ideal size (6'4", 336 lbs) for the 0-technique nose tackle position, and the former Seminole received praise from teammate Jeremiah Ratliff earlier this week.
"(Goldman) is a monster," Ratliff said, according to Biggs. "He'll probably only get stronger and a little bigger. He is going to play in this league a long time."
After Goldman was drafted, he talked about how he modeled his game after Ratliff's while growing up.
“I just liked how physical he was, and his quickness and his grit and stuff like that,” Goldman said about Ratliff, according to Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “I just look forward to learning a lot from him and playing alongside him."
He is strong at the point of attack and has the ability to collapse the pocket as a pass-rusher, but he will be asked to plug up gaps and help slow down the run in defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's scheme.
He projects to be a two-down player because of his ability against the run, but if he can refine his pass-rushing moves this offseason, he could turn into an every-down player.
Goldman is not guaranteed the starting nose tackle job, but with McDonald's release early last week, Ratliff will likely move over to the defensive end position, leaving the 39th overall pick as the only true nose tackle on the roster.
If Goldman can impress the coaching staff this offseason just as much as he has impressed Ratliff, he has a chance to be the team's starter at nose tackle when the regular season begins in early September.
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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