The Chicago Bears have their roster set for training camp. Players report at the end of this month. Rookies on the 25th and veterans a day later. For the first time in what feels like years, fans pretty much know what to expect. Caleb Williams is the starting quarterback. Ben Johnson is the head coach. Colston Loveland, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, and D’Andre Swift are your starters on offense. It is an exciting time to be a Bears fan. That said, we’ve learned that camp can often hatch unexpected surprises.
Some of them are small. One or two are huge. This year doesn’t figure to be any different. That begs the question. What will those surprises be? Here are some bold predictions. Each will be a little bolder than the last, starting with the most plausible and moving into straight-up crazy territory. Which ones do you think are most likely to happen?
Check down: The Chicago Bears add a veteran pass rusher before the season
General manager Ryan Poles made it clear the team wants to keep things as they are at edge rusher. They were encouraged by what they saw from Dayo Odeyingbo and Shemar Turner before both went down with season-ending injuries. Hopes are high that they can pick up where they left off upon returning. The truth is that the Bears were reluctant to spend any further money at the position. We’ll see what happens when they watch the position operate in camp for a few weeks. If it looks anything like it did last season, you can reasonably bet that the team will finally relent and go hunting for veteran help, be it in free agency or the trade market. Don’t be surprised if it happens before the preseason.
Quick slant: Logan Jones beats out Garrett Bradbury for the starting center job
When pitting a veteran against a rookie in training camp battles, the veteran almost always has the edge. He understands how to prepare and is equipped to learn an offense quickly. Bradbury just went to a Super Bowl in New England. He is battle-tested. It’s only natural to think he is the favorite to replace Drew Dalman at center. The problem for him is that Logan Jones isn’t a normal rookie. He’s 25 years old with 51 games of experience in college. This isn’t a kid. He is a fully grown adult who is a perfect fit for Ben Johnson’s offensive system. If both play at similar levels next month, the logical decision is to go with the younger option.
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Crosser: Tyson Bagent plays so well in the preseason that another team trades for him
Now we’re getting into the really bold territory. The Chicago Bears brass have stated they have no plans to trade their backup quarterback. Bagent is a valued member of the roster. Coach Johnson has stated his own belief that the young QB is one of the 32 best in the league, meaning he should probably be starting somewhere. The Bears are fortunate he’s their #2. However, history says that Bagent should have another terrific preseason run, as he has the past two years. This time will be different, though. He will perform at a high enough level that other teams can no longer ignore his potential. Some team will suffer an unplanned injury and decide they’re willing to pay the price tag to pry Bagent from Chicago.
Deep out: Jordan Van Den Berg supplants Grady Jarrett at defensive tackle
This one will probably stun some people. After all, despite his injury setback, Jarrett was still a steady presence in the middle as a run defender. That isn’t the concern. It is that the 33-year-old has lost his trademark explosiveness as an interior pass rusher. Those who know Dennis Allen’s defensive system understand that he wants smaller, quicker interior linemen to create havoc in the middle. Van Den Berg is the most explosive defensive tackle they have on the roster. If he doesn’t get too overwhelmed by the scheme during camp, there is absolutely a world where the Bears coaches feel he can have a greater impact as a starter, leaving Jarrett in a more rotational role.
Hail Mary: Kiran Amegadjie wins the Bears left tackle job
You want a heat check? You got a heat check. Everybody believes that Braxton Jones is the favorite to claim the left tackle job. Understandably so. He’s the most experienced and most proven of the notable names in the mix. Jedrick Wills has the talent but not the knowledge of the offense. Theo Benedet has the knowledge but not the talent. That said, here’s the thing. Jones was already benched once before. The Chicago Bears coaches know what they have with him. Amegadjie is more physically gifted than Jones and also knows the offense, too. Injuries have set him back to this point. Let this be the 1000-to-1 odds wager that this time he puts everything together and steals the starting job to the shock of everybody.
