The preseason games don’t matter in terms of the final score. They do matter when it comes to roster evaluation. Players performing well in practice is a good thing, but the critical thing coaches look for is whether they can carry that over into games. Many players who perform lights out in practice completely disappear when the real football starts. That is why the opener against the Kansas City Chiefs was so illuminating for the Chicago Bears.
There were plenty of good performances. Tajae Sharpe made two excellent plays, strengthening his grip on a wide receiver job. Larry Borom didn’t allow a single pressure the entire first half. Micah Dew-Treadway collected the sack and closed out the win. It was encouraging to see so many players working hard. Still, others picked a bad time to have some of their worst moments. Here are a few that could least afford it.
These Chicago Bears face a do-or-die scenario on Thursday.
Dazz Newsome (WR)
The former 6th round pick from last year faced a tall mountain to climb if he wanted to make the roster. However, Newsome seemed to have a nice camp and was listed as the Bears’ starting punt returner on the first unofficial depth chart. That was a good sign. Then he muffed the first punt he tried to field. That won’t do him any favors. With minimal chances of being a contributor on offense, special teams are his pathway onto the roster. The Bears won’t keep him if he’s untrustworthy every time he’s sent out there.
Darrynton Evans (RB)
When the Bears signed him, the veteran looked like a decent addition to the running back room. He could make for a nice complement to David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert. Then the team drafted Trestan Ebner. Everybody saw why when the rookie had a 34-yard kick return, a 27-yard run, and a 12-yard TD catch against the Chiefs. Evans did little with his own opportunities in the game, averaging 2.9 yards per carry.
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Doug Kramer (C)
Athleticism, quickness, and tenacity were big reasons the Chicago Bears drafted Kramer out of Illinois. Other teams had reservations about him, though. They believed his lack of size, strength, and balance made him a liability. Those concerns were somewhat validated as he failed to generate any movement in the run game and wasn’t much better in pass protection. Even though Sam Mustipher wasn’t overly impressive either, he still looked like the preferable backup to Lucas Patrick.
He had about 7-8 really bad reps. Which is a lot. Even if watch the Touchdown to ebner he got beat and tackled the DT pic.twitter.com/SCcY5YFCCh
— Chicago Football Connection (@CFCBears) August 14, 2022
Charles Snowden (DE)
There was a lot of buzz when the Bears signed Snowden as an undrafted free agent last year. He had the athleticism and length to be an intriguing project as a pass rusher. It was supposed to be his time to ascend this year. Instead, he was relatively quiet in his preseason debut. It didn’t help that other reserve defensive ends like Dominique Robinson and Al-Quadin Muhammad flashed more often. He needs to pick things up before it’s too late.
Caleb Johnson (LB)
He was a terrific story last year, coming from tiny Houston Baptist to crack the roster thanks to a stellar preseason. Injuries shortened his 2021 season. Together with the arrival of a new regime, Johnson needed another solid preseason to impress. Sadly he was overshadowed by rookie Jack Sanborn and former USFL veteran DeMarquis Gates. The second-year linebacker still has special teams value, but that may not save him this time.
