When a regular season game ceases meaning anything for either team, both usually tend to treat it like a preseason game. Older starters are shut down and injured players who might be able to gut it out in more pressing conditions are basically encouraged to just take a seat. That is what’s happening for the Chicago Bears as they prepare to wrap up their disappointing 2019 season in Minnesota against the Vikings.
While this isn’t a game many veterans will care much for, it’s actually a prime opportunity for younger players on the roster. This is because coaches tend to enter evaluation mode. They want to get a closer look at what they have on the roster under actual game conditions. This so they have a better understanding of what the team has at given positions going into the offseason. One man who is primed for such an opportunity is Alex Bars.
The Bears signed the Notre Dame offensive lineman as an undrafted free agent back in April and promoted from the practice squad last month. Coaches like his potential and feel he could be something in the future. Now with Kyle Long on Injured Reserve and Rashaad Coward unlikely to play because of a knee injury, it appears his time is at hand.
Chicago Bears will get to see how Bars has progressed
The Bears offensive line figures to be a primary area the team will focus on in 2020 after its dismal performance for much of this season. Figuring out if Bars can play is a step in that direction. The last time they saw him perform was the preseason back in August and he looked fairly decent. That, however, was still relatively close to his recovery from an ACL injury in college. He’s had much more time to get closer to the form he showed prior to the injury. So this chance to play couldn’t come at a better time.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
A big way he can make an impression is in the run game. Chicago is 29th in rushing this year and blocking is a key reason for that. Being able to generate some movement on the ground and get David Montgomery some lanes to run through would be a strong message for him to send. To say nothing of keeping Mitch Trubisky clean in pass protection. First impressions can often be everything, especially for an undrafted player like him.
