The Chicago Bears roster has endured a substantial overhaul since the offseason began in January. GM Ryan Poles made one thing clear from the moment he took over. He was not impressed with the work predecessor Ryan Pace had done. Almost two-thirds of the roster that finished 2021 is gone, replaced by several new faces. This has made one thing abundantly clear. Training camp in August figures to be one of the most competitive in recent memory.
A lot of starting jobs will be on the line, with several players battling for them. The offensive and defensive lines, linebacker, safety, and wide receiver could feature surprising developments over the next few months. Proof came in the form of a 22-man starting lineup projection from Ben Linsey of Pro Football Focus. There were unsurprising names like Justin Fields, David Montgomery, Robert Quinn, Darnell Mooney, and Jaylon Johnson. It got a bit wild at right guard and defensive end where a pair of upsets were predicted.
Wow.
Let’s start with Muhammad. He was signed as a free agent by the Bears in March. He came over from the Indianapolis Colts, where he’d worked under Matt Eberflus the past few years. While in that context, it makes sense he would be viewed as a likely starter, it feels like Trevis Gipson was ignored entirely despite having more sacks than Muhammad last season. Not to mention his pressure rating (11.79% to 8.09%) was also higher.
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Yet the far bigger shock is Sam Mustipher at right guard. It feels like he was chosen primarily due to being experienced and a higher-graded blocker than fellow veteran Dakota Dozier. This is despite the fact that Mustipher hasn’t played any other position than center since high school, and he doesn’t have the ideal size (6’2) or mobility (330 lbs) to function as a starting guard in the new outside-zone offense the Bears plan to run.
We're done with D, now let's talk offense — I thought Sam Mustipher (67) struggled when run blocking on Saturday.
He seemed to get driven back on outside zone runs while not quick enough on inside runs. Had a nice block on the fumble, but the Bears need more from him this year. pic.twitter.com/MnL8OwqNLV
— Robert Schmitz (@robertkschmitz) August 26, 2021
Chicago Bears aren’t going to play favorites.
While head coach Matt Nagy may have preferred to go with more experienced veterans even if they weren’t the better players, that doesn’t figure to happen under Matt Eberflus. He showed few qualms in Indianapolis starting rookies if they showed they deserved it. Mustipher starting at guard can’t be called anywhere close to a lock. Especially with multiple intriguing rookies like Zachary Thomas and Ja’Tyre Carter in the mix.
As for Muhammad, that is at least more plausible since he’s an Eberflus guy. Still, Gipson has a more proven track record and is younger. Muhammad makes far more sense as that #3 guy who gives the starters rest on the sideline during games. As for the rest of the starter projections, they seem fine. Equanimeous St. Brown as the #3 receiver is interesting. His ties to Getsy certainly make that something to watch.
Also, having Khyiris Tonga as the starting nose tackle is fun.
It feels like the perfect position for him with his size and power. He also has enough rush capability to intrigue the coaching staff. Truth be told, it feels like the Chicago Bears roster is still one or two moves away from being settled. There might be more veteran additions on the way, perhaps during final cuts as other teams fine-tune their own rosters.
