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Bears 2020 training camp preview: Offensive line

The Bears return four of five starters on their offensive line heading into 2020. Let’s take a look at the unit heading into training camp.

The Chicago Bears will report to training camp on July 28 and one unit to keep an eye on is the offensive lineman. This offseason the Bears didn’t heavily invest into their offensive line that was ranked 29th in run blocking and 21st in pass protection.

The Bears also saw their long time offensive guard Kyle Long retire this offseason and looked into bottom tier free agents and late 2020 draft picks do fill some void and bring competition.

Let’s take a look at the offensive line heading into training camp.

Cody Whitehair

After switching from center to left guard before the start of the 2019 season, Whitehair saw himself playing center in the second half of the season. Entering his fifth year, Whitehair is confident that he’ll be playing center for the 2020 season, where he feels comfortable.

In 2018 Whitehair was very comfortable in playing center as he earned his only Pro Bowl selection so far through his career.

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5 reasons for pessimism as Bears prepare for training camp

Heading into training camp, there aren’t many that have confidence that the Bears will be a team that will be competitive in 2020.

Heading into training camp, there aren’t many that have confidence that the Chicago Bears will be a team that will be competitive in 2020. And that’s probably for the best, considering Chicago folded under the high expectations last season. And it’s hard to have confidence in a team coming off a 8-8 season with major questions on offense, particularly at the quarterback position.

There are plenty of reasons for concern heading into the 2020 season. Obviously there’s the quarterback situation with Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles, as well as concerns regarding the offensive line and depth at a few positions.

Here are five reasons for pessimism as the Bears prepare for training camp.

1. The QB situation

Anytime you have a competition at quarterback it’s a good indication that you’re not in the best place. And there’s a big question mark involving the Bears’ quarterback situation heading into 2020. Following Mitchell Trubisky’s worst year as a pro, the Bears traded for former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles to compete with him for the starting job.

But with the shortened offseason and at minimum a two-game preseason, the quarterback competition will essentially play out over the course of a month in training camp. Not exactly a large sample size for Matt Nagy to make the best decision. That should benefit Trubisky, who’s played with most of Chicago’s skill position players for two years and has even been working with some of the newcomers with offseason workouts in the Chicago area.

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Riley Ridley dubbed Bears’ biggest sleeper heading into training camp

Bleacher Report believes second-year WR Riley Ridley will be a player to watch heading into training camp.

The Chicago Bears are coming off a disappointing 2019 season that was worse than their 8-8 record indicated. With several significant injuries on defense and one of the worst offenses, the Bears didn’t live up to the hype coming off an impressive 2018 season.

But in order to rebound, they’re going to need some players to step it up. Whether that’s players you’d expect it from and those that might surprise.

Bleacher Report believes second-year receiver Riley Ridley could be one of those guys. They have him pegged as the Bears’ biggest sleeper to watch heading into training camp.

Take Riley Ridley, who barely saw the field as a rookie fourth-round pick in 2019 but caught three of the four passes thrown his way for 54 yards in the team’s regular-season finale. It was a good sign for the Georgia product that Chicago again didn’t spend a high draft pick on a receiver and an even better sign when wide receivers coach Mike Furrey pumped up Ridley’s tires last month.

Ginn and Cordarrelle Patterson are more accomplished, but Ridley’s got the route-running ability and the pass-catching skills to beat them out for regular outside reps this summer and fall.

The fourth-round pick out of Georgia didn’t see much playing time during his rookie year, as he was a healthy scratch for the first 11 games. Ridley played in five games, where he tallied six catches for 69 yards.

Bears receivers coach Mike Furrey raved about Ridley earlier this offseason, saying that he expects the second-year wideout to impress in 2020.

“The biggest growth we’re going to see with anybody in our room is going to be Riley Ridley,” Furrey told reporters. “His preparation right now, his attitude, his desire, the passion he has to become successful in this game, he loves the process. And I believe when you love the process, it’s going to be successful.”

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Bears’ Eddy Pineiro feels the pressure heading into kicker competition

While Eddy Pineiro had a solid rookie season, the Bears brought in Ramiz Ahmed to challenge him for the starting job in training camp.

For the second straight year, the Chicago Bears will have a competition at kicker in training camp. Although, to be fair, this one won’t be quite the circus last offseason’s competition was.

Last year, Eddy Pineiro outlasted Elliott Fry in training camp and preseason to win the starting job. As a rookie, Pineiro had a solid season connecting on 23-of-28 field goals (82.1%) and 27-of-29 extra points. But Pineiro wasn’t without his faults. He had a rough stretch where he went 3-of-7 on field goals, including missing some important kicks.

Pineiro notes that his rookie season was a good learning experience that should benefit him heading into his sophomore campaign. Still, he understands that he needs to improve in certain areas.

“The first year with the Bears was a good learning experience,” Pineiro said on Bears All-Access. “I think there’s a lot of room for improvement. I think I can get better. And I’m hoping for another successful year this year. Hopefully I can get my percentage up a little bit. The biggest learning experience for me was kicking in a windy game and then going to a dome, that transition. I feel like I’ve matured a lot as a kicker and hopefully this year goes good for me.”

While Pineiro had a solid rookie season, the Bears brought in Ramiz Ahmed to challenge him for the starting job in training camp. Like Pineiro a year ago, Ahmed doesn’t have any NFL experience. He last kicked as a senior at Nevada, where he connected on 15 of 20 field goals (75%).

Pineiro should be the favorite to win the job again, but he does feel the pressure that comes with competition for a starting job. Luckily, he’s already proven that he can win a kicker competition.

“Obviously, there is pressure,” Pineiro said. “They brought in somebody to compete, so I’ve got to compete. I’ve got to win my job like everybody else. Everybody has to compete and win their job.”

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9 Bears players coming back from injury ahead of training camp

This offseason has given injured Bears players an opportunity to get healthy heading into a crucial 2020 season.

One of the biggest challenges for any NFL team is to remain somewhat lucky on the injury front. It’s something that the Chicago Bears were able to do in 2018, where they didn’t suffer any significant losses long-term.

But the 2019 season was another story. The Bears suffered a number of injuries, including some significant losses on defense and offense. Chicago defense lost three of its best players and their top three tight ends all landed on injured reserve.

Luckily, this offseason has given those players an opportunity to get healthy heading into a crucial 2020 season.

Let’s take a look at nine players the Bears are getting back from injury heading into training camp.

DT Akiem Hicks

The biggest boost to this Bears defense will be the return of Akiem Hicks, who anchors the middle of the defensive line. Last season, Hicks suffered an elbow injury against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 5. He landed on injured reserve for eight weeks before returning for Chicago’s biggest game of the season against the Green Bay Packers in Week 15. But Hicks re-aggravated the elbow injury that held him out most of the season.

Hicks’ return will bolster the entire front seven, including the pass rush, which struggled last season in his absence. Back in May, Hicks shared a video of his first time lifting weights without a brace on his elbow. And he’s confident he’ll be good to go come training camp.

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Bears 2020 training camp preview: Wide Receivers

The Chicago Bears wide receiving corps must be productive for the offense to succeed in 2020. Let’s take a look at each member.

On July 28, the Chicago Bears will report to training camp at Halas Hall with some uncertainty at the wide receiver position. Two years into his four-year deal, Taylor Gabriel was a cap casualty in February, creating $4.5 million in cap space with just $2 million accounting in dead cap. Gabriel, 29, hauled in 96 balls for 1,041 yards and six touchdowns in two seasons but was limited by concussions last year.

He played in nine games — including seven starts — and tallied 353 receiving yards, but he also recorded a 6.3 percent drop rate. In place of Gabriel, the Bears signed free-agent wide receiver, Ted Ginn Jr., to a one-year deal worth nearly $1.2 million. They also added Darnell Mooney out of Tulane via the draft.

The productivity of the receiving corps will solely depend on the play at the quarterback position. Mitchell Trubisky is potentially entering his final season in Chicago, as the Bears declined his fifth-year option. They added Nick Foles as an insurance policy while also applying pressure on Trubisky.

Back in May, Pro Football Focus ranked the receiving corps fifth-worst in the NFL, but they noted the potential Foles has in moving the needle.

Let’s take a look at what the Bears’ quarterbacks have to work in terms of wide receivers heading into training camp.

Allen Robinson

Robinson is likely the best wide receiver the Bears have had since Brandon Marshall. The 26-year-old is entering his final year of a three-year deal and should be a prime candidate for an extension after the season. He got off to a slow start in Chicago, hauling in 55 receptions – the lowest since his rookie year – for 754 yards and four touchdowns.

However, in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, Robinson showed why the Bears signed him, recording a franchise record ten receptions for 143 yards and a score. While the game resulted in a loss, it propelled the Penn State product into 2020, as he tallied a career-best 98 receptions along with 1,147 yards and seven touchdowns.

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Bears 2020 training camp preview: Running backs

We’re taking a look at Bears running backs, where the biggest question is who will backup lead back David Montgomery.

Chicago Bears training camp is less than three weeks away, which means it’s time to start looking ahead at the roster the team is bringing to Lake Forest.

Next up are the running backs, which you could argue is one of the team’s biggest weaknesses at this point. Outside of lead back David Montgomery, who’s entering his second season, and the versatile Tarik Cohen, there are a lot of unknowns.

Perhaps the most important is who will serve as Montgomery’s primary backup, as Cohen isn’t your traditional three-down back. The Bears have three unproven guys that are currently vying for that third running back spot in Ryan Nall, Artavis Pierce and Napoleon Maxwell.

Could they bring in a veteran to compete? Unknown at this point. But given the importance of securing a dependable backup to Montgomery, it shouldn’t be out of the question.

Let’s take a look at the running backs heading into training camp.

David Montgomery

Montgomery is entering training camp as Chicago’s lead back, and he’s determined to take the next step following a decent rookie campaign. Heading into his second season in Matt Nagy’s offense, expectations are high for the Bears’ top draft pick a year ago.

Last season, behind a struggling offensive line and questionable play-calling, Montgomery had 889 rushing yards and six touchdowns. He also added 25 receptions for 185 yards and a score. Montgomery surpassed 1,000 all-purpose yards as a rookie. He ranked second among NFL rookie rushers in both yards (889) and touchdowns (6) last season, trailing only the Raiders’ Josh Jacobs.

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Bears 2020 training camp preview: Quarterbacks

Ahead of training camp, we’re taking a look at the Bears’ quarterbacks, including the two that will battle for the starting job.

Chicago Bears training camp is less than three weeks away, which means it’s time to start looking ahead at the roster the team is bringing to Lake Forest.

It starts at the most important position: Quarterback. And unlike the previous two seasons where Mitchell Trubisky was the unquestioned starter, that’s not the case this season.

Trubisky will have to win the starting job over veteran Nick Foles, who the Bears shelled out a ton of cash and a fourth-round pick in a trade with Jacksonville.

Although, things will remain similar with Tyler Bray serving as Chicago’s third-string quarterback.

Let’s take a look at the quarterbacks heading into training camp.

Mitchell Trubisky

For the first time since his rookie season, Trubisky won’t be the clear-cut starter heading into training camp. This season is Trubisky’s last chance to prove to the Bears that he can be a franchise quarterback, but it’s certainly an uphill climb for the former No. 2 overall pick.

While Trubisky is coming off his worst season as a pro and has been personally challenged by Matt Nagy to become an expert at reading defenses, Trubisky also has advantage over Foles. Considering this quarterback competition can’t begin until camp begins — and given the shortened or potentially non-existent preseason — a small sample size benefits Trubisky, who has previously worked with Bears skill position players.

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5 reasons for optimism as Bears prepare for training camp

Believe it or not, there are reasons to be optimistic about the Bears heading into training camp. Yes, even on offense.

But, believe it or not, there are reasons to be optimistic heading into a unique training camp ahead of the 2020 season. Yes, even on offense. Obviously the defense remains Chicago’s calling card, but the Bears need to turn it up on offense if they have a chance to make a return to the postseason.

Here are five reasons for optimism as the Bears prepare for training camp.

1. Bears QB competition should get the most out of both Trubisky and Foles

Having a quarterback competition typically indicates you’re not in a great place given your starter is up in the air. But in this case, Chicago’s quarterback battle between incumbent starter Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles should produce a better product under center in 2020. But one of the issues has been this unusual offseason, which has consisted of an entirely virtual offseason and either a shortened preseason or no preseason at all.

Still, competition tends to bring out the most in the people, which is exactly why this quarterback competition should benefit the Bears regardless of who wins the job. Obviously the hope is that it’s Trubisky, given what the Bears have invested in him. But at this point, Chicago just needs good enough quarterback play to pair with this defense. And with a starting job on the line, you have to believe both Trubisky and Foles are going to do whatever it takes to stand out.

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5 Chicago Bears with the most to prove during training camp

There are plenty of Bears with something to prove, whether it’s players battling for the starting job or players fighting for a roster spot.

We’re just a few weeks away from the start of Chicago Bears training camp, and there are plenty of storylines that will dominate. Coming off a disappointing 2019 season, the Bears are looking to rebound in what’s gearing up to be a pivotal 2020 season.

There are plenty of players with something to prove, whether it’s players battling for the starting job or players fighting for a roster spot. There’s a lot on the line for these guys, and they’ll have to do it in what’s gearing up to be an unusual training camp setting this year.

Let’s take a look at five Bears players with the most to prove during training camp.

1. QB Mitchell Trubisky

There’s no one with more to prove during training camp than quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, who will battle veteran Nick Foles for the starting job. This is Trubisky’s last chance to prove that he can be the franchise quarterback in Chicago, and if he can’t, that would figure to be the end of his time with the Bears — unless Foles is benched or injured. A fire has certainly been lit under Trubisky, with the Bears declining his fifth-year option and bringing in Foles to potentially replace him.

This is a pretty important training camp for Trubisky, as the preseason will be at most two games and at least eliminated entirely. The quarterback battle can’t begin until the start of camp, which means that Trubisky should have an advantage with a small sample size. Still, he has to take advantage of those opportunities. And he’ll be the first one to line up under center when the competition begins July 28.

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