Training Camp in the NFL is already upon us, and in Chicago the Bears are arguably the most media covered team in the city. The players report to their campgrounds in Bourbonaiss, Illinois on Wednesday the 26th and practices will begin the following day. The rookies have been working with strength and conditioning the past week and will finally get to meet up with their veteran teammates when practices begin.
It may not be a year where the Bears are expected to be Super Bowl contenders, but the interest in the team is certainly high regarding its future.
GM Ryan Pace has been working on the team since he came in after the 2014 season ended. While the plan itself has not been entirely clear the first few years, Pace has drafted well and fully committed to rebuilding after his pick of Mitchell Trubisky second overall in the previous draft. There are several areas of focus to look at during camp this year.
Trubisky and Glennon
A new QB crew is in place moving forward after parting ways with Jay Cutler after last year. Mike Glennon is the short-term/stop-gap solution who was signed as a free agent to a three-year $43.5 million dollar deal with the first year being guaranteed. The veteran QB spent his first three years with Tampa Bay and has only played in 8 games the past two years and has 30 touchdowns in 18 NFL games.
It seemed like a desperation and overpaid move but with the way the deal is worked out it can be considered a one-year deal especially knowing that Mitch Trubisky will be developing behind him.
Trubsiky will be the biggest buzz most likely though. The future face of the franchise was drafted second overall after the Bears traded up to get him with San Francisco in the 2017 draft.
This move made a lot of people angry and confused when it initially happened but it is clear that he was Ryan Pace's guy and it is in the best interest for the Bears for him to succeed. He just signed his rookie deal before reporting to rookie workouts last week at four years and $29 million dollars with a $19.25 million signing bonus.
He was praised for his accuracy in his throwing but it is clear he needs some work on other fundamentals especially under pressure. There will obviously be growing pains with developing a young QB like Trubisky but seeing his first steps in developing in the NFL is going to be the biggest focus this year in camp.
Other rookies
There are others that will have a lot of time in the spotlight at camp. Potentially the biggest one outside Trubisky is running back Tarik Cohen who was taken 119th overall by the Bears out of North Carolina A&T of the MEAC. Cohen may be small at 5'6, 179lbs but he has the nickname "The Human Joystick" as he is able to power through with speed and strength as well as have the ability to cut and maneuver around defenders.
In 2016 he scored 19 touchdowns with 1,588 yards of offense and piled a career 5,619 yards which is a MEAC record. He will be competing with RB Jeremy Langford for the number two RB on the team behind the young stud Jordan Howard who was by the far the Bears most exciting player last year.
The other rookies including TE Adam Shaheen, the pick out of Division II and lineman Rashaad Coward will certainly have their work cut out for them in camp. The Bears have lacked depth for so long and these players add potential depth to the team. Shaheen will be looking to compete with veteran TE Zach Miller who bounced back nicely with the Bears in 2015 but was hurt a lot in 2016.
Health of key veterans
Last year the team was just decimated with injuries.
21 different Bears spent time on the injured reserve last at one point last season including some of their top players. The most notable names included Pro Bowl OL Kyle Long, 2015 1st round WR Kevin White, LB Danny Trevathan, LB Pernell McPhee, 2015 1st rounder Kyle Fuller and backup QB Brian Hoyer.
Long has arguably been the Bears best player in terms of doing their job at their position since being drafted. The Bears have a solid line of multiple Pro Bowlers but they need to be healthy moving forward and be in good shape in camp. Kevin White has played in a total of four games in his two-year NFL career, seeing as this is his year to make or break it, people will be watching his performance in camp with new QBs and his health on the field.
This is also a big year for Kyle Fuller who has been inconsistent and injured since coming in the league. As for the others, they simply are hoping to be healthy and ready for season start now that they all have at least a year of being in Chicago's system under their belt.
John Fox
Head coach John Fox is heading into his third season in Chicago and faces two new faces at QB and his other rookies. Knowing that Trubisky is the big project for the future it puts pressure on him to not only develop correctly but make the ultimate call on who he will go with to start the season. Signs point to Glennon this season but camp will be very telling for him and the rest of the staff.
While the Bears are seen as rebuilding, Fox's mindset is to play to win games and compete for the playoffs.
He knows he has one of the youngest teams in the NFL which makes his job full of challenges but also acknowledges veteran offseason signings which helps with depth and development. Fox also understands that his seat is hot after losing 23 games his first two years and that rebuilding often calls for a different direction when the time is right which adds even more pressure. In the end, the most interesting thing awaiting from John Fox is most likely him and his staff working with Mitchell Trubisky, which may play a big factor in his ultimate fate come year's end.