The Chicago Bears are set to play their first preseason game of 2019 today. Head coach Matt Nagy has already said it’s likely most of the starters won’t see any action. This means the second, third, and fourth-string players will see extensive action. It’s a perfect time for players to make an impression in hopes of either locking down a roster spot or pushing for more playing time. There’s already a long list of names fans are anxious to see.
Wide receiver Javon Wims has dominated practices and appears poised for bigger things this season. David Montgomery is anxious to seize control of the starting running back job. Ian Bunting and Dax Raymond have a chance to gain notoriety at a suddenly murky tight end position. Duke Shelley is angling to challenge Buster Skrine at slot cornerback. Last but not least? There is the highly-publicized kicker battle between Eddy Pineiro and Elliott Fry.
One position though that hasn’t gotten much discussion is outside linebacker. Not a surprise. Khalil Mack and Leonard Floyd are the unquestioned starters. Aaron Lynch is the #3 guy. What nobody knows for sure is who that 4th guy will be. It would seem the competition isn’t as clear cut as some might think. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune stated in his recent mailbag that one name whom some may have forgotten is turning heads on the Bears coaching staff.
He is former 6th round pick Kylie Fitts
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“Depth at the position starts with Aaron Lynch, who is a veteran and performed well last season. (Kylie) Fitts has impressed the coaches early in training camp and could be in a nice battle with Isaiah Irving for a roster spot. (Mathieu) Betts has looked a little slow to me and I think (Chuck) Harris is probably a ways away.”
Chicago Bears would love Kylie Fitts to emerge
The 2018 Bears draft class already looks like one of the best they’ve had in a long time. Roquan Smith, James Daniels, and Anthony Miller are established starters already. Each looks poised to challenge for the Pro Bowl in the near future. Joel Iyiegbuniwe was their leading special teams tackler last year. Bilal Nichols went from unknown 5th rounder to starter at defensive end by last December. Even Wims was the star of the 2018 preseason and had some nice catches in the finale against Minnesota.
Fitts was that one guy who failed to make any tangible impact. He had 2.5 sacks in the preseason. Then he logged 44 pass rush snaps in the regular season, failing to register a single pressure on the quarterback. It was obvious that he had a lot of work to do if he was going to make any sort of headway on that defense. There was never any question of his athletic potential. The problem that showed up most frequently was a lack of strength.
Bigger offensive tackles could easily overwhelm him. It’s not yet known how much he’s truly improved but it sounds like the offseason was put to good use in correcting his deficiencies. If he has indeed taken a step forward, then the Bears are right to be excited.
