The Chicago Bears roster is more or less set. GM Ryan Poles may still make one or two more tweaks depending on what the coaches see in OTAs and training camp this summer. They could still sign a veteran edge rusher or even pull somebody off waivers from another team. Still, it feels like the players they have will be who they go with this season. The remaining questions center around who will start, who will be backups, and who will land on the practice squad. Forthcoming competitions figure to answer those questions.
There are some obvious locks. Justin Fields, D.J. Moore, Darnell Mooney, Braxton Jones, Darnell Wright, Tremain Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, Eddie Jackson, and Jaylon Johnson all stand out as such. However, a few positions could see some unexpected shuffling via competitions in training camp and the preseason. Gregg Rosenthal of NFL Network revealed his projections for the Bears’ starting lineup this season. Most of it was pretty straightforward, with one major exception.
The Chicago Bears love Roschon Johnson.
That has been made clear as day since they drafted him. Scouts were in Poles’ ear constantly about the Texas running back. They felt he had an ‘it’ factor that shouldn’t be ignored. That is before even discussing his diverse skill set. He can be the traditional runner with good power, balance, and vision. He can be a reliable receiver out of the backfield, giving his quarterback a safety valve. Or he can stand in the lane and stonewall blitzers as a pass protector. That doesn’t even account for his ability on special teams.
What Rosenthal says might sound presumptuous, but it isn’t. Khalil Herbert is the primary back right now. That is justifiable. He ran really well for the Chicago Bears last season. D’Onta Foreman is a proven veteran who had a good 2022 season too—going with one of them as the primary starter is understandable. The problem is neither of them offers the same versatility Johnson does. If he can showcase it during camp and the preseason, there is a realistic chance he will get the nod on opening day against the Packers.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
OK Lets not hand out starting positions at least until OTA’s The reality is Chicago had a great running game last year. This is not a critical area of improvement. I would rather see a new name at Edge.
I don’t understand why so many fanboys can’t differentiate among: subjective opinion; analytics (finding meaningful patterns in data); and empirical evidence.
A dropped pass doesn’t leave much room to interpretation. It occurs in public. and it is uncontroversial. The drop rate is determined by using simple arithmetic.
So, where’s the controversy?
Well well well … some are just slaves to analytics and swear by PFF, while just waiting to pretend they knew all along once the team begins to grow and experience success. They
will never mention or credit Poles (only criticize) for doing a much better job than his sorry predecessor.
Before we hand out starting roles (and Hall of Fame jackets) let’s see if the new WRs can catch and hold on to the ball.
The numbers reveal this:
Darnell Mooney: 3.7% NFL career drop rate.
Chase Claypool: 6.9% NFL career drop rate.
Velus Jones. . . . 7.1 NFL career drop rate.
DJ Moore: . . . . . 7.2% NFL career drop rate.
Tyler Scott:. . . . .11.3% dropped pass rate.
(at the Univ. of Cincinnati in 2022).
I would not be overly surprised if Tyler Scott possibly takes the starting job from Claypool. He had a lower 2nd round grade from a couple ESPN analysts. DJ Moore would become the primary possession receiver, then Mooney and Scott blaze all over the field, opening up passing lanes for the TEs and RBs. I am rooting for Claypool, but he has to really step up this year. He must earn his starting job. No handouts.