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10 thoughts on the Bears' loss and projecting the 53-man roster
Tribune reporters Dan Wiederer and Rich Campbell recap the Bears' 25-0 loss to the Browns in their preseason finale on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017.
Brad BiggsContact Reporter
Chicago Tribune
10 thoughts after the Bears closed out the preseason Thursday night at Soldier Field where they were shut out 25-0 by the Cleveland Browns.
1. In terms of hideous preseason nights for Bears quarterbacks, and I am talking really ugly, it doesn’t get much worse than Aug. 12, 2005. That’s the night Rex Grossman was lost for the majority of the season with a fractured left ankle. It was early in the second quarter of that game in St. Louis’ Edward Jones Dome, the 19th play of the game for the offense, that right tackle Fred Miller missed a block and Rams linebackers Trev Faulk and Jeremy Loyd chased down Grossman and twisted him to the turf. It was the second preseason game and Grossman was at the start of his third season after having missed about 80 percent of the previous season with a torn ACL. Talk about a deflating feeling for the club and the former first-round draft pick. The Bears turned to Chad Hutchinson next as their starter and fortunately they made their way to rookie Kyle Orton as the starter before the season began.
Surely, everyone from ownership on down breathed a sigh of relief when first-round pick Mitch Trubisky escaped unscathed in the waning moments of Thursday night’s exhibition finale. You’d hate to be thinking back on Aug. 31, 2017 a dozen years from now and wondering what in the name of George Halas coach John Fox was thinking when Trubisky was asked to pass behind the last collection of camp fodder offensive linemen on the roster. Connor Shaw had been knocked out of the game with a hamstring injury and Trubisky, who started and played the first four series (more on that in a bit here), was reinserted. The Bears called a meaningless timeout with 11 seconds remaining before an incompletion and then Trubisky was sacked on the final play of the game.
I had no problems with Trubisky starting the game and playing behind the second team offensive line. It made sense to get the No. 2 overall pick some more action but what the Bears did is really puzzling. They had Trubisky hand off on nine consecutive plays on the first three series. Run-run-run-punt, run-run-run-punt and run-run-run-punt. It was the damnedest thing. Sure, he needs work on everything, calling the play in the huddle, identifying the middle linebacker, taking the snap. All that. But if you’re going to run him out there and play him with that group, play him.
It’s as if Fox and/or offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains had a sudden change of heart after that ninth run when there was at minimum a small chorus of boos from the crowd of 40,788, fans that were probably pretty jazzed to get a chance to see Trubisky play in a game largely reserved for back of the roster players and soon to be ex-players. The Bears tried throwing it some on the fourth possession and Trubisky got shoved after he was out of bounds by an overzealous Browns defender Deon King.
“Anytime you go out there it’s a risk, truth be told,” Fox said. “Football is a rough game, no doubt. You never want to see people get hurt, but it is part of the game. I don’t know that we exposed Mitchell a whole lot, but at the same time, when you step in between those lines you’re exposed.
“I think it’s fair to say it won’t be the first time he’s been hit and it won’t be the last.”
A look at the Bears' quarterbacks through the years, from 1934 to present-day.
Not pictured: Steve Bradley (1 game; 1987), Greg Landry (1 game; 1984), John Huarte (2 games; 1972), Kent Nix (9 games; 1970-71), Tommy O’Connell (12 games; 1953), Tom Farris (20 games; 1946-47), Johnny Long (12 games; 1944-45), Bill Glenn (2 games; 1944), Charlie O’Rourke (11 games; 1942), Young Bussey (10 games; 1941), Solly Sherman (14 games; 1939-40) and Bernie Masterson (72 games; 1934-40). | source: pro-football-reference.com
Still, it seems the Bears had a plan and at some point along the way they changed it and then they inserted the third offensive line and it goes without saying there’s no reason to play for a touchdown in the final minute of the final exhibition in the red zone against a Browns defense that had more than the six quarterback hits that were recorded in the game book by statisticians.
“He wanted to throw the ball,” Fox said. “I appreciate that.”
I think we can probably all appreciate that. But that doesn’t mean Fox and Loggains need to green light a pass and put Trubisky, the brightest thing the Bears have going for themselves right now, in danger after Shaw had been sent to the sideline not once but twice on the same drive.
Fortunately, Aug. 31, 2017 won’t go down in the annals of horrid Bears quarterback history and Trubisky will be ready for whatever role is waiting for him in Week 1, whether he’s the backup to starter MikeGlennon or No. 3 on the depth chart behind Mark Sanchez, a designation that surely would not last for long.
2. Projecting the Bears’ offense after final cuts:
Quarterbacks (2): Mike Glennon, Mitch Trubisky
The roster projection is going to have its share of misses and it might start right here. The Bears could elect to keep veteran Mark Sanchez as a backup and a sounding board in the meeting room and on the practice fields for both Glennon and Trubisky. But Sanchez didn’t perform particularly well in the offseason or in training camp and you have to figure there is a good chance Trubisky has passed him on the imaginary depth chart that’s about to turn real. Originally, the plan was for Sanchez to play Thursday night against the Browns but sometime between the postgame last Sunday in Nashville and at practice on Tuesday, the plan changed. The Bears can let Sanchez go and only have to pay him $1 million. He received a $750,000 signing bonus and $250,000 of his $1 million base salary is guaranteed. There are a couple of injuries the Bears look like they’re going to wind up carrying into the regular season on the 53-man roster and carrying only two quarterbacks provides them with some flexibility. They can attempt to re-sign Connor Shaw to the practice squad but it’s unknown yet how serious his hamstring injury is. Who knows? Maybe that’s a reason to keep Sanchez around. But if the Bears decide to part ways with Sanchez and then they decide they want or need him back in a few weeks, what are the chances he remains on the street? Coach John Fox seems to like having a veteran quarterback around and GM Ryan Pace has pointed out the benefits Sanchez provides to the roster. Maybe he sticks but if he does, that’s a player that in all likelihood isn’t going to set foot on the field all season unless something has gone terribly wrong.
Photos of Bears quarterback Mike Glennon.
Photos of quarterback Mitch Trubisky, who the Bears selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft.
Running backs (4): Jordan Howard, Tarik Cohen, Benny Cunningham, Jeremy Langford
The Bears kept four running backs at final cuts each of the last two years and if Ka’Deem Carey remained healthy, surely he would be the fourth this year. But he’s got a cast on his right wrist following surgery that is projected to keep him out six weeks and I don’t see the Bears holding him on the 53 that long and waiting for him to return. I also don’t envision Carey being a player they carry through to the 53-man roster to then place on injured reserve in order for him to be designated to return. You’re not going to designate your third or fourth running back to return from IR, not at the start of the season anyway. Jeremy Langford could stick around here but I think the Bears can probably find a better back that is more capable as a runner and certainly one more capable as a special teams player on the waiver wire. Langford struggles to gain yardage after first contact and in my opinion the Bears seek an upgrade here. Cunningham is a bigger body and he’s also got more use on special teams. Perhaps Langford sticks but again, but I think they can find a better fit on the street. I don’t expect fullback Michael Burton to make the roster. The Bears simply haven’t used enough formations with the fullback in training camp or preseason. Here’s one thing to keep tucked away in the back of your mind too — defensive end Mitch Unrein has moonlighted as a fullback. That is a role he could handle in short yardage and goal line situations.
Wide receivers (6): Kendall Wright, Kevin White, Markus Wheaton, Josh Bellamy, Deonte Thompson, Titus Davis.
The top three stick for sure and the Bears will likely be on the lookout for some help after cuts and perhaps via trade, although they need to be careful dealing away future draft picks for players that aren’t going to make tangible contributions. Bellamy makes it because he’s a talented special teams player and the organization has to be looking for improvements in that area this season. They’ve been better on teams in preseason, sprinkled in a few big plays along the way and that’s a positive sign. When you’re talking about the fourth, fifth and sixth receivers on the roster, you have to give significant thought to special teams. Thompson can help some in that area as well and has speed that most of the other receivers do not possess. He’s a guy that can stretch the field in the absence of Wheaton, who should be back from his fractured left pinkie relatively soon. Let’s keep in mind, Wheaton has had trouble staying on the field. Davis has a little upside and impressed the club some in training camp. It’s a tough call between him and Tanner Gentry, the undrafted rookie free agent from Wyoming. It looked like Davis got a little more run with the backups early in the game. Neither one should feel too safe if they make it through initial cuts because there is often additional roster movement.
Tight ends (4): Dion Sims, Zach Miller, Adam Shaheen, Ben Braunecker
If I had done a mock 53-man roster at the outset of training camp, I would have had Daniel Brown making the team and Miller getting cut. Brown didn’t flash a lot in training camp and preseason and I’ve switched my thinking on this one. Miller’s vast injury history is concerning. The Bears surely don’t believe they can get 16 games out him. Not the way his body has betrayed him throughout his career. But Miller can make plays in the passing game and for an offense that doesn’t have a lot of players that can get in the end zone, he stands out as one of them. I think Brown possesses similar physical tools and he did fine in action late last season. I picked Braunecker over Brown based on his ability to perform on special teams. He had a four-phase role for much of last season and should be counted on to do the same thing again this year. The last call is probably between Braunecker and Brown and I went with the player with more experience and upside on special teams. Braunecker made on tackle against the Browns and was close on a couple other coverage plays.
Offensive line (8): Charles Leno, Kyle Long, Cody Whitehair, Josh Sitton, Bobby Massie, Tom Compton, Bradley Sowell, Hroniss Grasu
This is pretty straight forward unless the right ankle injury for Long, which has kept him out of practice since the team wrapped up practices in Bourbonnais nearly three weeks ago is more serious than coach John Fox has let on to. This leaves Jordan Morgan, the fifth-round draft pick from Kutztown, on the outside looking in but he was running with the third offensive line against the Browns. If the Bears don’t keep Morgan, and he’s been playing with a shoulder issue, I would imagine they pursue him to be a member of the practice squad.
Photos from the Bears-Browns preseason game on Aug. 31, 2017, at Soldier Field.
3. Projecting the Bears’ defense after final cuts:
Defensive line (6): Akiem Hicks, Mitch Unrein, Eddie Goldman, Jonathan Bullard, Roy Robertson-Harris, Jaye Howard
Howard is the one that is really on the fence here. The team kept only six defensive linemen at final cuts a year ago and only five in 2015. But the vibe I get is they like Howard and believe he is coming along after missing some time earlier in camp with the hip issue that he’s been working his way back from. There is no such thing as having too many quality linemen, I don’t care what side of the ball we’re talking about. Robertson-Harris has really come on and the position switch from outside linebacker put him in a spot where he is more naturally gifted. He can still come off the edge and rush the passer and you have to credit the club’s college scouting department for identifying him a year ago. He might have some real upside.
Outside linebackers (5): Leonard Floyd, Willie Young, Pernell McPhee, Lamarr Houston, Dan Skuta
There are a couple of wild cards here, actually more like three and I’m hard pressed to know exactly how this is going to shake out. The first real unknown involves Houston and the knee injury. I don’t envision a healthy Houston having a significant role on defense but he’s valuable insurance for McPhee, whose balky knees create a big question mark. The Bears have three choices with McPhee, who is currently on the physically unable to perform/active list. They can activate him and place him on the 53-man roster with the hope that he’s ready to go relatively soon even though he’s yet to practice. They can activate him off PUP and carry him through final cuts to the 53-man roster before placing him on injured reserve. They can also move him to the PUP/reserve list. If the Bears carried him through final cuts on the roster and then placed him on injured reserve, they could then designate him to return after eight weeks. The key here is you cannot designate a player to return from IR unless he is on the 53-man roster after final cuts. A player like wide receiver Cameron Meredith, who is out for the season with a torn ACL in his left knee, will be moved to IR before final cuts are submitted. If the Bears choose to place McPhee on PUP to begin the season, he could be eligible to return after six weeks. Skuta is sidelined with a concussion suffered in the Tennessee game but has made good progress and I view him as a player that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio values. They have a history together and Skuta is a rugged player that Fangio can trust. If everyone was healthy, the final decision would likely come down to Skuta and Sam Acho. I see Fangio pulling for Skuta and special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers pushing for Acho. Who knows how that decision would go. It’s possible with Houston’s knee injury that there is an opening for both. It’s possible with McPhee’s situation there is an opening for both. Isaiah Irving, the undrafted rookie free agent from San Jose State, is an interesting prospect and has made some plays in preseason. He could figure in here too.
Inside linebackers (4): Danny Trevathan, Jerrell Freeman, Nick Kwiatkoski, Christian Jones
This seems pretty basic. I like the instincts that John Timu brings but he’s really limited athletically and doesn’t have great size. Jonathan Anderson has made it before and adds value on special teams but is still working his way back from a high ankle sprain. I could see Anderson working his way back into the mix or having a spot on the practice squad at some point.
Cornerbacks (7): Prince Amukamara, Marcus Cooper, Kyle Fuller, Bryce Callahan, Cre’Von LeBlanc, Sherrick McManis, B.W. Webb
The Bears have kept seven cornerbacks through final cuts each of the last two years. I feel pretty confident with the first six and picked B.W. Webb over Johnthan Banks but that’s a real toss up for me. Maybe they elect to go with only six but seven seems like a better number especially without additional information about Amukamara’s injury. Webb had an interception in preseason and a pass breakup against the Browns. He can contribute on special teams as well but this one could go either way. Banks also had a pass breakup against the Browns. Maybe they keep only six cornerbacks and bump up the number at outside linebacker.
Safety (4): Quintin Demps, Eddie Jackson, Adrian Amos, Deon Bush
Amos has fallen off from being a starter the last two seasons to play late into the game against the Browns after Deiondre’ Hall was lost to a hamstring injury, I think Bush has more special teams upside right now than Hall and probably claims the final spot over veteran Chris Prosinski, who has been sidelined with a hamstring injury. This means the Bears cut Hall and DeAndre Houston-Carson, both draft picks from a year ago.
The Tribune's Bears writers make their game-by-game predictions for the 2017 season. (Brad Biggs, Rich Campbell, Dan Wiederer, David Haugh)
4. Projecting the Bears’ specialists after final cuts:
Special teams (3): K Connor Barth, P Pat O’Donnell, LS Jeff Overbaugh
Barth will clearly win the job over newcomer Roberto Aguayo, who only got to kick off once in the game as the Bears were shut out. O’Donnell enjoyed a fine preseason with a net average of 41.2 yards and 10 punts landed inside the 20-yard line. Overbaugh is the choice for now unless the Bears see someone they like get cut loose by another team. More on Overbaugh and a great teaching lesson he received from a former Bear below.
5. My roster comes with a couple caveats. It’s just hard to sort through some of the positions because of the injuries. Hopefully none of them are real serious but it’s just hard to tell. I have to think they want to find a way to keep guard Jordan Morgan, a draft pick, around and outside linebacker Isaiah Irving at the minimum displayed traits playing against backups. He had three sacks in preseason and totaled seven as a senior at San Jose State last year. I’ve got to think the Bears do something in attempt to shore up the situation at wide receiver but what the move is we’ll have to wait and see.
6. Who starts at left guard against the Falcons on Sept. 10? That’s a good question right now. Coach John Fox has maintained all along the target for veteran Kyle Long is that game but if Long is on the practice field when the Bears get back to work on Monday at Halas Hall, it will make his first practice in three weeks. Considering the considerable time he has missed this summer, that makes you wonder if he a week and possibly more away from being able to play. It was interesting to watch offensive line coach Jeremiah Washburn put the starters through a workout on the field before the game against the Browns. It was a four-man line with no left guard. Conventional wisdom would tell you to go back to the third preseason game and follow that lead. The Bears started Hroniss Grasu at center in that game and had Cody Whitehair at left guard. Maybe that’s the plan for the Falcons. I didn’t think it made the best sense to switch Whitehair, perhaps the team’s best offensive lineman right now, but that’s the move that was made. Another possibility could be veteran Tom Compton, who was signed as a swing offensive tackle in the offseason. Compton played the first half at left guard against the Browns and also played that position in the preseason opener against the Broncos. Grasu was the starting center against Cleveland.
Compton has very little game action in the NFL at guard. He recalls one or two series there when he was with the Redskins several years ago in one game.
Photos of the Chicago Bears' first-round draft pick in 2013.
“It was one of those deals where the starter went down and then the backup went down,” he said. “I was like, ‘OK, I guess I will do it.’”
If the Bears ask him to fill in against the Falcons, he feels like he’s up to speed at a new position.
“Definitely,” Compton said. “I don’t know what the plan is going to be yet but if that is the case, I will definitely prepare for it and be ready to go. A lot of the run game stuff is pretty similar as far as like combinations and stuff from playing tackle. But like pass pro, your eyes kind of change and then as a tackle you are setting back and as a guard you’re helping the center and then you’ve got the tackle so you’re sort of in this phone booth. If you’re a tackle you have a little time to set back and look at everything and at guard it’s like, boom, right now. That’s the big difference I have noticed. I’ve been getting some reps in practice and the more I get, the more comfortable I get. That is all I can ask for is reps.”
7. Here is a fun history lesson. A technique that is widely used by long snappers in the NFL was adopted for the position by former Bear Patrick Mannelly. It’s called the slide step and Mannelly picked it up early in his career when he still moonlighted as a reserve offensive tackle in training camp. Bob Wylie, now the offensive line coach for the Browns, was on Dick Jauron’s staff and he had a close relationship with Anthony Munoz, one of the greatest left tackles in NFL history. Wylie had worked with Munoz previously in Cincinnati and Munoz was talking about a slide step that he used to get on defenders quickly. Mannelly viewed it as a technique he could use as a long snapper and it’s something he taught to current long snapper Jeff Overbaugh last October in a lesson at a park in Libertyville, a block from Mannelly’s residence.
“If you’re going to block right, your first step is going to be with your left foot backward,” Overbaugh said, explaining the slide step. “It helps you in a couple ways. You’re going to be able to have your foot back on the ground really fast and also you’re going to be able to push off laterally and give yourself a little more strength to commit to the block.”
Overbaugh’s lesson was set up by his agent Brooks Henderson, who represented Mannelly during his career. A free lesson with the player who snapped in the third-most games in NFL history was a real benefit for the 23-year-old.
“I believe (Mannelly) invented the long snapping strategy of the split step,” Overbaugh said. “That’s special whenever you can learn from a guy like that.”
Overbaugh spent time with the Broncos this offseason and had a tryout with the Jaguars in June and the Saints last week. The Bears called on Sunday after the game in Nashville when Patrick Scales was lost for the season with a torn ACL in his right knee. Overbaugh won a tryout Monday morning at Halas Hall and the game against the Browns was part of an extended tryout of sorts.
“Isn’t everybody on an extended tryout in the NFL?” Overbaugh joked.
While seeking work, Overbaugh has been working out at parks in San Diego, which is where he went to school at San Diego State. He trained in groups with former NFL kickers John Carney and Michael Husted and would also practice his technique by snapping to the father of his girlfriend.
Patrick Mannelly during Bears training camp in Bourbonnais on July 29, 2013. (Scott Strazzante / Chicago Tribune)
The one knock on Overbaugh is he’s not very big. He’s 6-foot-2, 235 pounds and jokes he will be listed at 250 in the program.
“I remember thinking he was a very good snapper,” Mannelly said of the private lesson last fall. “Size-wise, he’s not very big. But again in today’s NFL you don’t have to be that darn big as a snapper.
“It’s the way the rules are. Adam Scheiber, Dale Hellestrae, Dan Turk, you had to be a giant. Those guys were old linemen that turned out to be long snappers. You don’t have to be that big anymore. It’s good for the kids.”
The 42-year-old Mannelly was 6-foot-5, 265 pounds in his playing days but the rules changed to protect the snapper’s head and neck have made it easier for smaller snappers to flourish. He called Scales consistent and a very good blocker.
Now, Overbaugh has to prove he can be consistent. Other teams have been searching for snappers with the Jets and Saints acquiring long snappers via trade on Monday. Two snappers traded on the same day. Who’s heard of that?
“Or one?” Mannelly said. “There are teams that are desperate. It’s hard to find a good one. I talked to Joe DeCamills (Jaguars special teams coordinator) and he said, ‘You retired too early.’ I didn’t retire. My body just kind of quit. He was saying the talent is not there. If you really want to know about the long snapping business, the transition is so different coming from college where they don’t have to protect. A lot of them don’t know how to step after a snap.”
With the slide step perhaps Overbaugh has a good chance to stick.
“First game with 20 mph wind and he barely got any practice with him, he did really well,” said punter Pat O’Donnell, who kicked nine times against the Browns. “It’s tough. With Pat Scales I had two years of continuity and you knew where his ball was going to be. The more you work with a guy, the easier it’s going to get.”
8. I checked in with a veteran scout for another team that has done ample work on the Bears roster during preseason to get some quick impressions from him about how the team is stacking up. He had some interesting comments.
Where is the strength of the roster?
“It damn sure ain’t at wide out,” he said. “Who is the No. 1? They didn’t have a No. 1 when they had Meredith. They’ve got a bunch of threes. But tight end is pretty solid. The first group of offensive linemen is pretty good. The D-line is solid. When (Pernell) McPhee gets back, the outside linebackers might be the strength of the team. With (Leonard) Floyd, McPhee, Wille Young, that group is pretty good on the edges. The secondary is not bad but it’s nothing special but it didn’t take much to get better than what they had before.
“(Kyle) Fuller played pretty good. I think he is better Prince (Amukamara) and (Marcus) Cooper. But he’s got a long way to go because that was kind of built against him with the whole thing last year. He’s going to have a tough time overcoming that. You’ve got to play your way out of a coach’s doghouse if that’s where he is. I’d get over my differences with him and start the son of a gun. That’s just my take.
“The inside backers are OK. (Danny) Trevathan is kind of a run-and-hit guy. He’s not a take on guy. The (Jerrell) Freeman kid is OK. The thumper is Christian Jones and he’s not good enough. I don’t see an inside linebacker that is really, really good. You want your stars on the outside but you still have to hold up inside and you still need a good nickel linebacker at some point.”
He was favorably impressed with rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky and threw some praise to the coaching staff.
“They’re going to put (Mike) Glennon in there and when he struggles they will say, ‘Let’s give the young guy a chance.’ I liked what Trubisky did especially with the group he was running with. That group he was running with wasn’t real impressive. I knew he had a good arm and knew he was a good athlete and that he threw an accurate ball. I was kind of surprised that he made as good of decisions as he made. I’ve got give Dowell Loggains some credit. That’s some coaching. It takes time especially coming out of an offense like he did in North Carolina. He’s not making the same types of decisions he made at UNC where it was simple high/low reads. He didn’t have to change protections. He didn’t have to identify the mike linebacker. There are so many things he is doing for the first time and he did a pretty damn good job.”
9. Here is the one statistic that HAS TO CHANGE in the regular season. The Bears had two takeaways in four preseason games. The only team with less was the Cowboys with one and their final exhibition against the Texans was canceled. The Bears better hope that’s not a sign of struggles to come because the defense has to be much, much better than it was in 2016 when it produced a measly 11 takeaways.
10. Scouts from the Falcons and Steelers were in attendance at the game. The Bears open the regular season with Atlanta and Pittsburgh plays the Browns in its opener. The Falcons were present for all four of the Bears’ exhibition games.
10a. The Falcons are currently a 7-point favorite over the Bears for the opener according to the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas.
10b. The shutout was the second time the Bears have been blanked in the last two preseasons. Before that you have to go all the way back to 1981 to find a preseason shutout.
10c. On to the regular season. Look forward to the fun ahead
https://mobile.twitter.com/BradBiggs/status/903607803599781888
Tribune reporters Dan Wiederer and Rich Campbell recap the Bears' 25-0 loss to the Browns in their preseason finale on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017.
Brad BiggsContact Reporter
Chicago Tribune
10 thoughts after the Bears closed out the preseason Thursday night at Soldier Field where they were shut out 25-0 by the Cleveland Browns.
1. In terms of hideous preseason nights for Bears quarterbacks, and I am talking really ugly, it doesn’t get much worse than Aug. 12, 2005. That’s the night Rex Grossman was lost for the majority of the season with a fractured left ankle. It was early in the second quarter of that game in St. Louis’ Edward Jones Dome, the 19th play of the game for the offense, that right tackle Fred Miller missed a block and Rams linebackers Trev Faulk and Jeremy Loyd chased down Grossman and twisted him to the turf. It was the second preseason game and Grossman was at the start of his third season after having missed about 80 percent of the previous season with a torn ACL. Talk about a deflating feeling for the club and the former first-round draft pick. The Bears turned to Chad Hutchinson next as their starter and fortunately they made their way to rookie Kyle Orton as the starter before the season began.
Surely, everyone from ownership on down breathed a sigh of relief when first-round pick Mitch Trubisky escaped unscathed in the waning moments of Thursday night’s exhibition finale. You’d hate to be thinking back on Aug. 31, 2017 a dozen years from now and wondering what in the name of George Halas coach John Fox was thinking when Trubisky was asked to pass behind the last collection of camp fodder offensive linemen on the roster. Connor Shaw had been knocked out of the game with a hamstring injury and Trubisky, who started and played the first four series (more on that in a bit here), was reinserted. The Bears called a meaningless timeout with 11 seconds remaining before an incompletion and then Trubisky was sacked on the final play of the game.
I had no problems with Trubisky starting the game and playing behind the second team offensive line. It made sense to get the No. 2 overall pick some more action but what the Bears did is really puzzling. They had Trubisky hand off on nine consecutive plays on the first three series. Run-run-run-punt, run-run-run-punt and run-run-run-punt. It was the damnedest thing. Sure, he needs work on everything, calling the play in the huddle, identifying the middle linebacker, taking the snap. All that. But if you’re going to run him out there and play him with that group, play him.
It’s as if Fox and/or offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains had a sudden change of heart after that ninth run when there was at minimum a small chorus of boos from the crowd of 40,788, fans that were probably pretty jazzed to get a chance to see Trubisky play in a game largely reserved for back of the roster players and soon to be ex-players. The Bears tried throwing it some on the fourth possession and Trubisky got shoved after he was out of bounds by an overzealous Browns defender Deon King.
“Anytime you go out there it’s a risk, truth be told,” Fox said. “Football is a rough game, no doubt. You never want to see people get hurt, but it is part of the game. I don’t know that we exposed Mitchell a whole lot, but at the same time, when you step in between those lines you’re exposed.
“I think it’s fair to say it won’t be the first time he’s been hit and it won’t be the last.”
A look at the Bears' quarterbacks through the years, from 1934 to present-day.
Not pictured: Steve Bradley (1 game; 1987), Greg Landry (1 game; 1984), John Huarte (2 games; 1972), Kent Nix (9 games; 1970-71), Tommy O’Connell (12 games; 1953), Tom Farris (20 games; 1946-47), Johnny Long (12 games; 1944-45), Bill Glenn (2 games; 1944), Charlie O’Rourke (11 games; 1942), Young Bussey (10 games; 1941), Solly Sherman (14 games; 1939-40) and Bernie Masterson (72 games; 1934-40). | source: pro-football-reference.com
Still, it seems the Bears had a plan and at some point along the way they changed it and then they inserted the third offensive line and it goes without saying there’s no reason to play for a touchdown in the final minute of the final exhibition in the red zone against a Browns defense that had more than the six quarterback hits that were recorded in the game book by statisticians.
“He wanted to throw the ball,” Fox said. “I appreciate that.”
I think we can probably all appreciate that. But that doesn’t mean Fox and Loggains need to green light a pass and put Trubisky, the brightest thing the Bears have going for themselves right now, in danger after Shaw had been sent to the sideline not once but twice on the same drive.
Fortunately, Aug. 31, 2017 won’t go down in the annals of horrid Bears quarterback history and Trubisky will be ready for whatever role is waiting for him in Week 1, whether he’s the backup to starter MikeGlennon or No. 3 on the depth chart behind Mark Sanchez, a designation that surely would not last for long.
2. Projecting the Bears’ offense after final cuts:
Quarterbacks (2): Mike Glennon, Mitch Trubisky
The roster projection is going to have its share of misses and it might start right here. The Bears could elect to keep veteran Mark Sanchez as a backup and a sounding board in the meeting room and on the practice fields for both Glennon and Trubisky. But Sanchez didn’t perform particularly well in the offseason or in training camp and you have to figure there is a good chance Trubisky has passed him on the imaginary depth chart that’s about to turn real. Originally, the plan was for Sanchez to play Thursday night against the Browns but sometime between the postgame last Sunday in Nashville and at practice on Tuesday, the plan changed. The Bears can let Sanchez go and only have to pay him $1 million. He received a $750,000 signing bonus and $250,000 of his $1 million base salary is guaranteed. There are a couple of injuries the Bears look like they’re going to wind up carrying into the regular season on the 53-man roster and carrying only two quarterbacks provides them with some flexibility. They can attempt to re-sign Connor Shaw to the practice squad but it’s unknown yet how serious his hamstring injury is. Who knows? Maybe that’s a reason to keep Sanchez around. But if the Bears decide to part ways with Sanchez and then they decide they want or need him back in a few weeks, what are the chances he remains on the street? Coach John Fox seems to like having a veteran quarterback around and GM Ryan Pace has pointed out the benefits Sanchez provides to the roster. Maybe he sticks but if he does, that’s a player that in all likelihood isn’t going to set foot on the field all season unless something has gone terribly wrong.
Photos of Bears quarterback Mike Glennon.
Photos of quarterback Mitch Trubisky, who the Bears selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft.
Running backs (4): Jordan Howard, Tarik Cohen, Benny Cunningham, Jeremy Langford
The Bears kept four running backs at final cuts each of the last two years and if Ka’Deem Carey remained healthy, surely he would be the fourth this year. But he’s got a cast on his right wrist following surgery that is projected to keep him out six weeks and I don’t see the Bears holding him on the 53 that long and waiting for him to return. I also don’t envision Carey being a player they carry through to the 53-man roster to then place on injured reserve in order for him to be designated to return. You’re not going to designate your third or fourth running back to return from IR, not at the start of the season anyway. Jeremy Langford could stick around here but I think the Bears can probably find a better back that is more capable as a runner and certainly one more capable as a special teams player on the waiver wire. Langford struggles to gain yardage after first contact and in my opinion the Bears seek an upgrade here. Cunningham is a bigger body and he’s also got more use on special teams. Perhaps Langford sticks but again, but I think they can find a better fit on the street. I don’t expect fullback Michael Burton to make the roster. The Bears simply haven’t used enough formations with the fullback in training camp or preseason. Here’s one thing to keep tucked away in the back of your mind too — defensive end Mitch Unrein has moonlighted as a fullback. That is a role he could handle in short yardage and goal line situations.
Wide receivers (6): Kendall Wright, Kevin White, Markus Wheaton, Josh Bellamy, Deonte Thompson, Titus Davis.
The top three stick for sure and the Bears will likely be on the lookout for some help after cuts and perhaps via trade, although they need to be careful dealing away future draft picks for players that aren’t going to make tangible contributions. Bellamy makes it because he’s a talented special teams player and the organization has to be looking for improvements in that area this season. They’ve been better on teams in preseason, sprinkled in a few big plays along the way and that’s a positive sign. When you’re talking about the fourth, fifth and sixth receivers on the roster, you have to give significant thought to special teams. Thompson can help some in that area as well and has speed that most of the other receivers do not possess. He’s a guy that can stretch the field in the absence of Wheaton, who should be back from his fractured left pinkie relatively soon. Let’s keep in mind, Wheaton has had trouble staying on the field. Davis has a little upside and impressed the club some in training camp. It’s a tough call between him and Tanner Gentry, the undrafted rookie free agent from Wyoming. It looked like Davis got a little more run with the backups early in the game. Neither one should feel too safe if they make it through initial cuts because there is often additional roster movement.
Tight ends (4): Dion Sims, Zach Miller, Adam Shaheen, Ben Braunecker
If I had done a mock 53-man roster at the outset of training camp, I would have had Daniel Brown making the team and Miller getting cut. Brown didn’t flash a lot in training camp and preseason and I’ve switched my thinking on this one. Miller’s vast injury history is concerning. The Bears surely don’t believe they can get 16 games out him. Not the way his body has betrayed him throughout his career. But Miller can make plays in the passing game and for an offense that doesn’t have a lot of players that can get in the end zone, he stands out as one of them. I think Brown possesses similar physical tools and he did fine in action late last season. I picked Braunecker over Brown based on his ability to perform on special teams. He had a four-phase role for much of last season and should be counted on to do the same thing again this year. The last call is probably between Braunecker and Brown and I went with the player with more experience and upside on special teams. Braunecker made on tackle against the Browns and was close on a couple other coverage plays.
Offensive line (8): Charles Leno, Kyle Long, Cody Whitehair, Josh Sitton, Bobby Massie, Tom Compton, Bradley Sowell, Hroniss Grasu
This is pretty straight forward unless the right ankle injury for Long, which has kept him out of practice since the team wrapped up practices in Bourbonnais nearly three weeks ago is more serious than coach John Fox has let on to. This leaves Jordan Morgan, the fifth-round draft pick from Kutztown, on the outside looking in but he was running with the third offensive line against the Browns. If the Bears don’t keep Morgan, and he’s been playing with a shoulder issue, I would imagine they pursue him to be a member of the practice squad.
Photos from the Bears-Browns preseason game on Aug. 31, 2017, at Soldier Field.
3. Projecting the Bears’ defense after final cuts:
Defensive line (6): Akiem Hicks, Mitch Unrein, Eddie Goldman, Jonathan Bullard, Roy Robertson-Harris, Jaye Howard
Howard is the one that is really on the fence here. The team kept only six defensive linemen at final cuts a year ago and only five in 2015. But the vibe I get is they like Howard and believe he is coming along after missing some time earlier in camp with the hip issue that he’s been working his way back from. There is no such thing as having too many quality linemen, I don’t care what side of the ball we’re talking about. Robertson-Harris has really come on and the position switch from outside linebacker put him in a spot where he is more naturally gifted. He can still come off the edge and rush the passer and you have to credit the club’s college scouting department for identifying him a year ago. He might have some real upside.
Outside linebackers (5): Leonard Floyd, Willie Young, Pernell McPhee, Lamarr Houston, Dan Skuta
There are a couple of wild cards here, actually more like three and I’m hard pressed to know exactly how this is going to shake out. The first real unknown involves Houston and the knee injury. I don’t envision a healthy Houston having a significant role on defense but he’s valuable insurance for McPhee, whose balky knees create a big question mark. The Bears have three choices with McPhee, who is currently on the physically unable to perform/active list. They can activate him and place him on the 53-man roster with the hope that he’s ready to go relatively soon even though he’s yet to practice. They can activate him off PUP and carry him through final cuts to the 53-man roster before placing him on injured reserve. They can also move him to the PUP/reserve list. If the Bears carried him through final cuts on the roster and then placed him on injured reserve, they could then designate him to return after eight weeks. The key here is you cannot designate a player to return from IR unless he is on the 53-man roster after final cuts. A player like wide receiver Cameron Meredith, who is out for the season with a torn ACL in his left knee, will be moved to IR before final cuts are submitted. If the Bears choose to place McPhee on PUP to begin the season, he could be eligible to return after six weeks. Skuta is sidelined with a concussion suffered in the Tennessee game but has made good progress and I view him as a player that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio values. They have a history together and Skuta is a rugged player that Fangio can trust. If everyone was healthy, the final decision would likely come down to Skuta and Sam Acho. I see Fangio pulling for Skuta and special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers pushing for Acho. Who knows how that decision would go. It’s possible with Houston’s knee injury that there is an opening for both. It’s possible with McPhee’s situation there is an opening for both. Isaiah Irving, the undrafted rookie free agent from San Jose State, is an interesting prospect and has made some plays in preseason. He could figure in here too.
Inside linebackers (4): Danny Trevathan, Jerrell Freeman, Nick Kwiatkoski, Christian Jones
This seems pretty basic. I like the instincts that John Timu brings but he’s really limited athletically and doesn’t have great size. Jonathan Anderson has made it before and adds value on special teams but is still working his way back from a high ankle sprain. I could see Anderson working his way back into the mix or having a spot on the practice squad at some point.
Cornerbacks (7): Prince Amukamara, Marcus Cooper, Kyle Fuller, Bryce Callahan, Cre’Von LeBlanc, Sherrick McManis, B.W. Webb
The Bears have kept seven cornerbacks through final cuts each of the last two years. I feel pretty confident with the first six and picked B.W. Webb over Johnthan Banks but that’s a real toss up for me. Maybe they elect to go with only six but seven seems like a better number especially without additional information about Amukamara’s injury. Webb had an interception in preseason and a pass breakup against the Browns. He can contribute on special teams as well but this one could go either way. Banks also had a pass breakup against the Browns. Maybe they keep only six cornerbacks and bump up the number at outside linebacker.
Safety (4): Quintin Demps, Eddie Jackson, Adrian Amos, Deon Bush
Amos has fallen off from being a starter the last two seasons to play late into the game against the Browns after Deiondre’ Hall was lost to a hamstring injury, I think Bush has more special teams upside right now than Hall and probably claims the final spot over veteran Chris Prosinski, who has been sidelined with a hamstring injury. This means the Bears cut Hall and DeAndre Houston-Carson, both draft picks from a year ago.
The Tribune's Bears writers make their game-by-game predictions for the 2017 season. (Brad Biggs, Rich Campbell, Dan Wiederer, David Haugh)
4. Projecting the Bears’ specialists after final cuts:
Special teams (3): K Connor Barth, P Pat O’Donnell, LS Jeff Overbaugh
Barth will clearly win the job over newcomer Roberto Aguayo, who only got to kick off once in the game as the Bears were shut out. O’Donnell enjoyed a fine preseason with a net average of 41.2 yards and 10 punts landed inside the 20-yard line. Overbaugh is the choice for now unless the Bears see someone they like get cut loose by another team. More on Overbaugh and a great teaching lesson he received from a former Bear below.
5. My roster comes with a couple caveats. It’s just hard to sort through some of the positions because of the injuries. Hopefully none of them are real serious but it’s just hard to tell. I have to think they want to find a way to keep guard Jordan Morgan, a draft pick, around and outside linebacker Isaiah Irving at the minimum displayed traits playing against backups. He had three sacks in preseason and totaled seven as a senior at San Jose State last year. I’ve got to think the Bears do something in attempt to shore up the situation at wide receiver but what the move is we’ll have to wait and see.
6. Who starts at left guard against the Falcons on Sept. 10? That’s a good question right now. Coach John Fox has maintained all along the target for veteran Kyle Long is that game but if Long is on the practice field when the Bears get back to work on Monday at Halas Hall, it will make his first practice in three weeks. Considering the considerable time he has missed this summer, that makes you wonder if he a week and possibly more away from being able to play. It was interesting to watch offensive line coach Jeremiah Washburn put the starters through a workout on the field before the game against the Browns. It was a four-man line with no left guard. Conventional wisdom would tell you to go back to the third preseason game and follow that lead. The Bears started Hroniss Grasu at center in that game and had Cody Whitehair at left guard. Maybe that’s the plan for the Falcons. I didn’t think it made the best sense to switch Whitehair, perhaps the team’s best offensive lineman right now, but that’s the move that was made. Another possibility could be veteran Tom Compton, who was signed as a swing offensive tackle in the offseason. Compton played the first half at left guard against the Browns and also played that position in the preseason opener against the Broncos. Grasu was the starting center against Cleveland.
Compton has very little game action in the NFL at guard. He recalls one or two series there when he was with the Redskins several years ago in one game.
Photos of the Chicago Bears' first-round draft pick in 2013.
“It was one of those deals where the starter went down and then the backup went down,” he said. “I was like, ‘OK, I guess I will do it.’”
If the Bears ask him to fill in against the Falcons, he feels like he’s up to speed at a new position.
“Definitely,” Compton said. “I don’t know what the plan is going to be yet but if that is the case, I will definitely prepare for it and be ready to go. A lot of the run game stuff is pretty similar as far as like combinations and stuff from playing tackle. But like pass pro, your eyes kind of change and then as a tackle you are setting back and as a guard you’re helping the center and then you’ve got the tackle so you’re sort of in this phone booth. If you’re a tackle you have a little time to set back and look at everything and at guard it’s like, boom, right now. That’s the big difference I have noticed. I’ve been getting some reps in practice and the more I get, the more comfortable I get. That is all I can ask for is reps.”
7. Here is a fun history lesson. A technique that is widely used by long snappers in the NFL was adopted for the position by former Bear Patrick Mannelly. It’s called the slide step and Mannelly picked it up early in his career when he still moonlighted as a reserve offensive tackle in training camp. Bob Wylie, now the offensive line coach for the Browns, was on Dick Jauron’s staff and he had a close relationship with Anthony Munoz, one of the greatest left tackles in NFL history. Wylie had worked with Munoz previously in Cincinnati and Munoz was talking about a slide step that he used to get on defenders quickly. Mannelly viewed it as a technique he could use as a long snapper and it’s something he taught to current long snapper Jeff Overbaugh last October in a lesson at a park in Libertyville, a block from Mannelly’s residence.
“If you’re going to block right, your first step is going to be with your left foot backward,” Overbaugh said, explaining the slide step. “It helps you in a couple ways. You’re going to be able to have your foot back on the ground really fast and also you’re going to be able to push off laterally and give yourself a little more strength to commit to the block.”
Overbaugh’s lesson was set up by his agent Brooks Henderson, who represented Mannelly during his career. A free lesson with the player who snapped in the third-most games in NFL history was a real benefit for the 23-year-old.
“I believe (Mannelly) invented the long snapping strategy of the split step,” Overbaugh said. “That’s special whenever you can learn from a guy like that.”
Overbaugh spent time with the Broncos this offseason and had a tryout with the Jaguars in June and the Saints last week. The Bears called on Sunday after the game in Nashville when Patrick Scales was lost for the season with a torn ACL in his right knee. Overbaugh won a tryout Monday morning at Halas Hall and the game against the Browns was part of an extended tryout of sorts.
“Isn’t everybody on an extended tryout in the NFL?” Overbaugh joked.
While seeking work, Overbaugh has been working out at parks in San Diego, which is where he went to school at San Diego State. He trained in groups with former NFL kickers John Carney and Michael Husted and would also practice his technique by snapping to the father of his girlfriend.
Patrick Mannelly during Bears training camp in Bourbonnais on July 29, 2013. (Scott Strazzante / Chicago Tribune)
The one knock on Overbaugh is he’s not very big. He’s 6-foot-2, 235 pounds and jokes he will be listed at 250 in the program.
“I remember thinking he was a very good snapper,” Mannelly said of the private lesson last fall. “Size-wise, he’s not very big. But again in today’s NFL you don’t have to be that darn big as a snapper.
“It’s the way the rules are. Adam Scheiber, Dale Hellestrae, Dan Turk, you had to be a giant. Those guys were old linemen that turned out to be long snappers. You don’t have to be that big anymore. It’s good for the kids.”
The 42-year-old Mannelly was 6-foot-5, 265 pounds in his playing days but the rules changed to protect the snapper’s head and neck have made it easier for smaller snappers to flourish. He called Scales consistent and a very good blocker.
Now, Overbaugh has to prove he can be consistent. Other teams have been searching for snappers with the Jets and Saints acquiring long snappers via trade on Monday. Two snappers traded on the same day. Who’s heard of that?
“Or one?” Mannelly said. “There are teams that are desperate. It’s hard to find a good one. I talked to Joe DeCamills (Jaguars special teams coordinator) and he said, ‘You retired too early.’ I didn’t retire. My body just kind of quit. He was saying the talent is not there. If you really want to know about the long snapping business, the transition is so different coming from college where they don’t have to protect. A lot of them don’t know how to step after a snap.”
With the slide step perhaps Overbaugh has a good chance to stick.
“First game with 20 mph wind and he barely got any practice with him, he did really well,” said punter Pat O’Donnell, who kicked nine times against the Browns. “It’s tough. With Pat Scales I had two years of continuity and you knew where his ball was going to be. The more you work with a guy, the easier it’s going to get.”
8. I checked in with a veteran scout for another team that has done ample work on the Bears roster during preseason to get some quick impressions from him about how the team is stacking up. He had some interesting comments.
Where is the strength of the roster?
“It damn sure ain’t at wide out,” he said. “Who is the No. 1? They didn’t have a No. 1 when they had Meredith. They’ve got a bunch of threes. But tight end is pretty solid. The first group of offensive linemen is pretty good. The D-line is solid. When (Pernell) McPhee gets back, the outside linebackers might be the strength of the team. With (Leonard) Floyd, McPhee, Wille Young, that group is pretty good on the edges. The secondary is not bad but it’s nothing special but it didn’t take much to get better than what they had before.
“(Kyle) Fuller played pretty good. I think he is better Prince (Amukamara) and (Marcus) Cooper. But he’s got a long way to go because that was kind of built against him with the whole thing last year. He’s going to have a tough time overcoming that. You’ve got to play your way out of a coach’s doghouse if that’s where he is. I’d get over my differences with him and start the son of a gun. That’s just my take.
“The inside backers are OK. (Danny) Trevathan is kind of a run-and-hit guy. He’s not a take on guy. The (Jerrell) Freeman kid is OK. The thumper is Christian Jones and he’s not good enough. I don’t see an inside linebacker that is really, really good. You want your stars on the outside but you still have to hold up inside and you still need a good nickel linebacker at some point.”
He was favorably impressed with rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky and threw some praise to the coaching staff.
“They’re going to put (Mike) Glennon in there and when he struggles they will say, ‘Let’s give the young guy a chance.’ I liked what Trubisky did especially with the group he was running with. That group he was running with wasn’t real impressive. I knew he had a good arm and knew he was a good athlete and that he threw an accurate ball. I was kind of surprised that he made as good of decisions as he made. I’ve got give Dowell Loggains some credit. That’s some coaching. It takes time especially coming out of an offense like he did in North Carolina. He’s not making the same types of decisions he made at UNC where it was simple high/low reads. He didn’t have to change protections. He didn’t have to identify the mike linebacker. There are so many things he is doing for the first time and he did a pretty damn good job.”
9. Here is the one statistic that HAS TO CHANGE in the regular season. The Bears had two takeaways in four preseason games. The only team with less was the Cowboys with one and their final exhibition against the Texans was canceled. The Bears better hope that’s not a sign of struggles to come because the defense has to be much, much better than it was in 2016 when it produced a measly 11 takeaways.
10. Scouts from the Falcons and Steelers were in attendance at the game. The Bears open the regular season with Atlanta and Pittsburgh plays the Browns in its opener. The Falcons were present for all four of the Bears’ exhibition games.
10a. The Falcons are currently a 7-point favorite over the Bears for the opener according to the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas.
10b. The shutout was the second time the Bears have been blanked in the last two preseasons. Before that you have to go all the way back to 1981 to find a preseason shutout.
10c. On to the regular season. Look forward to the fun ahead
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