Chicago Bears: Five players who need to impress at training camp
Here are a few players that need to stand out in training camp for the Chicago Bears.
With the Chicago Bears about to open training camp in Bourbonnais next week (July 26), it’s time to take stock of the team once again before they start their pre-season preparations.
And while training camp and pre-season games don’t necessarily predict in-season success, it still behooves players to get off to a good start before the games start to matter, particularly for rookies or guys fighting for their future with the team.
With that in mind, here are a few Bears that could really use a good camp and pre-season showing.
Honorable mentions
Pernell McPhee
Among Bears outside linebackers, Leonard Floyd may be the center of attention coming into his sophomore season. With his immense upside and flashes of dominance last season, he could be the key to transforming the Bears into a top-ten unit.
But let’s not forget how much a healthy Pernell McPhee played, and will continue to play, a role in his success. McPhee’s talent for disruption takes pressure off of Floyd, partly contributing to the latter’s midseason surge. And if McPhee can keep defenses worried opposite the young gun, the Bears’ front could dominate the way we expected them to last year.
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Just seeing McPhee healthy and moving well in camp after last year’s injury issues should enhearten Bears fans. Here’s hoping that he also creates some of his usual mayhem while tuning up for the real thing.
Jonathan Bullard
The Bears certainly added a great deal of depth to their defensive line this offseason, signing free agents John Jenkins and Jaye Howard. Jenkins should help at nose tackle, particularly if Eddie Goldman struggles to stay healthy. And Howard may man the elusive right defensive end spot opposite Akiem Hicks.
However, that doesn’t mean that the team has given up on Jonathan Bullard, last year’s third-round pick.
Though he had an up-and-down rookie season, Bullard comes into this year with an increased understanding of the playbook and of his responsibilities in a 3-4 defense. Furthermore, no one can teach the kind of explosiveness he displays at the snap when he’s going right. As such, there’s no reason not to have some optimism regarding his future.
That said, he really needs to show up ready to make an impact this summer. If he doesn’t, he could risk getting lost in the shuffle at defensive end this year and in years to come.