Bears: It’s time to let the kids play

At this point in the season, it’s time for the Chicago Bears to let the kids play and see what they have.

It has been an absolutely disastrous and disappointing start to the 2019 season for the Chicago Bears. They have been unable to take advantage of a fairly soft schedule to start the season and find themselves at 3-4 in the toughest division in the NFL.

Most recently, they couldn’t beat the hapless (now 3-5) Los Angeles Chargers, despite literally getting every major break in their game and holding the team to 17 points. However, as fans have seen far too often this year, the offense laid an egg, displaying an almost impressive level of ineptitude, especially in the red zone.

In other words, the season is effectively over. The likelihood of the Bears making the playoffs is only slightly more remote than the chances Mitchell Trubisky develops into a franchise quarterback — which is why the team needs to turn towards the future.

One way they can do that is by starting to work in the players who they hope will be a part of their future. It’s time for them to see what they have in these young players, and begin the process of determining whether they can ultimately fill in for some of the veterans whose contracts will be expiring over the next couple of years.

This starts with cutting Mike Davis. Look, I have no issues with Davis, but he clearly isn’t being utilized in Chicago, and it doesn’t appear Matt Nagy has any intent to do so. So why not let him go play where he can contribute, and in turn get a fourth-round compensatory pick in return? The move will also allow you to elevate Kerrith Whyte, the exciting rookie running back.

Next, they have to find a way to work in Riley Ridley. When the Bears selected him in the fourth round of last year’s draft, it was seen as a luxury. The Bears didn’t need another wide receiver, but felt the value was too good to pass up — and yet he has gotten exactly zero snaps this year. The reality is Taylor Gabriel is unlikely to return next season, so why not see if Ridley is a player that can step into that role?

Finally, there’s Duke Shelley who has only seen a total of six defensive snaps this year, despite his versatility to play in both the slot and potentially on the boundaries. Could he be an option to replace Prince Amukamara if he’s a cap casualty this offseason? Again, it’s time to find out.

Again, the Bears aren’t playing for anything but pride at the moment. The reality that they’ll be able to finish 7-2 over their next nine games seems like a longshot in light of past performance this season. Beyond confirming Trubisky isn’t the future, the next best thing the team can get out of the rest of the season is learning what they have with their 2019 NFL Draft class.