6 Bears Already on Thin Ice in Training Camp

The Chicago Bears are in the midst of a crucial training camp for the franchise with the team now having a legitimate franchise quarterback to build around. These are the formative days for #1 overall pick Caleb Williams, and although the Bears have done a really good job of surrounding him with talent, there are still players who are going to fail to live up to lofty expectations.

The ultimate goal of any team's training camp is to arrive at the correct 53 players to start the regular season. For the Chicago Bears, there's added stress (somewhat in a good way) to make sure they not only properly support Williams offensively but give head coach Matt Eberflus the tools to keep his defense playing at a high level, which we saw at the end of last season.

Which players -- on either side of the ball -- are already on thin ice with the Bears well into training camp at this point?

1. Nate Davis, OL

NFL teams are always in the market for good help along the offensive line, which should raise at least a little bit of a red flag anytime a guy hits the free agent market. That's not to say that every free agent offensive lineman is bad, but it does mean that as much research should be done as possible before just going out and signing someone let go by another team.

The Bears seem to be finding that out the hard way with former big-money free agent guard Nate Davis, the former Tennessee Titans starter who missed a bunch of games last year and now is getting called out by head coach Matt Eberflus for missing practices at training camp:

Needless to say, it's not sounding great right now for Nate Davis. He needs to not only get back out onto the field, but he needs to find a way to make an impact quickly or he might lose his job.

2. Zacch Pickens, DL

It's not mandatory for third-round picks to ultimately emerge as starters, but it's definitely something you hope for when you invest that high of a selection in a player. The Chicago Bears are exercising some patience with 2023 third-round defensive lineman Zacch Pickens, an extremely talented athlete who is entering his second year and, as of right now, making absolutely no noise at camp.

Pickens appeared in 17 games as a rookie for the Bears but managed to record just half a sack on 264 defensive snaps played. He finished with 20 total tackles, a forced fumble, three pressures, and a batted pass, but there's more to unearth with this player.

It might be time to dust off those pre-draft reports on a player like Pickens to revive the excitement around him. Here's what NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein said about him in the pre-draft process:

"He plays with harmonious hands and feet to elude blockers or play off them, but he’s likely to get moved around by NFL drive blockers. Pickens has the ability to play both tackle spots in a one-gapping front and has rotational value with the potential to see starter’s reps."

Lance Zierlein

The Bears need to find ways to get Pickens on the field as part of their rotation this season. he needs to see an increased snap count and get put in positions where he can utilize that explosiveness and burst off the snap.

As of right now, the Bears' rotation on the defensive line isn't going to include a ton of overall snaps for Pickens with guys like Andrew Billings, Gervon Dexter, DeMarcus Walker, and others eating up snaps.

3. Larry Borom, OL

There are three candidates on the roster for the Chicago Bears to be the swing tackle behind starters Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright. The Bears aren't going to be moving on from third-round pick Kiran Amegadjie this offseason, so he's a lock to make the roster, but he might not be a lock to be the swing tackle right away.

He's going to have to prove himself.

The top contenders with experience on the roster right now are Larry Borom and Matt Pryor, and not that the Bears are hurting for cap space right now, but they could save over $3 million on this year's cap by cutting or trading Borom before the start of the season.

Bill Zimmerman of Windy City Gridiron laid out the options really well here:

"Borom also received the proven performer escalator in his salary, which means his salary this year will be $3 million, which could also play into his job security. If Ryan Poles doesn’t see Borom as someone to fit into their long-term plans, he may want to move on from him before the season to save some money and invest playing time in someone like Kiran Amegadjie."

Bill Zimmerman

The long-term plan is the priority at this spot, and that's not only for the Bears. Larry Borom is entering a contract year in 2024 regardless of where he's at. The Bears would be doing him a favor by letting him get to a situation where he might actually have a shot to contribute if they don't plan on keeping him beyond this year.

Especially because getting those practice reps for Amegadjie is going to be on the priority list, I think Borom's days in Chicago could be numbered.

4. Ryan Bates & Coleman Shelton, C

One of the top competitions the Bears have going offensively right now is for the starting center job. Ryan Bates, who was acquired in a trade with the Buffalo Bills this offseason, is competing for the job with Coleman Shelton, a former member of the Los Angeles Rams who has started 32 career games.

Both Bates and Shelton have similar pedigrees.

Both players are former undrafted free agents. Both players are somewhat journeymen who have bounced around the league a little bit before landing in stable situations, or even situations where they were anything more than spot starters or emergency options.

Bates has 19 career starts compared to Shelton's 32, but Bates is also a couple of years younger.

The Bears' initial depth chart has these guys listed as Ryan Bates OR Coleman Shelton, meaning they are not giving any indication right now which one might be ahead of the other as they continue to split reps.

The thing with the offensive line is that you really want to get these guys as many reps on the field together as possible, meaning the starting five. And when you're breaking in a rookie quarterback, having two different guys snapping the ball to him isn't ideal.

I don't know that we're going to see one guy named the starter here and the other guy flat-out get cut, but until a starter is named, both Bates and Shelton are on "thin ice" with this competition likely nearing its end rather quickly.

5. Roschon Johnson, RB

The running back position is playing out almost how we all expected heading into Chicago Bears training camp. Throughout the course of the 2024 offseason, it seemed like there was a decent chance the Bears could eventually move on from someone like Khalil Herbert thanks to the fact that he's entering a contract year and the team really likes 2023 draft pick Roschon Johnson.

Now, you can't help but wonder if it's Johnson who is on thin ice with the team, not that he's going to be cut before the season starts but because his projected role might not be as expansive as many anticipated going into camp.

The Bears released an initial depth chart and Khalil Herbert was listed alongside Roschon Johnson as the RB2 for the team. We all know that's not how it works, but the Bears aren't going to create any unnecessary optics that one is behind the other at this point.

What's really thrown a wrinkle in here for both Herbert and Johnson is the Bears' recent addition of Demetric Felton, a completely different type of running back being added to the mix with his pass-catching abilities.

Does the addition of Felton mean anything, ultimately? Not necessarily. The Bears could just be getting a look-see for the preseason to see if his dynamic skill set is worth keeping around. But you've already got three guys almost solidified in D'Andre Swift, Herbert, and Johnson. Travis Homer looms as a core-four special teams player. Ian Wheeler has shown some intriguing skills as an undrafted rookie.

All of the running backs vying for a bottom-of-the-roster spot on this Bears team should all probably keep their heads on a swivel.

6. Brett Rypien & Austin Reed, QB

The Chicago Bears have to have one of the most unique quarterback rooms in the NFL, right?

Caleb Williams is a bit of a character. We know this. He's got a big personality and wears his heart on his sleeve, so to speak.

Then you've got Tyson Bagent, who is doing a mile's worth of burpees and broad jumps as a birthday workout. The guy is simply built different and could probably go pro as a cross-fit athlete if he wanted to.

Behind Williams and Bagent, you've got the quiet Brett Rypien, a guy who has been in the league since 2019 yet feels like he's been around for a lot longer than that. Rypien is essentially an extra coach in the quarterback room and has been a valued piece by a number of teams for the way he sees the game, even if his ceiling on the field is lower than others.

Then you've got Austin Reed, the undrafted free agent out of Western Kentucky who provides a wild card option among this entire group. When the 2024 NFL Draft ended, Reed was considered one of the top players available among the undrafted crop, and the Bears reeled him in.

As we get deeper into the weeds of training camp, teams around the league are going to have to start making plans of whether they're going to keep three or four quarterbacks between their active roster and practice squad. For the Chicago Bears, it could come down to a decision between Rypien's experience in a young room or the talent of Austin Reed.

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