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Make-or-break time for Pace’s top draft picks CHICAGO — When Ryan Pace first arrived in Chicago, it was clear that six straight years of awful drafting — three by the Jerry Angelo regime and three by Phil Emery — and a locker room culture created by Marc Trestman that made Gulags look inviting had left Pace an inheritance of one of the worst rosters in the NFL. The youngest general manager in the NFL had far more than a threeyear rebuild on his hands.

That’s why, with the Bears’ fourth training camp under Pace kicking off in Bourbonnais today, in spite of a 14-34 record, there is still little pressure for Pace to win immediately.

With a promising rookie coach in Matt Nagy, an All-Star staff around him and a much-improved but still very young roster, there is at least one more year left in the Pace honeymoon — or at least until the vultures start circling overhead.

But that’s not to say Bears Nation will accept more losing quietly.

The one advantage Pace has had as a result of the dismal crew he followed is he has now made four top-10 picks in the draft and had four more second-rounders considered the

equal of late first-round the 39th overall pick on picks before he did some Eddie Goldman, who has horse trading. been Pace’s most productive first- or second-round Top-10 draft picks are pick to date. expected to be red chip Pace moved up to No. players at the least — perennial starters with Pro 9 overall in 2016 to select Bowl talent — and secLeonard Floyd, who has ond-round picks, namely flashed some big-time those in the top 40 picks pass-rush ability but has overall, should at least be also been hard to find at HUB ARKUSH perennial starters with times, namely because @Hub_Arkush playmaking ability. he’s missed four and six While Pace has done games to injury in his well in the later rounds and with unfirst two seasons, respectively. drafted rookie free agents, results at Floyd’s injuries are bad luck, too, the top are mixed. but a tad less forgivable than White’s Chosen seventh overall, Kevin because his slight frame was a concern coming out of Georgia.

White has been a well-documented After the selection of Floyd and disappointment as Pace’s first-ever several more trades, Cody Whitepick, although through no fault of hair was selected 56th overall. He White’s or Pace. tore it up as a rookie at center but White came out of West Virginia then suffered a serious sophomore without medical flags on his scouting report, and no one can predict slump.

Mitch Trubisky not only went secbroken bones — three of them in ond overall last year, Pace threw in three years. two extra threes and a four to get But, should it happen, a fourth lost him. While he showed tremendous season will be White’s last with the promise starting 12 games as a rookBears. ie, he still finished 28th in the NFL After adding White, the Bears used

with a 77.7 passer rating to go along with only seven TD passes.

Adam Shaheen, selected one round after Trubisky at No. 45 overall, was a real reach and struggled most of his rookie season with just 12 catches for 127 yards, although he did lead the team with three TD catches.

Is the lack of production to date from these four guys because of a lack of talent, or bad luck and a lack of talent around them?

Of course, this year’s picks — Roquan Smith at eight, James Daniels at 39 and Anthony Miller at 51 — haven’t even had pads on yet let alone seen the field, but Smith has been billed as an instant impact guy and Daniels and Miller are both expected to compete for significant playing time, if not starting jobs.

Ultimately these nine players were acquired to be the nucleus of Pace’s championship contender; that’s the only reason you’d invest the draft gold Pace has spent on them.

The cumulative production of these nine players by early December this year should tell us almost everything we need to know about Pace’s future with the Bears.

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I

f Matt Nagy feels any pressure to win immediately as the Bears’ rookie head coach, it’s certainly not the result of recent franchise history.

None of the previous 10 head coaches hired by the Bears over the last 62 years managed to finish better than .500 in their inaugural seasons, and only three improved upon the performance of their predecessors. Of the last 10 Bears coaches in their first year running the team, only Marc Trestman and Jim Dooley made it to .500 as rookies, but both posted worse records than the men they replaced.

Trestman’s 2013 team finished 8-8, but that was two games worse than Lovie Smith’s 10-6 squad that barely missed the playoffs the previous season. Early on, it appeared that hiring the offensive-minded Trestman was the right move. The Bears opened his rookie season with three straight victories and were 6-4 following an overtime victory over the Ravens. But four losses in the final six weeks proved a harbinger of the disaster to follow.

The next year under Trestman, the Bears started 3-3 but went 2-8 after that, regressing three more games, to 5-11, and he was replaced by John Fox. Dooley’s 7-7 team in 1968 was just a half-game

the postseason, and Smith was fired after going 10-6 in 2012. In retrospect, his career mark of 81-63 looks pretty impressive compared to the past five years, which sets the bar extremely low for Nagy.

Not since Dwight D. Eisenhower was re-elected U.S. president in 1956 has a Bears head coach posted a winning record in his first season. That year, following an 8-4 campaign, Halas stepped away from the sidelines for the third of four times. Paddy Driscoll took over and led the Bears to a 9-2-1 regular-season record, but they were defeated in the NFL championship game, 47-7 by the Giants.

Fourteen years earlier, Halas left the team at midseason to fight as a member of the U.S. Navy in World War II, and the Bears finished 11-0 but lost in the title game. The following year, 1943, Hunk Anderson and Luke Johnsos co-coached the Bears to an 8-1-1 record and the NFL championship.

Halas first stepped away from coaching at the end of 1929 after a 4-9-2 record, the first losing season in the 10-year-old franchise’s history. Ralph Jones compiled the greatest debut-season improvement in team history, guiding the Bears to a 9-4-1 recovery.

Of course, the best rookie campaign for a Bears head coach belongs to Halas, who went 10-1-2 as a player-coach in 1920, the Bears’ and the NFL’s first season.

worse than the 7-6-1 squad he took over, which was the last team coached by Bears founder and owner George Halas, but the bottom fell out the next year in a 1-13 dumpster fire of a season.

Though Fox’s 2015 team went just 6-10 in his first season in Chicago, it was a one-game improvement, a rare achievement in the past six decades for Bears new coaches. Only Dick Jauron in 1999 and Dave Wannstedt in 1993 had better year-toyear improvements in their first seasons. Jauron’s initial team finished 6-10, but that was two game’s better than Wannstedt’s final team.

Wannstedt’s 7-9 rookie season was also two games better than Mike Ditka’s 5-11 swan song in 1992. Wannstedt followed up his initial year with back-to-back 9-7 seasons, but consecutive 4-12 seasons led to Jauron’s hiring. Jauron’s second team took a step back to 5-11 before springboarding to 13-3 in 2001 buoyed by a strong defense led by MLB Brian Urlacher.

But, after consecutive losing seasons, the Bears moved on to Lovie Smith. Despite a 5-11 first season in 2004, Smith led the Bears to back-to-back playoff seasons, culminating in an NFC championship in 2006. After treading water for the next three years, Smith’s team made it back to the NFC title game in 2010.

That’s the last time the Bears participated in

Pro Football Weekly is produced by Shaw Media and the Daily Herald Media Group in partnership with other Illinois daily newspapers.

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PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY | ProFootballWeekly.com | THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2018

A look back at Bears first-year head coaches

PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY | ProFootballWeekly.com | THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2018

18 The

who are the most vital to the team’s success in

’ 18 T

By ERIC

EDHOLM

@Eric_Edholm

he Chicago Bears fielded 67 players last season, plus two more on the roster who failed to play a single snap. Barring a massive wave of injuries, that’s about the range the Bears can expect to suit up over the course of 2018.

Clearly, some will mean more to the team’s success this year than others will. We’ve boiled our list down to the 18 most vital this year. Why that number? Just a little fun for the ’18 season, really, with the changing of the guard for Matt Nagy.

But it still allows us to dig deep enough into all three phases of the game — offense, defense and special teams — and choose the Bears who truly should have the biggest impact on the team if it’s going to succeed following four straight double-digit-loss seasons.

Just missing the cut were DE Jonathan Bullard, rookie WR Anthony Miller, pass rusher Aaron Lynch and K Cody Parkey.

18. TE

Adam Shaheen

Don’t forget that Shaheen, whom Chicago selected 45th overall in the 2017 draft, was less than a year removed from playing Division-III ball during a relatively quiet rookie season. But even with a bigger learning curve and the Bears adding a sexier piece at the position in Trey Burton, there are still big plans for Shaheen. He’s a different type of tight end than Burton and can be a factor when Nagy uses “12” and “22” personnel (two tight ends), especially down in the red zone. Shaheen flashed some intriguing athletic traits last season in his limited offensive role and in his work on special teams. It would be a mistake to write him off now.

17. LB

Roquan Smith

The No. 8 overall pick in this year’s draft, Smith enters a nearly perfect situation in Chica-

go. Smith is shielded by a nice D-line. He has an ideal mentor in Danny Trevathan. And Smith might enter the NFL with a reputation of being a highly instinctive coverage ‘backer, but defensive coordinator Vic Fangio doesn’t have to unfairly tax his rookie with brutal one-on-one assignments out of the gate. Still, we expect Smith to thrive after a learning period.

16. S

Adrian Amos

Slightly overhyped by some, Amos nonetheless is a very solid performer who provides a good layer of insurance on the back end. But really where Amos is best is up in the box as a pseudo-linebacker, making six tackles for loss and forcing two fumbles last season. Nicknamed “Smash,” Amos deserves a lot of credit for managing to be an enforcer despite NFL rules working against big hitters these days — and increased safety measures this season likely will test him further. But he’s a valuable piece nonetheless.

15. WR

Taylor Gabriel

There has been understandable hype around the Bears’ skill-position additions, and rightfully so. But we honestly are a bit surprised there hasn’t been more focus placed on Gabriel, who adds a crucial element to this offense: rare speed. Gabriel easily was the fastest player on the field in the Bears’ offseason, and as Nagy has pointed out, his offense works when there is the threat of a deep pass, which adds to Gabriel’s value here even beyond the stats. Factor in his skill on screens and end arounds, and he should be an extremely useful weapon even in

Roquan Smith

NAM Y. HUH / AP IMAGES

this crowded group.

14. C

Cody Whitehair

13. S

Eddie Jackson

The plan as of now is to put him back at center — the position he learned on the fly as a rookie starter for the Bears in 2016 — until the Bears know what they have in 2018 second-rounder James Daniels, it appears. Health issues up front forced the Bears to shuffle Whitehair between guard and center last season, and it hurt his momentum after a pretty terrific rookie year. But the arrow should be pointed back upward this season; we expect him to help solidify this unit.

The Bears likely could be a good-to-very good defense if Jackson doesn’t have a breakthrough season. But if he develops the way the team believes he can, Jackson can take this unit even higher. For a player whose senior season at Alabama was derailed by a broken leg, Jackson impressed the Bears with a rookie season where he led the entire team in snaps played — 102 more than any other player. His two-TD game against the Panthers provided the Bears 14 of their 17 points in an upset win, displaying a playmaking element that Amos simply doesn’t appear to have. Of Jackson, Nagy said: “…a player that can do it all. He can hit. He has great ball skills.

He has good speed and is smart.”

12. LB

Danny Trevathan

Missing games the past two seasons has held back Trevathan’s effectiveness, but one only need look at how the team played in his absence to see that he’s a big piece. With him on

PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY | ProFootballWeekly.com | THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2018 PHOTOS BY STEVE LUNDY / DAILY HERALD

Taylor Gabriel

Trey Burton

Allen Robinson

the field, the Bears have allowed 303.9 yards and 20.9 points per game. With Trevathan out, the Bears defense has allowed 354.3 yards and 25.5 points per game. He might not be a premier bigplay maker, but Trevathan just has a steadying, instinctive presence and he also will be asked to mentor first-round pick Roquan Smith, his likely ILB running mate.

ceive a contract extension prior to the season, much like the Bears did last year with Hicks and Leno.

offense with the Eagles last season? We don’t believe so. It’s clear that Nagy and GM Ryan Pace targeted Burton as a perfect fit in the “U” role in this offense — basically a do-it-all position — who can help make this operation jell quickly. Nagy’s scheme and the one Doug Pederson ran in Philly was nearly identical.

And Mitch Trubisky already is excited about Burton’s potential fit. “He’s an awesome ballplayer,” Trubisky said. “He can do anything we ask him within this offense. He’s going to get open, he’s really smart, runs great routes and has sure hands.”

11. LT

Charles Leno

Leno has been the team’s starter at the all-important position since early in the 2015 season and for the most part has done a very respectable job. Dominant? No. But certainly effective.

Leno still brings a lunch-pail approach to the job despite receiving a nice contract extension a few years ago, which will endear him to Nagy and new OL coach Harry Hiestand, who has a reputation of getting the most out of his players. One area Leno can work on: penalties. He led Chicago with a whopping 13 last season, including six holds and six false starts.

10. NT

Eddie Goldman

This is relatively high for a two-down player, but Goldman has a chance to put his best season together on what could be one of the NFL’s better defenses. He has yet to play a 16-game season, which is a concern, but the Bears believe Goldman and Akiem Hicks will be one of the NFL’s better duos up front. Could Goldman provide more pass rush (1.5 sacks last season)?

Absolutely that would be nice, but it doesn’t factor in all his pressures and work vs. the run. If either Hicks or Goldman went down, the Bears would be seriously lacking up front.

It would not be shocking to see Goldman re-

9. RB

Tarik Cohen

All you need to do to project what impact Cohen might have this season is to watch how Nagy unleashed some of his offensive weapons in 2017 while calling plays for the Kansas City Chiefs. Nagy had WR Tyreek Hill in the backfield and split RB Kareem Hunt out wide.

Cohen isn’t a perfect facsimile of either player, but the diversity of this offense and his electric ability as a runner, receiver and returner makes him a crucial cog. There’s a limit to what he can do at 5-foot-6, 181 pounds, and Cohen did take too many big hits last season in our view.

8. RB

Jordan Howard

It has been a bit chic to suggest that Howard isn’t a pure fit in Nagy’s offense given that the third-year back has struggled to catch the ball well with the Bears. But that’s a myopic view of the Bears’ best interior rusher who just so happens to be an excellent runner out of the shotgun and who has been working hard to improve his skills in the passing game this offseason. Nothing against Cohen, who certainly has game-changing ability in this offense, but the Bears absolutely need Howard to do some of the same things he’s done — namely producing good running numbers against stacked boxes.

7. TE

Trey Burton

Too high? Too unrealistic for a player who played more snaps on special teams than on

6. OG

Kyle Long

5. WR

Allen Robinson

A guard this high? Sure. Prior to injuries sinking their teeth into Long, who played only 45 percent of the Bears’ offensive snaps last season, he had been the lynchpin of this unit. A three-time Pro Bowler, Long turns 30 near season’s end — and some have wondered whether he already has played his best football. But if Long can get back to full health, the Bears should have a strong offensive line, especially in terms of run blocking. Long also helps shoulder some of the leadership quotient that helps with a young quarterback running the offense.

Bears fans should not panic if Robinson, who looked like one of the best young receivers in the game in 2015 (80 catches, 1,400 yards, 14 TDs), isn’t dominating out of the chute in 2018. He’s coming off a torn ACL suffered only a few plays into last season with the Jaguars, but the Bears clearly thought the value in signing him to a three-year, $42 million deal this offseason was

PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY | ProFootballWeekly.com | THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2018

2. LB

worth the risk. The chemistry with Mitch Trubisky only will grow in time as Robinson gets back to full health, but it’s a bit unfair to expect wild production immediately. By the end of the season though? He likely needs to be the Bears’ best big-play receiver.

4. CB

Kyle Fuller

His transformation, from suspected firstround bust to priority free agent this offseason, has been fascinating. Fuller didn’t always seem completely dialed in prior to 2017, but he turned in easily his finest effort to date last season.

That’s a big reason why the Packers signed Fuller to an offer sheet, which quickly was matched by the Bears to keep him. Is it assumed Fuller will remain in top form? No, but it’s at the point where it would be hard to imagine this secondary without him.

3. DE

1. QB

Akiem Hicks

Hicks is the cornerstone of the Bears’ defense.

Despite players with loftier draft statuses, Hicks more than earned the contract extension ($30 million guaranteed over four years) he received prior to last season. It was stunning he didn’t receive more national praise for his consistently excellent play. Hicks not only helps anchor the run defense, but his pass-rush penetration has been huge. He also has been durable and has cut down on penalties, which were an issue in 2016. There’s no reason why Hicks once again shouldn’t be a top-tier defender for Vic Fangio’s unit.

Leonard Floyd

The time is nigh for Floyd to play up to his draft billing, when the Bears traded up to select him with the ninth overall pick in 2016. There have been flashes of brilliance along the way in two injury-plagued seasons, such as his two-sack games against the Packers in 2016 (strip-sack for a TD) and the Vikings in 2017 (safety). But to date, Floyd has missed 10 games and hasn’t quite put it all together. If it’s going to happen, it’s now as he enters his age-26 season. After undergoing surgery on his right knee last November, Floyd is set to start training camp on time and has to crank it up with the Bears’ lack of edge-pressure players.

Mitch Trubisky

NAM Y. HUH / AP IMAGES

Mitch Trubisky

Duh. Yeah, the quarterback appears to be a somewhat important cog in Nagy’s offense. And one year after Rams QB Jared Goff followed up a wretched rookie trial by fire with a terrific second season in L.A., the template for sophomore success has been laid out for Trubisky. No, he doesn’t need to finish second in the NFL in yards per completion or fifth in passer rating the way Goff did in 2017. But Trubisky must master this system, spread the ball around to his playmakers, cut way down on his sacks and fumbles (which Goff did brilliantly) and improve his completion percentage. Do that and the Bears have to feel great about Trubisky’s progression in the new era and about the potential for notable improvement in 2018.

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PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY | ProFootballWeekly.com | THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2018

Bears main position battles start in the trenches

draft, rookie James Daniels is expected by many to claim the starting job. But the smart money is on Kush, who was extremely solid replacing Long in 2016 before missing all of last season due to an Achilles injury, to be there on opening day, allowing Daniels a little time to learn the ropes at the next level.

By HUB ARKUSH @Hub_Arkush

W

hen a team owns a 27-53 record over the past five seasons, including just 8-24 over the past two, one would assume it has battles for playing time at every position on the field.

Surprisingly, though, the Chicago Bears are fairly well set on both sides of the ball with no questions as to who their starting quarterback, running backs, tackles and center will be on offense, and on defense only two spots will see any real competition for starting spots during the preseason.

Here are the top five camp battles to follow:

Outside linebacker

DAVID BANKS / AP IMAGES

Offensive Guard

Aaron Lynch

The Bears’ most competitive competition in Bourbonnais will be at offensive guard, where Kyle Long is locked in on the right side, if he is healthy enough to be on the field, but there is no clarity as to whether Eric Kush, James Daniels, Earl Watford or Jordan Morgan will claim the starting left guard spot, or if per-

haps an undrafted rookie free agent like the massive Jeremi Hall might come out of nowhere to claim the spot.

After playing just eight and nine games over the past two seasons respectively, Long is rehabbing three separate surgeries he underwent this offseason and has been a non-

Sam Acho

Like with Long at guard, one of these spots is Leonard Floyd’s if he’s healthy enough to hang onto it. Floyd needs to become a better football player, but he won’t be told to take a seat for anything he does on the field — his tangibles are too great and he’ll be given whatever time he needs to develop them. He just needs to stay healthy.

But the other spot is as unsettled as left guard, with the smart money on Aaron Lynch, but Sam Acho, Kylie Fitts, Isaiah Irving, Jonathan Anderson and Kasim Edebali all looking to take it away from him.

Other than Floyd, Lynch easily is the most talented outside linebacker on the roster and might even rival

NAM Y. HUH / AP IMAGES

participant in all of the team’s offseason activities.

There is no question the right guard position is Long’s if he can go, but if he can’t the team will be looking for two starting guards, as the left guard spot is as unsettled as right guard is set.

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9 This is a different kind of competition as Dion Sims, Adam Shaheen and free agent Trey Burton are all going to make the team, and all will get significant playing time, unless Shaheen can make serious enough strides in training camp to make Sims expendable.

Sims is an in-line run blocker, while Burton is primarily a slot or move tight end who was signed to a lucrative contract to catch passes, not block.

Only Shaheen has the size and skills to do both, but is he ready to do either?

Wide receiver Allen Robinson is a lock at one of the wideout spots when he’s ready to go. The free agent was signed and paid to be the Bears’ No. 1 receiver and is clearly the most talented on the roster.

But he will be a little less than 12 months removed from ACL surgery on opening day, and with the investment they’ve made in him, the Bears are unlikely to push him.

Taylor Gabriel is another expensive free agent, but he appears to be best suited to the third wideout spot and not a player you want on the field if you’re running the ball.

The Bears paid a steep price for second-round pick Anthony Miller

Five-technique

NAM Y. HUH / AP IMAGES

Jonathan Bullard and would love to reap some immediate dividends, but can he pick up the offense quickly enough to be an opening-day starter across from Robinson, or possibly even a lesser-talented top target if Robinson’s not ready to go?

Bennie Fowler and Josh Bellamy will make the team, but neither is a serious threat to claim a starting

spot, so what can we make at this point of Kevin White?

White is going to be a Bear for at least one more season because of all the money the Bears owe him, but can he stay healthy and, if he does, can he play?

White may very well prove to be one of the most interesting Bears in camp this season.

With Mitch Unrein gone, Jonathan Bullard is the heir apparent across from Akiem Hicks and Eddie Goldman, and Bullard’s steady improvement the second half of last season is one of the reasons the Bears allowed Unrein to leave for Tampa.

But Bullard is undersized for the position, and when Roy Robertson-Harris has been healthy, he’s actually displayed more big-play ability than Bullard.

Most aren’t expecting a real competition here, but don’t be surprised if Robertson-Harris forces one.

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PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY | ProFootballWeekly.com | THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2018

Tight end

him for pure natural ability. But while Lynch has the pedigree, many question whether he has the character and if he’s ready to maximize his own tremendous abilities.

Acho will get plenty of playing time and will be part of a three-man rotation, but while extremely dependable, he doesn’t appear to have difference-making traits.

If you’re looking for a longshot, keep an eye on Irving, who flashed a few times late last season when Floyd was down for the count.

ProFootballWeekly.com | THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2018

Divisional burning training-camp questions

PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY |

Mike McCarthy has stated his three talented tailbacks will share the load, but he’s been known to ride the hot hand. And we’ve seen Ty Montgomery, Jamaal Williams and Aaron Jones each author scorching spurts in small sample sizes.

With Jones suspended two games to begin the season, Montgomery, who ended 2017 on IR, and Williams, who averaged north of 20 touches but only 3.7 yards per carry each game over the final half of his rookie season, could distance themselves with a strong summer. Jones, despite his 5.5-yard rookie rush clip, must build trust on and off the field.

Top pick Jaire Alexander and second-rounder Josh Jackson give Green Bay three former top-45 picks at cornerback, along with 2017 draft pick Kevin King. But attrition and poor development, not pedigree, has been a woeful pass defense’s problems the past two seasons, and fresh blood — players and coaches — must fix them.

By

GM Bob Quinn got his guy in head coach Matt Patricia, who replaces Jim Caldwell following three winning seasons in his four-year tenure, including back-to-back 9-7 campaigns.

That means the pressure is on Patricia to quickly guide the Lions back to the postseason, where their last victory came during President George H.W. Bush’s term. Doing so almost certainly means taking pressure off Matthew Stafford with — gasp — a functional run game and more consistent defense.

Is the ground game poised to finally get on track?

Optimism is abound regarding the offense’s imbalance and short-yardage woes soon being a thing of the past. But being optimistic and actually rectifying what’s been the NFL’s worst rushing attack are very different things.

Will rookie Kerryon Johnson relegate Blount to a reserve role, even on early downs? Is there a spot for Ameer Abdullah on the roster because of Theo Riddick’s cemented receiving role? And will better health up front for LT Taylor Decker and the veteran right side of T.J. Lang and Rick Wagner surrounding top pick Frank Ragnow allow Detroit to have the increasingly powerful identity it has sought for some time?

How concerning is the pass rush?

Franchise-tag recipient DE Ezekiel Ansah tallied a quiet 12 sacks last season … and Detroit still finished 23rd in sack percentage. In a nearly invisible year marred by injuries rushing the passer two seasons ago, when Kerry Hyder was the team’s best pressure piece, Detroit ranked 30th in sack percentage.

Hyder returns from a lost season with a ruptured Achilles, but his inclusion here speaks to the group’s volatility and dearth of weapons.

Ansah, 28, missed most of the offseason following a knee procedure and has been slowed by lower-body injuries of late. In a contract year, can he consistently be the slicing and stunting chess piece Patricia desperately needs? Can Hyder or Anthony Zettel (6½ sacks last season) continue their rise from obscurity, or can someone else help an undermanned group?

Will recent Day 2 picks become first-rate contributors?

The time is now for 2016 second- and third-rounders A’Shawn Robinson and Graham Glasgow to excel. They’ve both flashed, but Robinson must become sturdier for a leaky run ‘D,’ and Glasgow is central to the O-line’s improvements.

And last year’s second- and third-rounders, Teez Tabor and Kenny Golladay, are in great situations. Tabor battles the more experienced Nevin Lawson and DeShawn Shead to start opposite Pro Bowl CB Darius Slay, while Golladay looks to become Detroit’s go-to guy on the outside. But their progress as playmakers looms large for the organization.

ARTHUR ARKUSH

They open camp after missing the playoffs the season prior for the first time in nine years.

Moreover, it’ll mark their first camp without Dom Capers as defensive coordinator since 2009 and without Ted Thompson as general manager since 2005.

It’s a new era of Packers football, but Aaron Rodgers’ healthy return means Green Bay’s old standard — division title or bust — remains.

Who steps forward in the backfields?

Rodgers is healthy … but will he be happy?

After missing nine games with a broken right collarbone, Rodgers’ return rekindles hope coming off a 7-9 campaign. But that doesn’t mean all is right in the world of the two-time MVP. What’s the holdup with his supposedly imminent contract extension? And do any ill feelings linger after McCarthy and new GM Brian Gutekunst jettisoned two of Rodgers’ closest allies — longtime QB coach Alex Van Pelt and telepathic top target, Jordy Nelson?

Rodgers is a terrific leader and still the game’s most talented triggerman, but Packers brass getting the deal done and Rodgers building a quick rapport with new TE Jimmy Graham are major priorities.

If Capers was the problem, is Mike Pettine the solution?

The new defensive coordinator will install another aggressive, press-coverage heavy scheme for the Packers. Pettine hopes — and quite possibly needs, depending on the health of a volatile OLB corps — to blitz frequently. Sure, the scheme switches from a base ‘30’ to ’40,’ but many of the principles remain.

The difference, then, could come in Pettine’s ability to maximize his talent —not only his young defensive backs, but reclamation project and his former Jets pupil, defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson, among others.

After coming within one game of the Super Bowl, all the Vikings did was sign prize freeagent QB Kirk Cousins to an unprecedented contract and add 27-year-old former Pro Bowler Sheldon Richardson to the game’s best four-man front.

Minnesota also welcomes back feature RB Dalvin Cook from a torn ACL and introduces another first-round corner, Mike Hughes, to the NFC’s top pass defense.

Can they recreate the Case Keenum-Pat Shurmur-like synergy?

Don’t discount the importance of Shurmur, the NFL’s reigning Assistant Coach of the Year, to Minnesota’s offense last season and assume Cousins is a marked improvement over the 2017 version of Keenum. Sure, Cousins gets an improved pass-catching corps and the luxury of playing half of his games indoors, and new offensive coordinator John DeFilippo cut his teeth under a Super Bowl-winning coach and coordinator last season.

But DeFilippo is much less experienced than Shurmur, and the Vikings’ new quarterback wasn’t better statistically than their old one last season. Even with gobs of skill talent, the offense could take time to click. Every practice rep will be closely scrutinized. We’d bet $84 million and a Super Bowl-or-bust season on it.

Will Mike Zimmer do things differently early to change the results late?

The NFL’s top-rated ‘D’ succumbed in the playoffs by allowing 48 points over the final five quarters, the second year in a row it left a funky taste in fans’ mouths at the season’s conclusion.

Personnel wouldn’t appear to be the issue.

Zimmer’s play-calling is universally praised. So, did the Vikings run out of gas in January? Perhaps they enjoyed their press clippings that read — and we’re paraphrasing — Nick Foles can’t handle Minnesota’s heat? Whatever the cause, Zimmer must change the effect, starting now.

What starting combination will emerge up front?

When healthy, Riley Reiff and Pat Elflein would appear to be entrenched at left tackle and center, respectively, and LG Nick Easton is a keeper. But Elflein’s sterling rookie season ended sourly with an ankle injury sustained in the divisional round that required surgery, and his recovery paired with some moving parts: the retirement of RG Joe Berger and drafting of second-round OT Brian O’Neill.

In an ideal world, a strong camp for O’Neill pushes RT Mike Remmers inside to Berger’s vacated spot, and Elflein avoids the PUP list. But it’s imperative that Minnesota continues finding out exactly what it has in reserves Rashod Hill, Danny Isidora and newcomer Tom Compton.

By ARTHUR

T

ARKUSH

@ArthurArkush

he Bears’ 5-11 record last season was the byproduct of a roster in Year 3 of a massive rebuild, but even more so it was the result of poor coaching and one of the NFL’s worst injury situations. Even on the heels of an offseason coaching change, there aren’t as many jobs up for grabs as one might expect on a team that’s finished last in its division four consecutive years.

Nevertheless, 2018 represents another fresh start for the franchise, one in which at least a few players with whom fans aren’t yet familiar could surface as future building blocks, if not fast contributors.

Here are five unheralded Bears to keep tabs on beginning this week in Bourbonnais.

OG Rashaad Coward

After notching one QB hit on 10 snaps as an undrafted rookie defensive tackle, Coward’s new job is protecting the pocket of Bears quarterbacks. That makes the 6-foot-5,

320-pound first-year Old Dominion product a pet project for revered OL coach Harry Hiestand. Will he be instant coffee? That seems unlikely, but Chicago has questions inside with RG Kyle Long recovering from three offseason surgeries, likely starting LG rookie James Daniels having spent most of his time in college at center and top reserve Eric Kush missing last season with an Achilles injury. Coward has more than enough size and strength to make the conversion, not unlike former Bears stalwart and DL-to-OL conversion project, James “Big Cat” Williams, if he takes to coaching.

OLB Isaiah Irving

With the jury still very much out on projected starting OLBs Leonard Floyd and Aaron Lynch, it seems unlikely Ryan Pace would cut Willie Young and Pernell McPhee and opt (so far) not to re-sign Lamarr Houston without as much as a jar or two on the shelf. Enter Irving, who went undrafted out of San Jose State a year ago but earned a spot on the practice squad after leading the club with three sacks and

a forced fumble in the preseason.

A collegiate defensive end, Irving is a bit undersized at 6-3 and 254 pounds, but he showed enough bend and burst to think he has a shot in a similar DPR (designated-pass-rush) role to the one Lynch thrived in under Vic Fangio as a rookie.

RB Ryan Nall

Nall is our first of two undrafted rookies facing an uphill battle at one of Chicago’s deepest positions.

But, unlike Benny Cunningham and Taquan Mizzell, the change-up complements to Tarik Cohen, only the 6-2, 232-pound Nall profiles as a potential Jordan Howard replacement in the event the Bears’ Pro Bowl workhorse goes down. Nall exhibited impressive power and run instincts with the Beavers, in addition to displaying promising development as a receiver.

CB Kevin Toliver

The LSU product has the size and skill set worthy of being drafted, but off-field baggage made him a priority free agent. At 6-2 and 192 pounds, he’s almost exactly the same size as

Marcus Cooper, against whom he could be competing for one of the roster’s final spots at corner. Toliver provided a few flashes in last month’s minicamp, including an athletic diving pass breakup on a fly route down the sideline. He appears to have more upside than Cooper, 28, who was cut and re-signed this offseason after falling flat on a big contract last year that paid him starter’s money.

OLB Kylie Fitts

Because pass-rush depth is an already-established defense’s biggest concern, we’re doubling up on the flanks with Fitts, the sixth-rounder from Utah. Remember last season, when Eddie Jackson fell in the draft because of a checkered injury history, including a broken leg in his senior season at Alabama?

Injuries derailed Fitts’ final two seasons in college, but he has more size and athleticism than Irving and a few moves in his rush arsenal, including a slick spin that he used to turn the corner (and media members’ heads) at the Senior Bowl in Mobile.

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PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY | ProFootballWeekly.com | THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2018

Five under-the-radar Bears in Bourbonnais

PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY | ProFootballWeekly.com | THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2018

Big offseason for Ryan Pace

GM added pass-catching firepower to offense that lacked weapons

By BOB LeGERE @BobLeGere

W

hether or not the offseason moves made

by Ryan Pace get the Bears out of the NFC North cellar for the first time in five years, the additions made by the G.M., at the very least, specifically addressed some of the weakest areas on last year’s 5-11 squad.

The Bears had arguably the NFL’s worst wide receivers and overall the worst collection of pass catchers in the league, and that’s where Pace focused his attention. The priority was providing an improved supporting cast for QB Mitch Trubisky, whose success or failure will have more of an effect on the Bears’ future than any other player. Pace added 2015 Pro Bowl WR Allen Robinson, pass-catching TE Trey Burton and big-play receiver Taylor Gabriel in free agency, then used a second-round pick for prolific Memphis

Allen Robinson

Trey Burton

WR Anthony Miller.

If Robinson is fully recovered from the torn ACL that felled him in Week One last year, he’s QB Mitch Trubisky’s go-to guy. Critics would argue that Robinson’s Pro Bowl season (80 receptions, 1,400 yards, 14 touchdowns) was three years ago.

But he doesn’t turn 25 until late in the preseason, so he may have yet to reach his potential, and even his 2016 season (73 catches, 883 yards, six touchdowns) would qualify him as the Bears’ WR1.

The Bears are confident Robin-

Taylor Gabriel

Anthony Miller

son will be healthy at some point in training camp. If that’s accurate, the 6-foot-3, 211-pounder will give Trubisky a big, tough, physical target who runs good routes, catches well and is a strong runner after the reception. As a rookie, Trubisky never had anything close to that.

That may be a lot to put on a player in his first season with his new team, especially one so young. But Robinson, whose three-year, $42-million deal includes $25 million guaranteed, has embraced his role. He

expressed supreme self-confidence even before he was able to do more than jog on the outskirts of offseason practices, and he’s comfortable as the main man.

“That’s why they brought me here,” he said. “That’s why I was drafted to Jacksonville, to come there and make plays. That’s always been what I brought to the offense, playmaking ability. They didn’t bring me here to not make plays.

That’s always been the M.O.” Burton projects as the Bears’ top receiving tight end. He’s undersized at 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds and will not be a factor as an in-line blocker, but that’s not the role envisioned for the 26-year-old former Eagles backup who played in the shadow of Zach Ertz. With the Bears, the athletic and versatile Burton will be used creatively by Nagy, taking over and expanding on the role that Zach Miller played when healthy the past three years.

In Burton, the Bears are betting

Ryan Pace ly a walk-on at his hometown school.

Despite his humble beginnings, he does not lack for confidence.

“I’m more than a receiver,” Miller said. “But I have all the capabilities of a receiver. I can run, catch the ball … I would call it a 10 out of 10. I have great hands, and I’m also physical, which a lot of people don’t know about me. My passion for the game, I think, is just unmatched, especially at the position I play.”

Nagy has stressed to his players from Day One, that he wants them to be themselves and to embrace their individuality. Miller needed no encouragement to let it all out, and that’s fine with the coach and the G.M. “That confidence, we like that,” Pace said of Miller. “That swag and that energy that he plays with, those are infectious things. He’s a guy that’s 100 miles an hour every single snap. That effort, it’s just fun to watch, especially at that position, how hard he plays; not just in the passing game but also blocking and run-after-catch. All those things are really good with him.”

Miller, an enthusiastic blocker, believes he should have been drafted sooner than 51st overall, and he says the teams that passed him up will be sorry.

“I’m gonna prove everybody who passed me up wrong,” he said. “The Bears are gonna get all I got. They’re

PHOTOS BY STEVE LUNDY / DAILY HERALD

going to get the ‘Memphis Grind.’ I don’t think they’ve seen that yet. But I’m going to introduce them to it.

“That Memphis Grind is like one of a kind,” Miller said. “This area, there’s not a lot going on around here. People have got to work for everything they’ve got. Nobody is put over anybody as far as status.

In order to get respect, you’ve got to work for it. You’ve got to grind for it.

You’ve got to put in time. I believe I get a lot of respect around here because I didn’t ask for any handouts. I just came to work every day and put it in. It’s all paying off for me.”

The offseason plan wasn’t just to provide Trubisky with more firepower but also to give him a clean pocket in which to operate, and their first second-round pick (39th overall), James Daniels, could find himself in the middle of that protective shell. The Bears must replace last year’s LG Josh Sitton, and Daniels could win that competition in the preseason. Even though Daniels was primarily a center at Iowa, the Bears believe he has the skill set to make the move to guard. Because last year’s starting center, Cody Whitehair, has the versatility to play guard as well, Daniels could also wind up remaining in the middle.

During the offseason, the Bears listed Daniels at 6-foot-4 and 295 pounds, which would make him one of the lightest guards in the NFL if

he winds up at that position. But the Bears are confident he has room to grow into the position, as he doesn’t turn 21 until after the season opener.

“We think he’s big enough, especially when you look at his lower body,” Pace said. “He’s thick in the lower body; he’s powerful in the lower body. We feel like there’s still some growth potential ahead of him as well. He just plays with natural leverage and natural pad level that really helps him, too, and helps with our projection when we’re looking at him going to guard.”

The Bears did very little in free agency to supplement the league’s No. 10 defense, taking a flyer on Aaron Lynch, who showed pass-rush prowess early in his career before a two-season downturn. But they used the eighth overall pick on Georgia ILB Roquan Smith, who is expected to become an impact player, a missing ingredient on an otherwise solid defense.

The 6-foot-1, 236-pound Smith doesn’t resemble the classic run-stuffing inside linebacker, but he’s the prototype for the modern, do-it-all player who can impact a game in a variety of ways. Any concerns about Smith’s “lack” of size will likely be allayed quickly, and it’s already become obvious that questions on that topic don’t sit well with the Butkus Award winner.

“You hear that a lot here and there,” he said, regarding the size question. “But if you look at the top linebackers in the NFL right now, the guys are around the height of 6-1, which I am, and around the weight of 235. So I don’t view myself as undersized. I know what I bring to the table. You say I’m undersized, (and) everyone’s entitled to their own opinion, but I feel like (that doesn’t affect) my skill set and everything I bring to the table.”

The Bears believe Smith brings a smorgasbord of enviable qualities, not the least of which is the potential to become a leader on a defense that has several younger players with their best football ahead of them.

“It’s big, especially at that position,” Pace said of Smith’s leadership qualities. “You’re talking about a position that can quarterback the defense. Roquan is not only a great player, but he has outstanding intangibles. That’s a huge strength of his, and it was a very attractive quality for us. We spent a lot of time with him. He’s everything you’re looking for as a player, but then also his makeup. It’s huge for us.”

On the field, “The first thing that comes to mind is his instincts, his play speed and his physicality,” Pace said. “I mean, he hits with impact.

Those are things that jump out.”

PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY | ProFootballWeekly.com | THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2018

on potential, which he flashed last year in Philadelphia, scoring five touchdowns on just 31 targets and averaging 10.8 yards on his 23 receptions. And don’t forget the “Philly Special,” his fourth-down TD pass to QB Nick Foles in the Super Bowl.

Burton witnessed the role Ertz played in QB Carson Wentz’s development in Philadelphia, and he could have a similar effect on Trubisky’s maturation.

“I can just model my game after Ertz; what he brought to Carson,” Burton said. “Obviously, Carson was a new quarterback coming into the league and having to learn an offense as well.”

Burton credits his own development to having played alongside Ertz, but as a main component in the Bears’ offense, he’ll have more opportunities, more snaps and more targets, which should sharpen the trajectory of his career.

“The end goal is winning,” Burton said. “If that looks like me playing a lot more, then let’s do it. If it looks like me playing a smaller role, then I’m all for it. At the end of the day, it’s all about bringing the Super Bowl here.”

For Burton, in addition to the allure of cashing in on the free-agency market ($32 million over four years), it was not having to learn a new offense because he was in a similar scheme in Philadelphia. He also noticed the huge numbers put up

by Chiefs Pro Bowl TE Travis Kelce (307 catches for 3,900 yards and 2 touchdowns over the past four seasons) in Andy Reid’s offense, which is similar to what the Bears will run under Nagy.

“I basically know the whole (offense),” Burton said. “(There are) a couple things here and there that they did in Kansas City that we did differently in Philadelphia, but 95 percent of the playbook I already know. So that’s huge from a player’s standpoint.”

Gabriel is a player with elite speed and sick quicks who gives Nagy the ability to go mad scientist as a play-caller. Nicknamed, “Turbo,” the 5-foot-8, 165-pound Gabriel was a major player in the Falcons’ 2016 Super Bowl season. On just 50 targets, he caught 35 passes, averaged 16.5 yards per reception and scored six touchdowns. He slumped to 11.5 yards per catch on 33 receptions last year with just one touchdown but averaged 17.3 yards on 36 catches as a rookie with the Browns in 2014.

Miller isn’t particularly big or fast, but at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, he’s tough and strong, and he caught 191 passes for 2,896 yards and 32 touchdowns in his final two seasons at Memphis, where he was original-

PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY | ProFootballWeekly.com | THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2018

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Will Trubisky follow in footsteps of Goff, Wentz?

NATE ATKINS ARTHUR ARKUSH and then built upon that knowledge in Year Two. Nothing Trubisky learned in last year’s offense will benefit him in Matt Nagy’s new system.

Goff did not have that advantage, but he and Wentz were both familiar with most of their receivers. Trubisky will be throwing to five key targets that he has never worked with in a regular-season game — WRs Allen Robinson, Kevin White, Taylor Gabriel and rookie Anthony Miller, along with TE Trey Burton.

Arkush: I don’t disagree with the comparisons being unfair (sorry, Mitch), but the only notable pass catcher with whom Goff had any carryover rapport from Year 1 to Year 2 was his running back,

PATRICK FINLEY BOB LeGERE

Todd Gurley. Remember, the Rams’ receiving-TD leader, Sammy Watkins, arrived via trade last August, a few months after their yardage leader, rookie Cooper Kupp, and second-leading catcher, Robert Woods. Still, I catch your drift and will come at this a little differently: What would constitute a successful season for Trubisky?

LeGere: The most important numbers for any quarterback are wins and losses so, at the very least, Trubisky has to help drive the Bears out of the double-digit-loss rut they’ve been spinning their wheels in for four years. A .500 record seems reasonable, given the help that should be provided by a solid-though-unspectacu-

lar defense and the offensive upgrades. An 8-8 record might be enough to get the Bears out of the NFC North cellar, where they’ve resided since 2014.

Specifically, for Trubisky, he must improve his 7-7 TD-INT ratio to at least two TDs to every INT he throws. Wentz went from 16 TDs and 14 INTs as a rookie to 33-7 in Year Two, and Goff improved from a 5-to7 ratio to 28-to-7. Even without as strong of a supporting cast, Trubisky is capable of a 2-to-1 ratio.

Arkush: In projecting Trubisky’s season stats for our 2018 Fantasy Guide (shameless plug: it’s on newsstands now!), I landed on a 21-to-10 TD-INT ratio for him. Our PFW Preview Guide (double

your fun, won’t you?) projected the Bears to finish 7-9, one game behind the Lions.

Sure, I teed up this discussion with some lofty comparisons, but our expectations aren’t all that different. But if we’re going to see a different Mitch and more exciting Bears offense, one other area he must improve markedly is yards per attempt: Trubisky’s 6.6, though better than Goff’s and Wentz’s as rookies, tied for 24th among all NFL qualifiers. Nagy’s 21st-century offense and play calling should naturally improve this, right?

LeGere: I agree, and it’s not just Nagy. Offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich has an innovative mind and brings a different perspective to the offense, and Nagy wisely retained QB coach Dave Ragone, who developed a solid rapport with Trubisky last year. That 21-10 TD-INT ratio seems about right, and would represent a solid step forward for Trubisky, even if it wouldn’t be nearly as spectacular as what Wentz and Goff did in their second years.

PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY | ProFootballWeekly.com | THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2018

I

n this week’s edition of Take 2, Pro Football Weekly editors Bob LeGere and Arthur Arkush discuss whether Mitch Trubisky is poised to mimic the Year Two breakouts of Los Angeles’ Jared Goff and Philadelphia’s Carson Wentz last season.

Arkush: Bob, he might be a bit, shall we say, quieter than the funky QB Jim McMahon, but Mitch Trubisky received so many bright and shiny toys this offseason to set him up for success that he might need to borrow a pair of McMahon’s shades. My question to you: Did the fast ascent of Goff, the reigning Comeback Player of the Year, and Wentz, who was on track to be the league’s MVP through 13 weeks before his injury, set the bar too high for Trubisky?

LeGere: Arthur, I believe the comparisons to Goff and Wentz have set the bar way too high and are a bit unfair to Trubisky. Not to disparage Trubisky, but he’s in the first year of a new offense. Wentz used his rookie season to learn in an existing scheme

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DAN HAMPTON

Example offer based on 2018 Silverado 1500 Crew Cab LT All Star 4WD MSRP of $50,005.00 excludes destination freight charge.

Tax, title, license, documentary fees and optional equipment extra. Must finance with GM Financial. No monthly payments for 90 days.

Down payment maybe required at signing. Some customers will not qualify. Price not available with special lease, finance or other offers.

Take new retail delivery by 7/31/18. See dealer for details.