Bears roster: Prepared or lacking? | Chicago Sports Tonight
Bears roster: Prepared or lacking? | Chicago Sports Tonight
As NFL teams enjoying a brief six-week summer vacation before training camp, we dive into the question: Do you like this Bears roster? Pat Morenzoni (Pat The Designer) and Carmen DeFalco from ESPN Chicago weigh in. Covering the biggest sports news of the week with an expert panel and fans.
It's almost time to move from the NFL offseason to the NFL preseason. The report day for Chicago Bears training camp is nearly a week away.
Here are the Bears who have the most to prove in training camp later this month.
Ian Wheeler:
One of the most heartbreaking moments in the 2024 preseason was seeing Ian Wheeler, an undrafted free agent from Howard with blazing speed, become a "Hard Knocks" fan favorite before he suffered a torn ACL just before his season began.
Wheeler spent the entire season with the team and rehabbing, meaning he’ll most likely get a chance to compete for a spot in training camp.
What’s worked in his favor is how the biggest addition to the Bears’ running back room was seventh-round selection Kyle Monangai. Wheeler has training camp and preseason to show that he’s healthy and that he deserves the shot he earned last offseason.
Colston Loveland:
There are already massive expectations on a top 10 pick, but Loveland missed all of the offseason programs recovering from surgery.
The pressure is on Loveland now to show he won’t miss a beat in Ben Johnson’s offense. Johnson said it himself that missing that much time is a lot of ground to make up. Come training camp, Loveland will have to show he’s durable, live up to being the No. 10 pick in the NFL Draft and show that he hasn’t missed a beat.
Tyler Scott:
Scott was a fourth-round selection in 2023, and had an up-and-down rookie season before fitting in as the Bears’ No. 4 wide receiver in 2024.
He didn’t struggle last year. In fact, Scott took over as kick returner and was consistent. He displayed an understanding of how to be effective, even with the kickoff rule changes.
Still, Scott will have to fight for his spot on the roster. The Bears added Luther Burden, Olamide Zaccheus and Devin Duvernay to the receiver room alongside DJ Moore and Rome Odunze. Scott’s position is dubious, at best. A solid training camp on offense and on special teams would be ideal for Scott.
Roschon Johnson:
A fellow member of the 2023 NFL Draft Class, Johnson carved out a spot on the Bears as a goal-line back and special teams ace. Johnson’s arrival changes that, though.
The Bears overhauled their receiver, tight end and offensive line rooms seemingly overnight in the 2025 NFL offseason. Next year, the running back room could be next on that list. That depends on what happens in 2025, though, and Johnson could make himself indispensable with a solid performance in training camp.
Dayo Odeyingbo:
There have been discussions about the Bears bringing in a veteran pass rusher opposite Montez Sweat, and Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer mentioned the Bears being a potential landing spot for Matthew Judon or Za’Darius Smith if the Bears so choose to go down that path.
Odeyningbo, who the Bears said can play all over the defensive line when he signed with the team in March, could use training camp to prove he should get a healthy amount of pass rushing snaps.
Tyrique Stevenson:
Forget the Hail Mary debacle, as his inclusion here has nothing to do with that. It’s clear Johnson isn’t dwelling on that, and the rest of the Bears’ defensive leaders have moved on from it, too.
Stevenson has bigger things to prove in training camp.
Dennis Allen’s defense requires physical cornerbacks who can thrive in a press-man scheme. The Bears already drafted their prototype cornerback in Zah Frazier but also have Terell Smith, who Stevenson split time with last season.
Training camp and preseason for Stevenson should be about proving he can be a cornerback who can thrive on an island and can play with the physicality Allen demands.
Noah Sewell:
Johnson was open about the third linebacker spot on Dennis Allen’s defense is currently up for grabs. He was clear that he wanted to find the third-best linebacker and go from there.
Fellow reserve linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga is a special teams ace, but has filled in at linebacker at times, while the team drafted Ruben Hyppolite II in the fourth round because of how he’s combined speed and physical play at the college level.
Sewell, entering his third year with the Bears, has a chance to take that third spot now vacated by now-Dallas Cowboy Jack Sanborn. That athleticism that made him a fifth-round pick out of Oregon has a chance to shine in training camp.
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