I normally kick these Chicago Bears’ training camp positional preview articles off on offense, but the defense is where most of the questions are this year, so I wanted to begin there. The secondary and linebackers have some new faces to mix in, while the defensive line has been the chief concern from fans all offseason.
So let’s start at defensive end.
Roster Locks
Some fans underrate Montez Sweat, but he’s an all-around good football player and also the most consistent pass rusher on the team.
Austin Booker showed promise last year, and the Bears are banking on him to continue his ascent into a viable EDGE. He’s added some bulk, he’s worked on his get-off, and I feel by the end of the season he’ll have established himself as more than viable. He’ll be ready for a contract extension.
Dayo Odeyingbo is ahead of schedule with his rehab from tearing his Achilles, and the Bears expect him to be the player they thought he’d be when they signed him last offseason to a 3-year contract worth $48 million, and $32 million in total guarantees.
“We weren’t quite sure when we started the offseason program that we would get him for any length of time, but the fact that he’s on the field, he wants to be out there,” head coach Ben Johnson said last month via the BearsWire. “It’s just another step forward in terms of him gaining confidence again and how he’s moving. He’s done a great job of being attentive in meetings, and so I know he was really itching to get back out there with his teammates, and so it’s a step in the right direction for sure.”
In eight games last year, Odeyingbo had 21 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 4 QB hits, and a pass defended, which wasn’t enough. Earlier this month, Dayo attended the Sack Summit, which is a gathering of defensive linemen and pass rushers. It’s the defensive version of the OL Masterminds, where NFL players go to work on their craft.
Considering he was a second-round pick a year ago, Shemar Turner isn’t going anywhere. He’s still coming back from a knee injury, and while the initial hope was he’d be back for the offseason program, now it looks like his availability for the start of camp is in question. He may need to start on the PUP list.
A Good Bet To Make It
Daniel Hardy provides some positional flexibility with his ability to get some emergency snaps at linebacker, but it’s his special teams skills that make him likely to stick around on the 53-man roster.
Roster Bubble/Practice Squad
Jonathan Garvin, Jamree Kromah, and Jeremiah Martin will again be fighting for a spot on the practice squad. All three ended last year there, and they could all make it again. Of the three, Garvin has the most experience, having appeared in 38 games from 2020 to 2022 with the Packers. The other two have yet to take a snap in the NFL.
Do you see any surprise moves at defensive end for the Bears this year?