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Saturday, August 21, 2010
Chicago Bears Training Camp Tidbits
Like every other team in the NFL, the Chicago Bears have began to start preparing for the 2010 season in training camp. And just like every other team in the NFL the Bears have a ton of questions to answer as they move through training camp and on towards the regular season. Here is a look at a few of those questions and where they stand on answering these questions, so far, in training camp.
Can the offensive line get better?
The offensive line was a big question mark heading into training camp this summer and still remains that way with a lot of shuffling going on to try to find the right mix. There are two starting positions solidified in the line. One is at center with long time Bear Olin Kreutz staying in place and the other is at left tackle where third year pro Chris Williams hangs on to the starting job there.
Guard Roberto Garza does have a strong chance to remain a starter but he may be seeing a position switch thanks to the surge that second year player Lance Louis has been having so far in camp. That leaves the right tackle position and another guard position open for competition. If Louis moves into Garza’s old spot then Garza could slide over into the other guard spot. That would leave the right tackle spot open and Frank Omiyale should be able to lock that down.
Will this combination work for the Bears during the season? We will soon find out as this unit begins to gel during practice and preseason games.
Challenge at Safety
The Bears thought that things were all set at the safety position as they started training camp but shortly after they started practice, both Chris Harris and Major Wright went down with injuries that are keeping them out of action still (as of this writing). It was pretty much set in stone that Harris would start at one safety position and it appeared that Wright was going to start at the other but thanks to the injuries they status for the season remains unclear.
Harris should be able to keep a starting spot at the safety position even though he’s missed a lot of practice time. Wright, on the other hand, may have some difficulty cracking the starting lineup right away after missing so much time may be difficult. He’s definitely a player to keep your eye on as he makes his way back and training camp progresses.
Cutler Watch
Everyone seems to be watching Cutler and the wide receivers during this training camp and for good reason. The Bears have staked a lot of hope in the passing game and fans wonder just how well the Bears will do there this season. Once the real bullets start flying, hopefully everyone will be able to be on the same page in this offense which relies heavily on timing. Receivers need to run the right routes, running backs need to either get out to catch passes or stay in and block and the tight ends need to do the same.
If the offense can get on the same page this season then they could put up a lot of yards and a lot of points. It’s going to be an interesting season for the Bears.
Defensive Musings
Aside from the problems that the Bears appear to have at the safety position (in terms of health) the Bears defense has been looking good and there should be a lot of reason to get excited next season. Julius Peppers has been everything that he was made out to be, at least in training camp but has helped elevate the players around him especially Tommie Harris.
Harris has been looking pretty good in training camp so far after spending the past few seasons either in the doghouse or hurt and has missed a lot of training camp in the past because he has been hurt. But this has been a different training camp for Harris. He’s healthy and has been pretty quiet. Could this be a comeback year for Harris? Stay tuned.
Stay tuned for more about the Bears preseason as well as their preseason games coming up later in this blog.
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