The Chicago Bears will battle the Cleveland Browns in their preseason finale on Saturday, where Chicago’s starters will see significant action.
The starters will play for the first half, and players further down the roster still have one last chance to make a push for a roster spot.
Heading into the final week of the preseason, there are still several position battles to monitor. Whether it’s for starting jobs or roster spots, there’s a lot on the line for these players.
As the Bears prepare for their preseason finale, we’re taking a look at five position battles that we’ll be keeping an eye on.
1
Offensive line
While the offensive line appears to have solidified over the last week, head coach Matt Eberflus said that there are still jobs on the line. Braxton Jones, Cody Whitehair and injured Lucas Patrick appear to be locks at left tackle, left guard and center. But it sounds like nothing’s promised on the right side of the offensive line, where Teven Jenkins and Larry Borom are the current favorites to start at right guard and right tackle. Both Jenkins and Borom need strong performances in the preseason finale to secure their starting roles over veterans Michael Schofield and Riley Reiff.
2
Wide receiver
The receiver room has been wide open since the start of the summer, where Darnell Mooney is the only proven commodity. And given injuries at the position, there have been a number of under-the-radar players who have seen opportunities. Now, they have one last chance to prove themselves. Unfortunately, there are a number of wide receivers who are sidelined with injuries who won’t be playing in this game, including rookie Velus Jones Jr., Byron Pringle, N’Keal Harry and Tajae Sharpe. But perhaps there are opportunities for players like Dante Pettis and Isaiah Coulter to make a strong impression and sneak in as one of those final roster spots.
3
Cornerback
Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon are locks at cornerback, but Saturday’s finale presents a chance for others to solidify a roster spot or starting job. Assuming Gordon gets another look at nickel cornerback in the finale, we should get our first glimpse at the potential starting trio of Johnson, Gordon and Kindle Vildor. There are also roster spots up for grabs, although it certainly appears Tavon Young, Thomas Graham Jr. and Jaylon Jones will be sidelined with injuries. That presents a big opportunity for guys like Lamar Jackson and Davontae Harris to make a push for a roster spot.
4
Defensive line
There’s at least one roster spot up for grabs along the interior of the defensive line. Justin Jones is a sure lock while Angelo Blackson and Khyiris Tonga are safe bets to make the roster. Mario Edwards is listed as a defensive end, although he can also play defensive tackle. So there should be at least one job up for grabs, which looks like it’ll come down between preseason stud Trevon Coley, veteran Mike Pennel and undrafted rookie Micah Dew-Treadway. They all have one last chance to make a push for what’s likely one roster spot.
5
Linebacker
Roquan Smith and Nicholas Morrow are the only true locks at linebacker, although it’s easy to try and predict what the rest of the presumptive five-man linebacker group will look like. Matt Adams and Joe Thomas appear to be safe bets to make the roster, and they’re both vying for that starting SAM spot. Undrafted rookie Jack Sanborn should also make the roster following some impressive preseason performances, and he has one last shot to prove why he’s deserving of a roster spot in Saturday’s finale. But don’t count out someone like Caleb Johnson, who’s also proven to be a valuable special teams contributor.
