The Chicago Bears are entering one of their most anticipated seasons in recent memory. Chicago has added a ton of talent this offseason, headlined by rookie QB Caleb Williams. The emergence of Williams, and the overall strength of the Bears' roster, has led to some huge expectations ahead of the 2024 season.
Williams has a chance to become the best passer in Chicago Bears history. He is likely to break the team's streak of not having a 4,000-yard passer. He may even do it as soon as his rookie season.
Pair that with the team's stout defense and it is understandable where the hype around Chicago came from.
However, not everyone can make the final 53-man roster. Here are three players who have struggled early in NFL training camp. They may need to ball out in preseason games if they want to earn a spot on the final roster.
Caleb Williams, passing offense struggling with interceptions at training camp practice
Okay, Caleb Williams' spot on the roster is definitely safe, so he is a weird choice to start this list. However, there has been reporting that suggests he is struggling in training camp practice.
That is an important detail to pay attention to. Williams looked phenomenal in limited action against the Buffalo Bills in his first preseason snaps, but that was a lower sample size than in practice. Training camp practice is also an environment that is tailored towards a young QB succeeding, or at least being insulated from adversity, so it is interesting to see that he's struggled in practice but performed well in one preseason game.
Specifically, the Bears offense struggled last Saturday. The offense could not score a touchdown in a two-minute drill and struggled throughout the practice.
“The offense, obviously, had its struggles today,” head coach Matt Eberflus said, per Sean Hammond of Daily Herald. “But I also said to them after the practice, ‘Guys, all three phases have to play well for us to be a good football team.’ So, there’s going to be days where the defense struggles or special teams struggles, but it’s got to be all three phases hitting on all cylinders – and we’re just not there yet.”
During the 7-on-7 portion of practice, Williams threw back-to-back interceptions over the middle of the field.
Of course, one bad day of practice does not mean the sky is falling. However, I think it can be a good reminder that Caleb Williams is still a rookie. He will have his bad days and good days.
Ultimately, we will need to see more from Williams in actual NFL games before being able to draw any conclusions.
Now, back to the players who really are in danger of being cut…
Velus Jones Jr. is on the roster bubble, considering a move to running back
Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron has confirmed that Velus Jones Jr. is getting some running back reps in the hopes that he could be used in more of a gadget role moving forward.
Reading between the lines, it seems clear that Jones Jr. needs to add more skills to his toolbelt if he wants a chance at making the final roster.
Velus Jones Jr. has not impressed throughout the beginning stages of his NFL career. He was a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and is already 27 years old. Jones Jr. has only logged 11 catches for 127 yards and one touchdown in two seasons.
Aside form Jones Jr.'s lack of previous production, his biggest problem is the talent that Chicago has invested in offensive skill-position players this offseason.
At running back, the Bears only added D'Andre Swift, but he is a pretty big addition. Swift is expected to be the primary back in a backfield that also boasts Khalil Herbert and second-year player Roschon Johnson. At best, Jones Jr. could become the RB4 for the Bears — but he would have to beat out Travis Homer for the job.
Wide receiver is even worse. DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze are the entrenched starters for the Bears. Velus Jones Jr. would have to compete for a backup role against Tyler Scott, DeAndre Carter, Dante Pettis, and Collin Johnson. Johnson made a splash in the team's first preseason game, catching two touchdowns.
It is hard to imagine a scenario where Velus Jones Jr. earns a spot on the final roster. His best bet may be earning a role as a Cordarrelle Patterson-type player who can run the ball, catch passes as a receiver, and contribute on special teams. Whether he's up to that kind of role remains to be seen.
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