Labor Day has passed, Chicago public schools are back in session, and we’re less than a week away from the showdown between the Bears and Packers at Soldier Field. No matter how you feel about this year’s team and their predicted record, there are some players who you should definitely keep an eye on as the season progresses.
5 Players to Watch on the Chicago Bears:
1) Kyle Long
With the departure of right tackle Jordan Mills, the Bears have a clear void on that side of the line. The frontrunner to fill it? Kyle Long, one of the Bears few bright spots last year. Long has been an absolute beast since he came on in 2013, earning a spot on the All-Rookie Team & never missing a Pro Bowl. He also earned a spot on the Second-team All-Pro roster. Still, all of this was at guard, and we haven’t really seen enough of Long at tackle to know just how dominant he’ll be there. He may be a natural, but we won’t know until he gets out there on Sundays.
2) Shea McClellin
The majority of McClellin’s professional career has been a disappointment. As a first round draft pick out of Boise State, McClellin was supposed to make an impact at defensive end. Well, that didn’t pan out, so he was moved to outside linebacker. And…well, that didn’t pan out either. To put it lightly, if he’s made any kind of splash at all, it’s been at his local rec pool.
With that being said, he’s looked much better at inside linebacker, a position he seems to be a better fit for. It should also be noted that the new regime had no problem shipping out Tim Jennings, but they held on to McClellin. And he’s starting. That says something.
3) Eddie Royal
When Royal last played with Cutler he put up a stellar line of 91 catches and 980 yards. Obviously these numbers aren’t anything to sneeze at, and with the Bears looking increasingly thin at wide receiver, Royal’s perceived role is looking bigger by the day. If Jeffery’s injury continues to linger, Kevin White is held out for the entire season, or Marquess Wilson gets banged up again, the team’s only options in the passing game are Royal, Bennett, and to a lesser degree, Forte. Expect Royal to become Cutler’s safety blanket.
4) Will Sutton
Beginning with Ray McDonald’s release and continuing with Jeremiah Ratliff’s suspension, the Bears are in desperate need of some defensive line help. The switch to a 3-4 was supposed to leave Sutton as the odd man out, but he exploded in the preseason, making play after play. Sutton was known as a pass rusher in college, yet he seems to have come on as an effective run stopper as well. Time will tell if he can keep up this level of production, but for a guy who supposed to bolster a 4-3 defense, he’s already made tremendous strides in his adjustment to a 3-4.
5) Kyle Fuller
Before a bunch of nagging injuries caught up to him last year, Kyle Fuller looked like the biggest steal of the draft. The first round pick became the first player in the NFL’s last 20 seasons to record three interceptions and two forced fumbles in the first three games of the season, quite a feat for a rookie cornerback.
After his hot start, he fell off a bit, but in his defense, so did everyone. And traditionally, star corners tend to make the jump from “eh” to “wow” in their second year. Make no mistake about Kyle’s upcoming season; it will most likely define his career.
Photo Credit: Sports Mockery
