For Bears fans, training camp signifies the unofficial start to the NFL season as players and coaches make their way down interstate 57 to Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, IL to begin gearing up for the upcoming regular season.
But for the players participating in camp, it’s a job interview as rosters will be trimmed from 90 to 53 by the time the preseason wraps up in late August.
The 2019 squad is one of the deepest Bears teams in recent memory, meaning some talented players will be without a job in a month and a half. Here are eight veteran players who have a lot to prove this summer to secure a spot on the 53 man roster.
Ryan Nall, RB
One of the darlings of the 2018 preseason after rushing for 223 yards on 32 carries, Nall spent all of the regular season on the practice squad, unable to secure a spot on the active roster behind Jordan Howard, Tarik Cohen, Benny Cunningham, and Taquan Mizzell.
Howard and Cunningham are now gone and Mizzell made the transition to receiver earlier this offseason, but they have been replaced by rookies David Montgomery and Kerrith Whyte, and free-agent acquisition Mike Davis.
Cohen, Montgomery, and Davis are all locks to make the final cut, with Whyte likely looking to find a home on special teams. Cordarralle Patterson, signed from the New England Patriots, will also factor in at the position, even though he’s listed as a wide receiver. This leaves Nall to battle with Whyte for the final spot.
Marvin Hall, WR
Hall was one of the standouts during offseason activities earlier this spring, flashing his speed and abilities that earned him a free agent contract with the Bears following two seasons with the Falcons. But he joins a crowded wide receiver corps where he may be the odd man out.
Although Hall brings a deep-threat ability to the Bears, something they were lacking in 2018, they added other options that can do the same with Cordarrelle Patterson and undrafted free agent WR Emanuel Hall. With the news of Emanuel avoiding the physically unable to perform list (PUP) after undergoing surgery for a sports hernia in June, Hall’s chances to make the roster took a hit.
He could land as a special teams gunner, replacing Josh Bellamy, but the back end of the receiver depth chart is up in the air as of now.
Taquan Mizzell, WR
Speaking of wide receivers, Mizzell made the switch from running back to wide receiver during the offseason, but his chances to make the 53-man roster may have actually decreased with all of the players ahead of him in the wide receiver group.
Mizzell played nine games in 2018, but saw limited playing time on offense and primarily served as a return specialist, putting up an uninspiring 15.1 yards per return. The Bears brought in plenty of help for that department, meaning Mizzell’s days in the blue and orange could be at an end.
Jonathan Bullard, DE
Three seasons and 46 games into his career, Jonathan Bullard has failed to live up to expectations and goes into training camp with no guarantees of a roster spot. While he’s remained healthy (playing in all 16 games each of the last two seasons), Bullard has only registered 62 tackles and two sacks. He’s failed to make an impact in former Bears Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio’s defense and will now need to shine in current Defensive Coordinator Chuck Pagano’s system.
As of now, the team doesn’t have great depth at defensive end, which plays in Bullard’s favor, but the clock is ticking on this former sleeper.
Nick Williams, DE
Williams, a journeyman who signed with the Bears prior to 2018. He saw very limited in action last season but signed a second contract with the team during free agency earlier in the spring.
Williams does provide versatility on the defensive line, able to line up as a nose tackle or an end in a 3-4 defense, but played behind Bullard, Akiem Hicks and Bilal Nichols all last season. The Bears could look to keep him as a rotational piece who can line up inside or outside.
Kylie Fitts, OLB
Prior to the arrival of Khalil Mack, Fitts had experts buzzing about his potential and fit in the Bears defense. He flashed numerous times as an edge rusher while attending the University of Utah, but injuries caused him to fall to the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft, where the Bears selected him.
Fitts, though, saw limited snaps (58) and appeared in six games. When he saw action late in the season, Fitts showed the athleticism teams covet but remains far behind in the depth chart heading into training camp. He’ll get his shot to deliver more results, but will he be to fight off players such as Isaiah Irving and Canadian star Mathieu Betts?
John Franklin III and Michael Joseph, CB
Franklin and Joseph are both candidates for this spot. Both overcame long odds to make the team in 2018 as rookies, Franklin being featured in the Netflix docuseries Last Chance U while still in school, Joseph playing at the University of Dubuque, a Division III school with very little fanfare.
Both players spent 2018 on the practice squad, but one may have a shot to land on the 53-man roster.
Franklin, a speedster, is relatively new to the cornerback position but is adapting much better in his second season in the pros. Joseph, on the other hand, has played corner his whole life, but was undersized and didn’t draw interest from the top schools. He and Franklin both got their shot in the spring of 2018 and both are working to stick with the Bears moving forward.
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