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Chicago Bears to Watch in Preseason Opener Against Cleveland Browns

The first preseason game is a study in the bottom of rosters or players who rarely play in the regular season. Here are the Bears to watch out for in Saturday's opener.
Gene Chamberlain|
Tackle Kiran Amegadjie (72), offensive tackle Theo Benedet (79) and offensive lineman Logan Jones (54) all are likely to see plenty of playing time Saturday.
Tackle Kiran Amegadjie (72), offensive tackle Theo Benedet (79) and offensive lineman Logan Jones (54) all are likely to see plenty of playing time Saturday. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Chicago Bears

Quarterback Tyson Bagent is being heralded as one of the kings of preseason and he'll get his chance to shine again Saturday against Cleveland at Soldier Field.

Pro Football Focus' Daire Carragher mentions the Bears backup has a 91.1 August PFF passing grade, which means nothing to the common football follower. More specifically, Bagent does have a 100.12 preseason passer rating, has completed 83 of 123 for 874 yards with seven TDs and two interceptions. He averages a healthy 7.1 yards per attempt.

Carragher also mentions Austin Booker as one of the preseason kings, based on 6 1/2 sacks and 10 QB hits for two preseasons. That was before he became a staple on their defensive line.

Preseason games really belong to the players at or near the bottom of the 90-man roster. Particularly the first preseason game is this way.

While the likes of Caleb Williams, Booker, D'Andre Swift and others draw attention at training camp, there are different players who have been practicing with the second or third team who are more likely to leave impressions against Cleveland Saturday for the Bears.

This simply is because they are the ones who will get the most playing time. It changes week to week in preseason.

Here are the Bears most likely to leave a mark in preseason Week 1, besides Bagent.

CB Malik Muhammad

Although he's a highly thought-of fourth-round pick, he needs the playing time and likely will get some at both cornerback and slot cornerback. Muhammad hasn't really stood out to any degree at training camp other than the fact they've been using him at times with starters in the slot because of Kyler Gordon's absence, and now backup Cam Lewis' injury. Because they'll want to see him at two positions, he could get a good number of reps.

C Logan Jones

He has been operating in the quiet of the second team all camp but will get numerous reps because it's unlikely they'd give starting center Garrett Bradbury many plays, if any. Being on the field, assessing defenses and snapping all need to be done by Jones in game conditions. His lack of experience would be daunting if called into duty at this point due to injury.

TE Stephen Carlson

Their fourth tight end is still there, trying to get onto the roster after three years of doing the same and then winding up on the practice squad each time. Carlson is a solid receiver and likely target for Tyson Bagent or the other two backup QBs. History says he'll have catches. He has 12 for 127 yards in three preseasons with the Bears. While rookie third-round pick Sam Roush will get good playing time, they're not likely to want to jeopardize him too much because he'll play a vital role with the starters as a third tight end in the 13-personnel packages.

DT Jayden Loving

Both veteran defensive tackles Grady Jarrett and Neville Gallimore were singing the undrafted rookie's praises this past week. The Wake Forest product has been able to push the pocket back much the way sixth-round pick Jordan van den Berg has. Loving is going to get a huge amount of playing time based on the fact he is well down the pecking order but shows promise.

Jarrett refers to him as a "great rookie."

"I mean, he's a great, when I say he's a great rookie, I mean he just, he does things with a smile," Jarrett said. "He's eager to help and he's eager to learn and he’s just got good vibes. I mean, and also more than that, what y'all care about most, he's going to be a great player. He's super strong, super strong lower half, violent with his hands, great shoulder turn when he's able to get going.

"So I think he's going to be somebody who's definitely surprised a lot of people when these preseason games get going and he's going to represent for us really well."

DT Jordan van den Berg

Relentless in his approach and explosive, he makes mistakes in practice that sometimes leave gaps in the line but also gets good penetration during scrimmage to disrupt plays. It's a matter of time before he irons out the rookie technique issues. Expect the sixth-round pick from Georgia to play a good number of snaps early in the game but they won't overdo it. It won't be a shock if van den Berg's intensity embarrasses a few players who don't figure to make Cleveland's roster.

S Skyler Thomas

Unless an injury takes him out before Saturday, Thomas might log more reps in the game than anyone. He had some first-team reps for a while when Coby Bryant first suffered his knee injury, with veterans Elijah Hicks out all camp so far, and Cam Lewis also injured. The undrafted rookie from Oregon State has good height for a safety, at 6-foot-2, and is 191 pounds. Thomas had three interceptions and 14 pass breakups at Oregon State.

Watching an undrafted safety trying to find a way onto the roster might not be the most captivating narrative for Bears fans to follow, but he's going to be out there again, and again, and again simply because of their lack of numbers at the position.

RB Salvon Ahmed

The former Dolphins back will split most of the carries with Coleman Bennett and Brittain Brown in the final three quarters. In camp, he has shown very quick feet and good hands in the screen game. What he also shows is an overwillingness to cut back runs without letting the blocking scheme develop. He wants to bust everything to the outside. This is understandable considering he's a 196-pound back.

DL James Lynch


The Bears acquired Lynch after signing Neville Gallimore and Kentavius Street, and drafting Jordan van den Berg. He's an experienced extra defensive tackle but has been a defensive end in a 3-4 the last three seasons he played with Tennessee and Minnesota. He did play in a 4-3 earlier under Mike Zimmer for two seasons in Minnesota. He is probably undersized for the interior in a 4-3 at 295. Curiously, the Bears have been lining him up both at defensive end in the 4-3, and inside. How they use him and where will be interesting in this game. He'll get more reps than their starting defensive linemen because it is the first preseason game and because he rates behind players like Gallimore and Street on the depth chart.

T Kiran Amegadjie

A familiar name for everyone now in his third year after being taken in Round 3, the Hinsdale native has been splitting time with Jedrick Wills Jr. at left tackle after the injury to Braxton Jones. Earlier in his career, he struggled greatly against NFL competition after coming out of Yale. In this camp, his previous problems have been largely undetectable. Then again this will be real live contact and hitting. So it will be interesting to see how he holds up. More will be known and he'll get a length bit of time in the game to prove himself.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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