Nine Bears Points of Preseason Interest

Roster cuts come in phases this year as a result of the pandemic and an agreement between the NFL and its players association.

The second cuts are due on Tuesday as five more players must go, and then the final 27 must be cut by the Tuesday following the final preseason game.

Bears on the roster bubble need to keep this in mind as they head into Saturday's game with Buffalo.

The team is still in the roster-building business at this point even if everyone is excited about quarterback Justin Fields.

"Yeah, that's always the challenge towards the end," Bears coach Matt Nagy said. "And now with the way they have you reducing the roster every week instead of one big chop, there's a little bit of a science to it and a feel to it.

"And also you have the other guys that get cut, there might be somebody out there (another team cut) that you like that you've got to keep an eye on that."

Cuts often become evident by the end of preseason, but not in all cases.

"But Day 1 when we got here the goal was to have competition and make it hard on us (to make cuts)," Nagy said. "And so far, I think we have that.

"And if we're cuttin' good guys because we can't keep them, then we're doing the right thing."

The final preseason game promises to have more starters see action than in the past because there now is a longer period before the regular season, two full weeks after the fourth preseason game was eliminated.

Here are nine points to watch in Saturday's noon Bears game against Mitchell Trubisky and the Bills, with roster cuts in mind and better offensive production necessary.

1. Georgia Bulldogs connection

It's getting late in the game now for the former Georgia Bulldog receivers, Javon Wims and Riley Ridley. When they should be making plays, they were making penalties last week. They both had false starts. In theory, Wims should be able to help as a punt gunner and receiver. Ridley really needs to make a statement. He had a practice early in the week with drops on back-to-back passes but did have another practice with a trio of nice catches in a short span. Without much special teams experience, Ridley must make big plays on offense.

2. Can't anyone here cover a punt?

Allowing a 14.9-yard average against Miami for seven punts is about as bad as it gets for coverage, even if it is preseason. They need to find someone who can play on punt coverage, gunners or otherwise.

"Oh, that's an area that we gotta get cleaned up," special teams coordinator Chris Tabor said this week. "Hopefully we see an improvement from first game to second game. I think you always do. Just things, come into balance out in open space, but it was good to evaluate guys out in open space. So, looking to improve there, is a big point of emphasis (this week) and we'll see if that pays dividends on Saturday."

3. More line push early

Run blocking was sufficient from the first team last week for 3-yard gains but that's about it. If they're going to risk David Montgomery on the field with the first-team offensive line in preseason, at least the blockers should give him a chance to do something without being hit.

4. Tighter slot cornerback coverage

Duke Shelley made one nice pass breakup last week but by and large the short-to-middle interior of the Bears pass defense struggled in the first half against Miami. They must close this down. Shelley makes tackles well but doesn't make enough plays on the ball. Shelley is the one they're counting on as Thomas Graham Jr. has been operating at a lower, more elementary level throughout camp. None of the veterans tested in the slot, like Marqui Christian and DeAndre Houston-Carson, have stuck there for more than a few plays.

5. Larry Borom stands his ground

They might need this more than anything else. Jason Peters could be the stop-gap left tackle but at 38 years old last year he missed half the Eagles' season with two separate stints on injured reserve. This is what happens to old players. Their bodies break down. So Borom would need to be ready, unless Elijah Wilkinson proves he can do something he's never done and move over to left tackle effectively.

6. Cole Kmet downfield at ground level

All offseason tight end Cole Kmet talked about getting open downfield more and in the first preseason action he made one 3-yard catch, then went airborne for some reason as he tried to get past tacklers. Jimmy Graham is the tight end who can fly but he does it in an airplane. Kmet needs to be on the ground and downfield catching passes the way newly acquired Jesse James has done.

7. Justin Fields in the pocket

From our emperor has no clothes department, upon further review Fields was not nearly as good as everyone made him out to be. He got 17 points and he can only play against who was out there against him, but they were third-teamers in the second half and he did almost all his damage using his legs. That won't hold up against first-team defenses. He'll need to be better in the pocket. His best pass from the pocket was one Rodney Adams plucked off a defender's helmet in a jump ball situation that the Bears had no business winning. Fields' numbers were better than they should have been. Time to play big-boy football from inside the pocket.

8. First-team receiver success

Allen Robinson usually works quietly at his craft in training camp and preseason and every once in a while you see something spectacular from him. This is as it should be, for the great plays need to count. But Robinson actually dropped a pass at practice this week. There was a collective gasp from the stands. It would be helpful for Dalton and the first-team offense to get some throws out to Robinson and Darnell Mooney. Last week Mooney got targeted once. Also, they need to see what a healthier Marquise Goodwin can do. He was practicing all week and should be ready to play.

9. First down for Andy Dalton

The first-team offense took a pass on last week, or at least it seemed that way. They didn't have a first down on either possession.

Dalton needs to work the passing game to get better timing with the receivers than they can establish in training camp practices when there is no contact and often no pads.

"Our offense needs to come out and perform better and move the ball and score points earlier in the game," Bears offensive coordinator Bill Lazor said. "That would be my goal. What I need to see. That's what I need to see and Andy is going to do that for us."

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