Bear Digest

The most indispensable Chicago Bears going into season's second half

Analysis: The loss of one Bears player in particular could mean complete disaster for the team in the season's second half because of their depth situation.
Gene Chamberlain|
Caleb Williams might be coming around as a more explosive quarterback but probably doesn't qualify as one of the most indispensable Bears.
Caleb Williams might be coming around as a more explosive quarterback but probably doesn't qualify as one of the most indispensable Bears. | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

It's not a pleasant thought but the injuries suffered by the Bears over the past few weeks make it inevitable and necessary.

Because of their depth situation and the trading deadline, there are some who are indispensable.

Before the season, some players looked more indispensable than others but might be no longer. DJ Moore, for example, was vital but now the rest of the receiver group has experience. They could tolerate losing him better than earlier.

Quarterback Caleb Williams wouldn't rank among the top five. If he went out, Ben Johnson's play-calling and design would combine with Tyson Bagent's efficiency to let them put up an acceptable passing attack, although one less explosive.

Until Williams has taken total control of the Johnson offense and has more NFL experience, he's not indispensable in the short term but is for the franchise's long-term future.

Here are the five most indispensable Bears for the second half of this season ranked in order.

5. Darnell Wright

They have a right tackle replacement they are high on in Ozzy Trapilo, but Wright is coming into his own this year as a potential Pro Bowl player. His blocking proved devastating in their last win. His pass blocking has improved from slightly above average to outstanding. Turning it over to a rookie earlier when Wright had an elbow injury was a difficult situation, and Trapilo held up but manning the position and having a bulldozer there are two different things.

4. Tremaine Edmunds

If they lost their weakside/middle linebacker, a secondary already in tatters due to injuries would be losing a sort of front man. It's Edmunds' long arm and athleticism that covers up mistakes or weaknesses in the secondary when they are in zone and sometimes even in man-to-man coverage. Without Edmunds, and with T.J. Edwards' hamstring/hand injuries an issue, the Bears are an injury to Edmunds from putting their linebacker corps in the hands of totally inexperienced Noah Sewell.

3. Joe Thuney

His perfection in pass blocking has helped keep Williams clean, but also helps to settle down inexperienced left tackle Theo Benedet. Their backup guards are Ryan Bates and Luke Newman, but Bates has been more of a center/right guard than a left guard. Newman is a rookie. Playing without Thuney could be like a domino effect, with Williams at the end of the dominoes.

2. Tyrique Stevenson

Without two cornerbacks already, Stevenson becomes a key. He didn't play against Baltimore and it was the only game the Bears lost since Week 2. Without Stevenson, their cornerbacks are Nahshon Wright, Nick McCloud and C.J. Gardner-Johnson, a player with the team two weeks. They badly need Tyler Gordon back and, if possible later, Jaylon Johnson.

1. Montez Sweat

A frequent target of criticism when he wasn't getting sacks, Sweat has ended the dry spell and is playing like a key to their defensive line. Whether he can continue do this with their defensive line so depleted remains to be seen. He's going to get even more double-team blocks now after injuries to three other defensive ends. The simple truth is, the Bears are one key injury to Sweat from being in disaster mode on defense. Austin Booker has potential at the other end spot, but not as a run stopper. Sweat stops the run and rushes the passer. Booker is 245 pounds and not an exact fit for this scheme which uses edge players 260-290.

When Ryan Poles traded for Joe Tryon-Showinka at the trade deadline, he should have tried to add another edge, even to the practice squad, because numbers are low at this position. The drop in quality after Sweat is like an empty elevator shaft in a high rise.

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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.