Sammich
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Offensive line cohesion
The Bears’ offensive line hasn’t been able to perform up to its full potential over the last few seasons because of how many changes the team made up front, most often do to injury.
With James Daniels in to replace Josh Sitton, Chicago has its five starters more-or-less figured out. But even there, Daniels is practicing at both guard and center with some chance to push Cody Whitehair to the left side.
The Bears need to get their starting five in place as soon as possible so all five players can get used to playing next to each other and build that valuable chemistry for the season.
The longer an offensive line plays together in the same positions, the better their communication and cohesion becomes.
To give Mitchell Trubisky the best pass protection and Jordan Howard the best run blocking, Daniels and Whitehair need lock into positions and bring the whole offensive line together.
Pass rushing
Vic Fangio is lacking proven pass rushers heading into training camp.
Right now, Sam Acho and Leonard Floyd sit as the team’s two top outside linebackers, with Aaron Lynch set to contribute in a significant role — if he can stay healthy.
Last season, Acho and Floyd held down the spots for the most part while Pernell McPhee and Willie Young were sidelined with injuries. Akiem Hicks had to provide the primary pass rush to keep the defense functioning.
The Bears need Floyd to take the next step and become a more consistent rusher now entering his third season.
Lynch also needs to get back to the level of production he showed in the first two years of his career working with Fangio.
If not, this defense could struggle to get after the quarterback and make things that much more difficult for the secondary to hold up in coverage.
Mitchell Trubisky’s chemistry with his receivers
The overhaul of the Bears’ receiving corps was much needed, but the number of moving parts can make it difficult for a young quarterback to get on the same page with his new weapons.
Trubisky’s top three wide receivers are all new to the team and the offense, and he’s still getting used to his new pass-catching tight end too.
It takes a lot of repetitions for a quarterback to nail down the timing with his receivers when it comes to more complicated routes and the nuance of some plays.
Often times, the timing of his steps on his dropback is supposed to correspond with the breaks on the routes of the receiver, and it takes a lot of time to sync them up.
Trubisky has to learn how long it takes Allen Robinson to get to the sideline on “out” routes so he knows how early to release the ball.
He needs to know how quickly Trey Burton turns around on his “curl” routes to get the ball out as quick as possible.
And it’s going to take a bit of practice to get used to Taylor Gabriel’s speed on the deep ball to make sure Trubisky doesn’t under- or over-throw him.
Other than the running backs, the young quarterback doesn’t have a familiar weapon that he can call on in a pinch, so it’s critical that he spends as much time as possible with his new receivers.
-Lorin Cox - Bears Wire
The Bears’ offensive line hasn’t been able to perform up to its full potential over the last few seasons because of how many changes the team made up front, most often do to injury.
With James Daniels in to replace Josh Sitton, Chicago has its five starters more-or-less figured out. But even there, Daniels is practicing at both guard and center with some chance to push Cody Whitehair to the left side.
The Bears need to get their starting five in place as soon as possible so all five players can get used to playing next to each other and build that valuable chemistry for the season.
The longer an offensive line plays together in the same positions, the better their communication and cohesion becomes.
To give Mitchell Trubisky the best pass protection and Jordan Howard the best run blocking, Daniels and Whitehair need lock into positions and bring the whole offensive line together.
Pass rushing
Vic Fangio is lacking proven pass rushers heading into training camp.
Right now, Sam Acho and Leonard Floyd sit as the team’s two top outside linebackers, with Aaron Lynch set to contribute in a significant role — if he can stay healthy.
Last season, Acho and Floyd held down the spots for the most part while Pernell McPhee and Willie Young were sidelined with injuries. Akiem Hicks had to provide the primary pass rush to keep the defense functioning.
The Bears need Floyd to take the next step and become a more consistent rusher now entering his third season.
Lynch also needs to get back to the level of production he showed in the first two years of his career working with Fangio.
If not, this defense could struggle to get after the quarterback and make things that much more difficult for the secondary to hold up in coverage.
Mitchell Trubisky’s chemistry with his receivers
The overhaul of the Bears’ receiving corps was much needed, but the number of moving parts can make it difficult for a young quarterback to get on the same page with his new weapons.
Trubisky’s top three wide receivers are all new to the team and the offense, and he’s still getting used to his new pass-catching tight end too.
It takes a lot of repetitions for a quarterback to nail down the timing with his receivers when it comes to more complicated routes and the nuance of some plays.
Often times, the timing of his steps on his dropback is supposed to correspond with the breaks on the routes of the receiver, and it takes a lot of time to sync them up.
Trubisky has to learn how long it takes Allen Robinson to get to the sideline on “out” routes so he knows how early to release the ball.
He needs to know how quickly Trey Burton turns around on his “curl” routes to get the ball out as quick as possible.
And it’s going to take a bit of practice to get used to Taylor Gabriel’s speed on the deep ball to make sure Trubisky doesn’t under- or over-throw him.
Other than the running backs, the young quarterback doesn’t have a familiar weapon that he can call on in a pinch, so it’s critical that he spends as much time as possible with his new receivers.
-Lorin Cox - Bears Wire
