Chicago Bears Depth Chart

The Chicago Bears Depth Chart has gone through a major makeover throughout the past two seasons under the direction of Ryan Pace and John Fox.

Many feel that there’s enough talent throughout the Chicago Bears Depth Chart for them to make a playoff push. They’ve done a great job rebuilding the defense, but the roster overhaul isn’t complete.

Quarterback

Starter: Jay Cutler
Backups: Brian Hoyer and David Fales

Chicago is hoping that Jay Cutler can build off the solid season he had last year under the new coaching staff. The issues is that he lost his offensive coordinator when Adam Gase took the Miami Dolphins Head Coaching job.

Adding Brian Hoyer at the backup quarterback spot was an under the radar move that could pay off at some point this season.

Running Back

Starter: Jeremy Langford
Backups: Ka’Deem Carey, Jacquizz Rodgers and Jordan Howard

Jeremy Langford had some solid performances as a rookie and will now be asked to take on a much larger role. However, expect there to be a heavy rotation that gives most of the running backs on the active roster touches.

Wide Receiver

Starters: Alshon Jeffery and Kevin White
Slot: Eddie Royal
Backups: Marquess Wilson, Marc Mariani and Daniel Braverman

Kevin White is still a bit of an unknown after missing his entire rookie season with an injury. However, he’s an elite athlete who has the potential to be a game changer. The combination of White and Alshon Jeffery has a chance to be a really dynamic duo.

Eddie Royal brings playmaking ability out of the slot, but needs to show he can stay healthy. If not, look for rookie Daniel Braverman to get work in the slot.

Tight End

Starter: Zach Miller
Backups: Khari Lee, Rob Housler and Ben Braunecker

Zach Miller had a great finish to the season last year. He showed the type of game-changing plays he can make in the passing attack. However, he has a very extensive injury history which makes him unreliable at best.

This is a bigger concern because the Bears lack talent behind Miller.

Left Tackle

Starter: Charles Leno
Backup: Nate Chandler

Chicago is making a gamble by basically handing the starting left tackle to Charles Leno. He showed flashes last year in a few starts, but the lack of competition will cause problems should he fail. However, my money is on Leno continuing to develop and playing at an acceptable level.

Left Guard

Starter: Cody Whitehair
Backup: Ted Larsen

Some had Cody Whitehair rated as a 1st round prospect which made it a surprise when the Bears were able to grab him in the 2nd round. He’s a plug-and-play rookie whose addition made the Chicago feel comfortable about letting Matt Slauson go.

Center

Starter: Hroniss Grasu
Backup: Ted Larsen

Hroniss Grasu had his share of growing pains last year and will face competition from Ted Larsen during training camp. However, the fact Chicago recently used a 3rd round pick on Grasu gives him a little breathing room.

Right Guard

Starter: Kyle Long
Backup: Ted Larsen

It’s nice to see Kyle Long back at right guard where he’s an All-Pro performer.

Right Tackle

Starter: Bobby Massie
Backup: Nate Chandler

Bobby Massie isn’t an elite player, but is more than capable of having an above-average season. His addition is what allowed the Bears to move Kyle Long back inside to guard.

3-4 Defensive End

Starters: Akiem Hicks and Jonathan Bullard
Backups: Mitch Unrein, Will Sutton, Ego Ferguson and Cornelius Washington

Akiem Hicks is a big and powerful defender who raised his level of play after being traded to the New England Patriots last season. Rookie Jonathan Bullard will get a chance to earn a starting role in training camp.

Bullard is a nice complement to the others on the defensive line because he’s more explosive and does a good job getting into the backfield.

Nose Tackle

Starter: Eddie Goldman
Backups: Terry Williams and Ego Ferguson

Eddie Goldman had a terrific rookie season and has established himself as a building block for the future.

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3-4 Outside Linebacker

Starters: Pernell McPhee and Willie Young
Backups: Lamarr Houston, Leonard Floyd and Sam Acho

Chicago has a lot of options at the outside linebacker spot thanks to emergence of Willie Young and Lamarr Houston late last season. Top-pick, Leonard Floyd, will also see plenty of action in hopes that his explosiveness can generate pressure on the quarterback.

Inside Linebacker

Starters: Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman
Backups: Nick Kwiatkoski, John Timu and Christian Jones

Last season, the inside linebacker position was the weakness of the defense. This year it will be the strength thanks to the free agent additions of Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman. The Bears also added some nice depth with rookie Nick Kwiatkoski.

Cornerback

Starters: Kyle Fuller and Tracy Porter
Nickelback: Bryce Callahan
Backups: Sherrick McManis, Deiondre’ Hall and Jacoby Glenn

This is the position group that swings the defense from a major success to a failure. Kyle Fuller has plenty of talent, but has been highly inconsistent. Tracy Porter played well late last year, but has bounced around the league.

Safety

Starters: Adrian Amos and Harold Jones-Quartey
Backups: Omar Bolden, Deon Bush and DeAndre Houston-Carson

Adrian Amos’ strong rookie season has earned him a starting safety spot for at least the immediate future. The other starting job will be an open competition during training camp with the several candidates in the mix.

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