One Position Requires a Camp Battle to Decide

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The Bears arrive at training camp with five undecided position situations, the specialist niche role of long snapper aside.

Only one of those could be considered so undecided. and with consequences so high as to make them happy they don’t have to name the starter right now.

A process of elimination makes it apparent which of the position battles is the one they’re glad they don’t have to decide.

The Top Undecided Bears Starting Position Battles

Strong Safety

Rookie safety Dillon Thieneman moved between starters and backups at minicamp. The competition for the starting strong safety is isn’t a battle where the Bears need more time to consider it. Thieneman is a rookie and it’s always protocol to keep rookies in their place at the outset of camp. Realistically, though, Thieneman has to be their starter because he was a first-round pick, and their starting option behind him is Elijah Hicks. We know the likely outcome here. Thieneman takes over this starting strong safety spot quickly.

Left Tackle

It’s not left tackle because Braxton Jones shouldn’t even be questioned as their starter. He started 30 games for them with above-average blocking grades for the position, according to Pro Football Focus, and actually was graded better as a rookie than last year’s rookie fill-in starter Ozzy Trapilo. It was recovery from an ankle surgery that led to Jones losing his job last year. He’s a year healthier and the ankle situation is in his past, while he has received praise for his conditioning from veteran teammates like Jonah Jackson.

The Bears know they won’t get Trapilo back until late in the year if at all, and a competition with Jedrick Wills Jr. can’t really be anticipated. This is a player who was out of the NFL last year and comes from another team after he had a terrible knee injury. He didn’t have blocking grades that ever approached those Jones had.

The real Bears worry here should be what they do if they lose Jones again and not if he wins the job. Then they’d be turning to Theo Benedet, whose abilities they questioned so much they moved Joe Thuney grom guard to tackle in the playoffs.

Cornerback

The question at cornerback is not so much Tyrique Stevenson or rookie Malik Muhammad, but whether Stevenson comes out at camp in a more mature state and focused. A fourth-round cornerback shouldn’t be able to beat out a second-round veteran starter and it’s not essential this happens if Stevenson is somewhat more consistent at limiting big plays. What’s important for Muhammad is to learn this year and be ready to take over either later in the year or next year when Stevenson’s contract has expired.

Center

Nor is the starting center position one they are glad they don’t need the answer to right now.

It’s Garrett Bradbury until they’re certain Logan Jones is at a level sufficient to take over as starter. It won’t be Day 1 of training camp. Bradbury started for a Super Bowl team last year. He’s not a liability even if it’s often suggested by analysts he is merely at a journeyman level. This was said of Coleman Shelton when he was leaving the Bears after 2024 and he ended up 13th overall in PFF blocking grade among centers for the Rams.

The Position That Camp Will Decide: Defensive End on the right side

The one starting position the Bears have to be happy they don’t need to answer right now is at defensive end on the right side.

Here’s why it’s the defensive end situation and not so much a battle, where the Bears are not yet ready to settle in on their starter.

1. Austin Booker’s limitations

Booker came on strong in the second half of last season but he is not the ideal fit for this defensive scheme. He is well suited to come off the bench in pass rush situations and terrorize quarterbacks like he did with Jordan Love late last season, but on a starting basis his lack of size at 245 pounds is a detriment in Dennis Allen’s scheme. A more stout end is required on that side to start and play most of the snaps. Booker could develop into an exceptional pass rusher and showed flashes of this with 4 1/2 sacks in his last six games, but he wasn’t there yet and remains undersized for the scheme.

Booker could eventually emerge as an ideal edge if he adds weight and muscle with maturity. He’s only 23 years old in his third season. He probably isn’t there yet physically for this scheme.

2. Dayo Odeyingbo’s injury

The Bears expected Odeyingbo to be the starter as a bigger defensive end with pass rush ability, but the Achilles tendon tear he suffered in Week 9 kept him from improving on a slow start as a member of the Chicago defensive line. In OTAs and minicamp, Odeyingbo was able to practice and that could indicate he is ahead of schedule to return. They can use the full six weeks before the regular season begins to assess how close to 100% speed Odeyingbo is and whether they need to keep starting Booker at the position ahead of him.

Starting Odeyingbo ahead of Booker is preferred by the defensive braintrust because of run-stopping ability on first downs. Supposedly Odeyingbo’s strength is being stout, as a 282-pound edge. However, his run-stopping grades by PFF at Indianapolis left much to be desired. Still, this was their plan and why GM Ryan Poles signed Odeyingbo.

3. Adding another edge

The main reason they have to be happy they don’t need an answer at the edge now is the possibility they could add someone who might even be a starter. There is still the chance of trades for Josh Sweat or Maxx Crosby as well as the availability of free agents Jadeveon Clowney and Nick Bosa. Players of that level would most likely come in and be starters. If the Bears determined at training camp that Odeyingbo requires a bit more rehab, they could lean to making a move.

It’s most likely they’ll need to analyze several padded practices to a week’s worth before they can be certain about Odeyingbo. Pads can come on in the fourth practice and they can wear them for 16 practices at training camp, so they should be able to get a good look. They may need to even look at him against Cleveland in the preseason opener first, too.

4. Odeyingbo’s cap hit

They didn’t acquire Odeyingbo to use situationally. He has the fourth-highest cap hit on the team for this season at $20.5 million. If he’s healthy and 100%, they’ll feel he needs to start. Teams don’t sign $20 million run-stopping edges.

It’s not a situation where they can simply cut him this year because of the $20 million dead cap hit they would take if they did it. This is a player who must play the role they brought him in to fill if at all possible. They need every minute of training camp to get him ready to fill it.

5. Roster cuts

Beyond these key reasons, there are always roster cuts by other teams to wait for to see if someone who isn’t available now would be later at this position.

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