Ten Who Must Show Improvement Or Take Charge Again

[soulman]

Quarterbacks Rank High But They're Not Alone

Originally posted on FanNation Bear Digest
By Gene Chamberlain  |  Last updated 5/23/21

Every season in the NFL is a proving ground.

Players change teams, some come back from injuries, some retire.

Change is inevitable and it leads to players trying to prove something.

For some, it's simply showing they can play in the NFL.

Ryan Pace's plan for putting the Bears back into the playoffs and in a more commanding position this season included alterations at numerous spots and left players in positions where they have to prove themselves.

Then there are players who must prove they can still play after a steep decline.

Here are the 10 Bears with the most to prove in 2021 as the Bears get set for their OTA work at the beginning of June.

10. Eddie Jackson

After his $58.4 million payday, Jackson went through his first season without an interception, allowed 67.4% completions when targeted — the first time he'd been over 53.5% — and had a passer rating against when targeted of 110.1, almost double his previous high. Jackson may have been the victim of circumstance more than anything. The Bears had to count on him to do things running contrary to his strengths. A ballhawk, he instead had to make too many tackles in the running game as the run defense faltered. Jackson had to make a career-high 82 tackles, 22 more than in 2019 and 31 more than in 2018 when he dominated in an All-Pro season with six interceptions.

 

9. James Daniels

It's a contract year for a player who might be changing positions. Daniels has played only one full season in his first three, missed 11 games last year with a torn pectoral muscle and has been above average but not convincing. He downright failed as a center in 2019 and was put back at left guard. At 305 pounds, he seems a bit undersized now for the type of line the Bear look like they're building with behemoths like Teven Jenkins, Larry Borom, Germain Ifedi and Elijah Wilkinson now in the fold.

8. Duke Shelley

He'll get first crack at the vital slot cornerback position and then they'll look at Kindle Vildor and Thomas Graham Jr. At 5-foot-8, 183, he's really too small to be anything but a slot cornerback in the Bears secondary and so far he's barely been tested. When he has, it hasn't been a smashing success. Shelley got targeted 20 times after he replaced injured Buster Skrine last year and allowed 16 completions, per Pro Football Reference. That's 80% completions. His passer rating against was 118.1. This is a starting position and the Bears are without anyone experienced playing it so it's up to Shelley to take the spot or leave it for Vildor or Graham.

 

7. Teven Jenkins

No one on the team has started an NFL game at left tackle. If Jenkins can't do it as a rookie, they're in a lot of trouble. That's pressure. Second-round picks at tackle usually can do this. Six out of seven tackles taken in the second round or higher in the NFL Draft became starters last year. It's a huge responsibility for a player coming out of college and started only seven games at this position.

 

6. Anthony Miller

To some, Miller might have the most to prove but all he did was get in fight in the playoffs and then get ejected on a day when they already were without their second-best receiver, Darnell Mooney. That's all. The problem is, there is nothing Miller can do to change that part of his past. He is now in a contract year and has to prove he is the receiver who seemed to be rising in 2019 when he had 52 receptions and improved his catch total by 19, rather than the inconsistent receiver who had 49 receptions with a dip in yards per catch from 12.6 to 9.9 last year.

 

5. Danny Trevathan

At 31, he's supposed to be the field general for the defense and is coming off easily his worst season in Chicago. Never a huge asset in the passing game, Trevathan struggled also against the run through the first five or six games last year. He rebounded to a degree down the stretch and assistant coaches suggested an injury was involved earlier, but no one cited a specific situation. Trevathan wasn't on the injury report then. He was graded 76th out of 83 linebackers in the NFL by Pro Football Focus, with a career-worst 39.9 rating.

4. Andy Dalton

Very few besides Pace, coach Matt Nagy and the staff expect Dalton to seize the starting spot and run off with it by leading the team to the playoffs. So, in one sense the pressure is off of him. Still, he's the starting quarterback and has been given the responsibility without winning it. He'll turn 34 this season, and hasn't been able to consistently get the ball downfield in four years. He hasn't been over 7.0 yards per pass attempt since 2016. And then there is the fact he's coming to his third team in three years.

 

"He's essentially like a rookie as well," Nagy said, referring to Dalton's inexperience with this offense.

Unlike Nick Foles last year, Dalton hasn't been in the Kansas City/Andy Reid offense in the past. He has to learn the offense from scratch as much as Justin Fields must learn it. This is all a lot to ask.

3. Justin Fields

The entire city is waiting and has placed him on a pedestal, which is enough pressure for any rookie. He's not just a quarterback, but a savior. The one thing keeping Fields from being No. 1 on this list is he'll be given time to get adjusted to a new level of play, a new offense. So the pressure might not be as great. Still, much is eventually expected.

 

2. Desmond Trufant

The only position in the offseason where the Bears did not improve is cornerback. They didn't improve at slot cornerback because they brought in only a late-round rookie who could play there. And they dropped significantly at left cornerback when they lost a 30-year-old two-time Pro Bowl player and replaced him with Trufant, who will be 31 this season and has had only two seasons in the last five without significant time missed due to injuries. Only quarterbacks have more pressure on them than cornerbacks in the NFL. They can cost the team a game in an instant. The Bears chose to let Kyle Fuller leave instead of looking for other possible ways to rectify their salary cap situation. Trufant has to prove they weren't throwing away their season over cash.

 

1. Robert Quinn

No one can expect to take $70 million, including 33 million guaranteed, make two sacks and six quarterback hits but play in 15 games, and then step to the next year without pressure. There is no one on the roster who needs to prove himself more than the veteran edge rusher, who looked unable to finish a sack almost all of last season. Big plays are expected weekly for that kind of cash. Signing Quinn cost the Bears the chance to keep Fuller this year. It very nearly cost them the chance to keep Akiem Hicks. Quinn had better be worth it.

[dll2000]

Good list.

Burns and Robeson can be added to list.

Dalton may have least amount of pressure.   He is a sacrificial lamb.    He just needs to play well enough to keep getting back up gigs for a bit.   

Better if he doesn't play at all.   If I was him I would push Nagy to start Fields right away.  Subtly with compliments and offhand comments about Fields.   Maybe a tweaked ankle or bad back for week to let Fields can some good reps in.

If he doesn't play and look bad, he can keep getting checks for another 5 years without getting hit.

 

 

 

[soulman]

1 hour ago, dll2000 said:

If he doesn't play and look bad, he can keep getting checks for another 5 years without getting hit.

Like Wally in the Dilbert comic strip.  He never does anything but somehow always collects a paycheck.

[abstract_thought]

Replace Daniels and Jenkins with literally the entire OL. Mustipher was solid but is very unproven. Ifedi is up-and-down and has always seemed better at OG.

The QB, OL, secondary, and STs are the biggest question marks for this team IMO.

[soulman]

If I could pick just one guy on that list whose in his make or break year it's Anthony Miller.  That kid has exceptional talent but with his attitude and cockiness he's been a world class underachiever.   Damiere Byrd is significant enough competition that if Miller doesn't show up strong in camp and preseason he's gonna find himself on the trade block again.

[MonserinNC]

Dalton should be completely off this list, just a guy I dont even think we sign if we knew we would get Fields. We would have just used Foles as the placeholder. He has nothing to prove, wont improve....kind of just whatever

Trevathan is a bit the same, older player  who will probably be out next year anyway

Agree on everybody else

[dll2000]

I fell asleep watching Daniels in game 1 last night.

He had some awful efforts in first quarter and just a couple nice blocks before I fell asleep.

There was one rep that I wish I could have quick recorded on xbox and posted here.   It was crazy comical and/or tragic.   Leno and Daniels just both completely whiffed on blocks - Leno missed one guy and Daniels somehow completely missed two guys.  

I swear these guys are lucky I am not their O line coach.  Or maybe I am lucky because they would murder me.   But they would be hearing from me on Mondays.  We would watch these reps over and over and over.   

I seem to recall he had a nice start to season.  Maybe he picked it up later.   This is very small sample size.  

[dll2000]

2 hours ago, MonserinNC said:

Dalton should be completely off this list, just a guy I dont even think we sign if we knew we would get Fields. We would have just used Foles as the placeholder. He has nothing to prove, wont improve....kind of just whatever

Trevathan is a bit the same, older player  who will probably be out next year anyway

Agree on everybody else

Yeah, but if Trevathan wets bed again early he probably gets the hook this time around.

They aren't going to wait 8 games or so for him to play himself into football shape.  

 

[WindyCity]

Here is my list in terms of the season going well

1. Fields, obviously

2. Jenkins, has a big impact on 1

3. Vildor/Trufant, you cannot have a CB 2 that can be picked on.

4. Cole Kmet, we need a consistent threat at TE

5. Ifedi, I expect the interior OL will be solid.

 

In terms of the future and building the team 

1. Fields and Jenkins

2. Vildor, if he could lock it down my god that is stealing money.

3. James Daniels and Mustipher, is the interior set long term?

4. Trevis Gipson, Quinn is a write off

5. Kmet

[WindyCity]

13 hours ago, soulman said:

If I could pick just one guy on that list whose in his make or break year it's Anthony Miller.  That kid has exceptional talent but with his attitude and cockiness he's been a world class underachiever.   Damiere Byrd is significant enough competition that if Miller doesn't show up strong in camp and preseason he's gonna find himself on the trade block again.

Even if he breaks out do you think they will trust him enough to pay him?

For me it would be any of the OLmen.

[soulman]

1 hour ago, WindyCity said:

Even if he breaks out do you think they will trust him enough to pay him?

For me it would be any of the OLmen.

I dunno but I do trust Mike Furrey to have a ton of input regarding it.

[WindyCity]

1 hour ago, soulman said:

I dunno but I do trust Mike Furrey to have a ton of input regarding it.

That is probably not good for Miller. Furrey seems to slag Miller any time there is a mic near by.

[soulman]

23 minutes ago, WindyCity said:

That is probably not good for Miller. Furrey seems to slag Miller any time there is a mic near by.

It's probably a combination or raw honesty and an attempt at motivation.  Miller's main issue is he's lacking in the "coachable" dept. and that's enough to make any assistant coach annoyed.

[dll2000]

16 minutes ago, soulman said:

It's probably a combination or raw honesty and an attempt at motivation.  Miller's main issue is he's lacking in the "coachable" dept. and that's enough to make any assistant coach annoyed.

@WindyCity Might be working.  Never seen Miller as swole as he looks this year.   Maybe that is bad for a WR (see Boston), but he has been hitting gym for sure.

 

[soulman]

16 hours ago, dll2000 said:

@WindyCity Might be working.  Never seen Miller as swole as he looks this year.   Maybe that is bad for a WR (see Boston), but he has been hitting gym for sure.

 

I fear it's more of what's between his ears that needs a workout.  The kid could be one of the best WR in the NFL if he'd focus on making himself one.

Edited May 26, 2021 by soulman