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Which Chicago Bears have the most incentive to finish strong?

From Gould to linebackers to running backs, a look at Bears with incentive to play well

Everyone has some incentive in the Bears' last three games, but certain players have a special interest in finishing strong.

Most of the unrestricted free agents the Bears signed in the off-season received one-year, make-good deals. They bet on themselves, gambling that a big year would set them up for a more lucrative, long-term deal — if not with the Bears, then with one of the other 31 NFL teams.

Eight rookies have started at least one game for the Bears. Second-round nose tackle Eddie Goldman and fifth-round safety Adrian Amos have started a combined 23 games and probably have jobs secured for next season. The rest must continue to improve to be considered for the starting lineup in 2016, or maybe even the 53-man roster.

Then there are veterans who are making a lot of money and need to prove they're still worth the continued investment.

There also are players who have moved up the depth chart late in the season because of injuries to others. They may not have started the season as key players, but a successful stretch run after a long look late in the season will keep them fresh in the minds of coaches as they complete postseason evaluations.

Here's a look at the players with the most to gain — or lose — as the Bears play out the string against the Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road and the Detroit Lions at home.

• Defensive tackle Jarvis Jenkins was a veteran bargain who came in needing to show he was more than a good run defender. He collected 3 sacks in the first four games but just 1 since then. He is second among linemen with 30 tackles and fifth on the team with 5 tackles for loss.

“Jarvis has been a pleasant surprise,” coach John Fox said. “Obviously we signed him in the off-season and watched him on tape and been familiar with his career. I think he's been a good addition for our football team. He competes. He's improved us defensively along the way.”

• Linebacker Christian Jones was a pleasant surprise as an undrafted rookie in 2014, starting five times at outside linebacker and finishing third with 98 tackles and also third with 11 special teams tackles. Jones was moved inside and is third again this season with 87 tackles, but he hasn't made many splash plays and has lost some playing time to Jonathan Anderson in passing situations.

“He's been inconsistent,” defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said. “But it's a new position for him. Playing off the ball at inside linebacker is a whole new world for these guys that have been up on the ball. He's been inconsistent, but he's had his share of good plays (and) ones that he'd like to do over.”

• Many of the same comments about Jones also apply to Shea McClellin, the Bears' other inside linebacker who will be an unrestricted free agent.

• Kicker Robbie Gould is mired in an unprecedented — for him — slump, hitting just 9 of his last 15 attempts, an unacceptable rate of 60 percent. In an injury-plagued 2014 season, Gould missed four games with a calf injury and hit 9 of 12 attempts for 75 percent, the lowest percentage of his 11-year career.

He has missed his last 3 kicks, from 50, 36 and 40 yards — the second time this season he has missed 3 tries in a row.

After this season, he'll be halfway through a four-year $15 million deal that includes cap hits of $4.1 million in 2016 and 2017. That was a fair deal when Gould was the fourth-most-accurate FG kicker in NFL history, but he hasn't been the same kicker for two years now.

• Tight end Zach Miller has done more than enough to guarantee himself a spot on the roster next season. He turned out to be one of the best bargains of the season. The Bears signed him for just $660,000, but the oft-injured veteran is having a career year. He leads the team with 5 receiving touchdowns and has averaged 14.9 yards on 21 receptions. The question is whether Miller has earned enough trust to be the No. 1 tight end next season if Martellus Bennett has worn out his welcome with one year left on his four-year, $20.4 million deal. Bennett's base salary in 2015 would be $5.085 million.

• Offensive left tackle Charles Leno was plugged into the most demanding O-line position three games in, and he has played extremely well for a 2014 seventh-round pick. He deserves some of the credit for Jay Cutler's 2015 sack rate, his best as a Bear. But two-time Pro Bowl guard Kyle Long could be the Bears left tackle of the future, even though he has struggled at times at right tackle this season. And the Bears believe this year's sixth-round pick, Tayo Fabuluje, has significant upside.

• Rookie running back Jeremy Langford has a burst, but the fourth-round pick is averaging just 3.5 yards per carry, a half-yard less than longtime workhorse Matt Forte, whose contract is up at the end of the season. Langford has been a disappointment as a receiver, and 2014 fourth-round pick Ka'Deem Carey will give him a fight for the job if, as expected, Forte is gone.

• Follow Bob's Bears reports on Twitter @BobLeGere.

Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.comChicago Bears running back Ka'Deem Carey, right, celebrates his fourth-quarter touchdown with teammates including quarterback Jay Cutler during Sunday's game against the San Francisco 49ers at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill.
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