Chicago Bears offense: 5 things to watch at training camp
It's possible on opening day 2016 that quarterback Jay Cutler and left tackle Charles Leno will be the only offensive starters playing the same position they did in Week 17 last season.
With so many new faces, the rebuilding process on that side of the ball is clearly incomplete, so there are more questions than answers as training camp begins. With that in mind, here are five things to look for on offense at Bears training camp:
1. Another new offensive line configuration.
Six different O-line alignments were utilized last season due to injuries and, more important, ineffectiveness.
Patrick Omameh and Vladimir Ducasse combined to start 20 games last year, but neither is on the current roster, which isn't a bad thing as long as some unproven young players step up to the challenge. The right side should be rock solid with Kyle Long moving back to guard after a season at tackle and unrestricted free agent addition Bobby Massie taking over at right tackle.
Other than that, there are question marks and inexperience. It starts with presumptive starting center Hroniss Grasu, who struggled vs. power last year in eight starts as a rookie but is allegedly bigger and stronger now. Rookie Cody Whitehair could start at left guard but will have to dislodge veteran Ted Larsen, a solid journeyman.
Charles Leno, a seventh-round pick in 2014, was a pleasant surprise in 2015, starting the final 13 games at left tackle. But that position is always under the microscope, especially when it's manned by a young, inexperienced player who was a late-round draft pick.
2. The battle to succeed Matt Forte at running back.
It will be fought among 2015 fourth-round pick Jeremy Langford, 2014 fourth-round pick Ka'Deem Carey, 2016 fifth-round pick Jordan Howard, and Jacquizz Rodgers, a veteran journeyman and change-of-pace guy who was hurt early last season before he had a chance to demonstrate his varied skill set.
Langford is atop the depth chart for now. But it's expected to be a group project to replace Forte, who accounted for 62 percent of the team's rushing yards from 2008-15 and caught 487 passes while missing just eight games in eight seasons.
Langford has better acceleration than Forte and averaged an impressive 12.7 yards on 22 catches, although his 3.6 yards per carry average was a disappointment.
The 5-foot-10, 210-pound Carey lacks size but impressed Fox with his tough running style. Howard (6-foot, 230) is better equipped to be the short-yardage option, but he'll have to earn his carries.
3. Jay Cutler building on improved ball security with another offensive coordinator.
Cutler allowed 11 interceptions last year, which left him with a 2.3 interception percentage, the second best of his 10-year career.
But the Bears' revolving door at offensive coordinator continues.
If you're keeping track at home, Dowell Loggains is the sixth OC that Cutler has worked under as he enters his eighth year with the Bears. Before Loggains, there were Adam Gase, Aaron Kromer, Mike Tice, Mike Martz and Ron Turner.
Cutler is comfortable with Loggains, who was the Bears' quarterbacks coach last year, and only minor changes are expected in the offense.
"The backbone of this offense is still the same," Cutler said. "Even if Adam was here I think we still would have changed some stuff and got better in certain areas. So we're just kind of continuing down that road."
4. The long-awaited debut of wide receiver Kevin White.
If you attended every training camp practice last year, the only football-related activity you saw this 2015 first-round pick perform was light jogging along the sideline at one practice. The big, fast wide receiver from West Virginia was not able to do more than that before he was shut down for the season with shin splints that required surgery.
The ninth overall pick last year, White returns at full strength. With a "redshirt" NFL season under his belt and Pro Bowl wide receiver Alshon Jeffery on the opposite side, the stars are aligned for White to shine.
5. How much will tight end Martellus Bennett be missed?
The best guess is not much, since he wasn't about to buy into any program that didn't cater to him. That being said, Bennett had 155 catches in 2013-14, his first two years with the Bears, and those receptions accounted for 1,675 yards and 11 touchdowns. Bennett was also a physical force as a run blocker.
But injury and ineffectiveness limited the former Pro Bowl tight end to 8 catches for 58 yards in the final eight games last season, five of which he missed with a rib injury. He wasn't really missed because fill-in Zach Miller caught 29 passes for 381 yards in his final seven games, and is the clear-cut No. 1 now.
Miller has better receiving skills than Bennett, but he's not as effective as a blocker. The Bears also don't have any proven depth behind Miller, who has a lengthy injury history.
So maybe Bennett will be missed.
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