The Chicago Bears 2024 training camp will feature plenty of interesting position battles.
The Chicago Bears may have drafted first overall in the 2024 NFL draft, but they’re a team built to compete with plenty of interesting training camp battles in 2024. On paper, the Bears are finally starting to escape the classification of rebuild, and could look to shock their rivals in the NFC North this season. This however leads to most of the positions on the team locked up with a few key battles still to be had.
Offensive Line
The offensive line as a whole looks to improve, but the main focus will be on the right guard position. Nate Davis did not participate in offseason workouts, which has led to a rotation of Ryan Bates and Matt Pryor playing there – and they’ve looked good.
The Bears also expect Kiran Amegadje to be healthy and an active participant in training camp this summer. If he continues to show improvement, he might be a name to watch out for as a dark horse. The Bears GM has suggested that he doesn’t expect him to be competing for the starting job this season, but a lot can change if one plays at a high level. Overall, the Bears have a ton of offensive talent to use, but only five spots to fill.
Running Back
The Bears may have signed D’Andre Swift this offseason, but the team also rosters second-year player Roschon Johnson and Khalil Herbert. Herbert has proven to be effective in a limited role, while the jury is still out on Johnson. With Swift’s availability always a concern, the team’s backup running back position will be important to watch in training camp.
Cornerback
The Bears have two stud players at corner in Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson. Stevenson had a decent rookie campaign, but the Bears will need him to take an extra leap in his sophomore season to be a key part of their defense. The battle at this position group will be among the depth at the position. It will be on the last few players to avoid the cut, with Josh Blackwell, Jaylon Jones and Greg Stroman Jr. Stroman looks to be the clear favorite after his play last season. However, everything can change from the start to the finish of training camp.
Safety
The only real battle here is for the backup position. That is where veteran Adrian Colbert will go against Travaris Moore and Elijah Hicks for that role. So far, the edge goes to Moore, but Bears coaching staff says it’s an open competition and they’re excited to see what Colbert and Hicks can bring to the competition.
Special: Rome Odunze
To everyone who’s expecting a massive year from Rome Odunze, it’s suggested to temper expectations. Despite being a fan of Odunze myself, he’s in a room that just added Keenan Allen and already had DJ Moore. Not to mention, the front office is considering to start him off slow and with touches on special teams. He is the future, especially with Allen getting older and having a history of injuries, but if you’re expecting him to be dominant in his first season, be patient. Odunze is the future and he’s being molded into that position.
Randy Vuxta
Randy Vuxta (@RandallVuxta) is a beat writer covering sports picks and dynasty/redraft content for The League Winners with a little over a decade playing fantasy football. Before joining the staff, he studied Journalism and Sports Business management and created The Randy Report, a YouTube channel dedicated to covering all things sports. When he’s not watching game film or the latest Marvel release, he can be found on Twitch streaming everything from Spider-Man to NBA2K. Randy looks to not only win every league he joins, but help others achieve that goal as well.