Bears Rumors: Latest Buzz, Players to Watch at Mandatory Minicamp
The Matt Eberflus era with the Chicago Bears starts with a bevy of questions about what the team's offense will look like in 2022.
Second-year quarterback Justin Fields has a lot of unknowns around him on the offensive line and at wide receiver heading into the team's mandatory minicamp.
Chicago needs to set its offensive-line alignment and establish which players will be the primary targets in the passing game now that Allen Robinson is gone.
The Bears do have some positive developments going into minicamp and then training camp, including the offseason buzz around Teven Jenkins.
The 2021 second-round draft pick is moving to right tackle and appears to be in better shape as camp draws nearer.
Jenkins is locked in at right tackle, but the player starting directly next to him on the offensive line has not yet been determined. Right guard will be one of the most watched positional battles throughout the summer.
Teven Jenkins Taking Steps to be Long-Term Starter at Right Tackle
The Bears need the top picks from their 2021 draft class to play big roles this season.
Teven Jenkins was not on the field as much as Justin Fields in his rookie campaign due to back injuries.
However, the 24-year-old is healthy as minicamp gets closer and has dropped weight to prepare for his time as the team's right tackle.
"I'm down to 325. Last season I was up to 345," Jenkins said, per Larry Meyer of ChicagoBears.com. "I believe at the end of last season I was 33 percent body fat. Now, I'm down to about 24. Slimming down is difficult, but you've got to be disciplined in yourself to make sure that you stay on the right diet and make sure your body does what it's supposed to do."
Jenkins and fellow offensive tackle Larry Borom have caught the attention of Lucas Patrick, who was brought in during free agency to be the starting center.
"They're just grinding," he told reporters. "This is the time where, I say, as a player, you want to just get bigger, faster, stronger, and focus on your details of your technique. Each day they're coming out there and putting their best foot forward."
The offseason buzz is promising, but Jenkins and the other offensive linemen need to stay healthy and build a bond in front of Fields so that the second-year quarterback can progress in his first season with a new head coach and offensive coordinator.
Right Guard Competition Will Be Camp Focus
Chicago's coaching staff needs to find the best option to position between Lucas Patrick and Teven Jenkins.
And Sam Mustipher and Dakota Dozier are the primary competitors to start at right guard in Week 1.
Both players have received first-team snaps in the offseason and they will have the close attention of the coaching staff in minicamp and training camp.
Keeping Justin Fields upright is the obvious goal of the offensive line, but last season's unit did not fare well in that department.
The 23-year-old quarterback was sacked on 36 occasions and he finished his 12-game, 10-start rookie campaign with a 58.9 completion percentage.
Fields needs to be much better in the pocket to progress personally and to make the Bears more competitive under Eberflus and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.
Right guard may not be the sexiest position on the field, but it will be one of the most important spots for the Bears to evaluate in camps.
The winner of the Mustipher-Dozier competition will be under immense pressure in Week 1 to perform alongside Patrick, Jenkins and the rest of the offensive line to protect Fields and potentially earn a few more victories than expected.
Who Replaces Allen Robinson?
The Bears might not be able to fully replace Allen Robinson in 2022.
He had two 1,000-yard seasons in four campaigns with the NFC North side and recorded 754 receiving yards in 2018 and 410 receiving yards over 12 games in 2021.
The silver lining to Robinson's injury issues last season is that the Bears developed Darnell Mooney more. He led the team with 1,055 receiving yards and 81 receptions.
The drop-off from Mooney to the rest of the wide receiver corps was way too steep for the Bears' liking, though. Tight end Cole Kmet and Robinson were the only other players with more than 400 receiving yards.
Equanimeous St. Brown and Byron Pringle were brought in during free agency, but neither has been a consistent No. 2 target during their NFL careers.
Velus Jones Jr. could become the steal of the rookie class with the speed he displayed at Tennessee, while Tajae Sharpe might provide a surprise season after coming over from the Atlanta Falcons.
However, there are too many what-ifs beneath Mooney on Chicago's wide receiver depth chart and that is cause for concern with a second-year quarterback leading the offense.
The Bears need to use the preseason camps to determine the pecking order at wide receiver and help them build connections with Fields before Week 1.