Bear Digest

Top Bears to Watch Against Texans in Hall of Fame Game

Backup Bears edge rushers should be in the spotlight for Thursday's Hall of Fame Game as GM Ryan Poles ponders whether they need to add a free agent edge.

Gene Chamberlain

Dominique Robinson tries to sack Russell Wilson last year. Robinson and the backup edge rushers need to step up in preseason.
Dominique Robinson tries to sack Russell Wilson last year. Robinson and the backup edge rushers need to step up in preseason. / Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports
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One of the most unnatural acts for a football fan is finding something to watch in the first preseason game.

The win-loss situation is removed, although there will be a winner and a loser in the game. It's just that whoever wins can't really claim much from it and whoever loses really doesn't care very much.

It's a glorified practice and the first preseason game almost always is one using the bottom of the roster.

How players at the bottom of a roster perform really doesn't say much for the 20204 chances of a team because a great majority of them won't be around after final roster cuts.

This first Bears preseason game against Houston on Thursday night isn't even really the first preseason game.

It's an auxiliary preseason game, one no other team must play besides the Texans. This is one of the reasons Bears coach Matt Eberflus has decided no starters play, especially quarterback Caleb Williams.

"He needs as many reps as he can get," Eberflus said. "You've got to be safe of course. You can't put him out there with such and such (players). You've got to be smart about it."

So with subs playing, Williams won't.

Bears fans simply need to look longer and harder to find something to catch their attention in this game.

Make no mistake, something will. In fact, after either Reddy Steward picks off a pass by Case Keenum or Demetrus Felton breaks a run for 25 yards late in the game, they'll become the darling of Bears fans for a few weeks.

Ryan Nall led the 2019 Bears in rushing and receiving during the preseason and had fans demanding he become a big part of the offense. He never did and left after being a practice squad type or special teams player for a few years.

Rodney Adams in 2021 became the preseason darling by catching a 73-yard TD pass the day after he was up all night at the hospital because his wife gave birth. He wound up on the practice squad and played in one game, getting targeted once on the season.

So here are Bears players to watch in the first preseason game, the pre-preseason game known as the Hall of Fame Game.

1. DE Austin Booker

He is the reason to watch this game for the Bears. The fourth-round pick should get playing time. They need to see what he can do to determine whether they need to sign back Yannick Ngakoue. 

"I want to see him hit the quarterback. Period," Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington said. "I want to see him hit the quarterback, I want to see him use his speed and everything that he's been working on that's been poured into him so far, the investment that he's made.

"I want to see him put himself in position to hit the quarterback and take the ball away from him."

That's pretty direct and clear. Booker and none of the pass rushers get the chance to do this in training camp, although Montez Sweat seemed to forget a few times last week while rushing Caleb Williams.

This is the chance to see Booker produce.

2. DE Dominique Robinson

The Bears should know by now what their 2022 fifth-round pick can do but he has done little when given chances to play. He needs to do the same thing Booker needs to do in order to keep Ngakoue away.

3. Ja'Tyre Carter

Eberflus said he was impressed with the play of reserve undrafted guard Bill Murray. That's a direct challenge to Carter, their 2022 seventh-round pick at guard. He has two career starts and 13 games. 

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Carter is listed as backup left guard but there are only so many line positions open and Carter is essentially vying with Matt Pryor for a backup guard spot, as well as Murray.

4. WR Dante Pettis

He has been listed behind both Velus Jones Jr. and DeAndre Carter as return man but had a respectable 2022 season as their punt returner. The assignment for him appears to be outperforming Jones as both a receiver and return man to win a roster spot.

5. CB Reddy Steward

The undrafted Troy cornerback has been the talk of camp after he started getting first-team snaps on defense with Kyler Gordon out injured. He intercepted Caleb Williams last week. It would appear coaches are considering him a challenger for Josh Blackwell and Greg Stroman as backup slot cornerback.

6. CB Josh Blackwell

Last year Blackwell was the backup to Gordon but maybe the biggest surprise on the unofficial depth chart is that Greg Stroman Jr. is now listed the No. 2 slot cornerback. Blackwell has lost a spot and Steward is pushing both him and Stroman.

7. QB Brett Rypien

He'll likely get a chance to show the impressive play he had in two practices last week was no fluke. Rypien is making a good run at taking the backup spot from Tyson Bagent. And remember, Bagent has no past ties to offensive coordinator the way Rypien does.

8. DT Zacch Pickens

Like with the defensive ends, the Bears need to see a pass rush push from their second-year tackle. Pickens actually was worse defending the run last year, according to Pro Football Focus. So his play against the run and pass will be closely scrutinized.

9. RB Demetric Felton

Travis Homer is regarded as the fourth running back now. But he basically has the same skill set as Felton, who signed this week and immediately began carrying the football. Felton could be challenging both Ian Wheeler and Homer for a roster spot, if they did indeed keep four backs.

10. K Cairo Santos

The dependable kicker had one day when he missed three longer kicks in succession and then missed another one the next day at an indoor practice. He could use some made kicks to help bolster confidence. 

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.