The Chicago Bears are hours away from kicking things off against the Cincinnati Bengals and here are the four players I'll be watching closely to see if they can solidify starting positions, or roster spots, in this game.
The Chicago Bears are in Cincinnati getting ready for their second preseason game against the Bengals, with kickoff set for 6 p.m. CT. Caleb Williams
and the majority of the starters are not expected to play after a strong week of joint practices, which means the spotlight shifts to the players battling for starting jobs and spots on the 53-man roster.
That makes this game far from meaningless. There are legitimate position battles playing out in real time today, and the results will shape how Chicago's depth chart looks heading into Week 1. Here are four players on my radar who need to show out against Cincinnati.
The first player to watch is offensive tackle Braxton Jones. He sat out last week's preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns
due to injury, but I expect him to start today at left tackle with Case Keenum
at quarterback. This is his job to lose
.
Theo Benedet
will likely get second-team reps at the position, and perhaps Jedrick Wills Jr. or Kiran Amegadjie
rotate in during the second half. The real evaluation, though, is Jones and how he holds up in live game action again. Ben Johnson needs to know what he has at left tackle before the regular season, and today's game will go a long way toward answering that question and if Jones deserves to get the final nod as the Week 1 starter.
Wide receiver Kaden Davis has been the training camp darling, and I think he's already solidified himself in a roster spot. Another good game against the Bengals could make it official. Davis showed a lot on tape against the Browns as both a receiver and a blocker, and he's earning more and more opportunities with the second-string offense.
Another strong showing today and he's officially on this 53-man roster. The Bears need depth at the position, and Davis has the kind of well-rounded skill set and speed that this coaching staff will value when making final cuts.
The other offensive player to watch is running back Salvon Ahmed. He had a great game in the preseason opener, but head coach Ben Johnson challenged him afterward
. Johnson wants to see more from Ahmed on special teams, and the coaching staff has been pushing to find ways to get him involved in that phase of the game.
With Kyle Monangai
listed as week-to-week with a knee injury, the RB3 battle carries real weight
heading into Week 1. Ahmed has a chance to solidify himself in that spot by proving he can contribute as a runner, a receiver, a pass blocker, and on special teams. The Bears want to see a full, complete, all-around running back, and today is his opportunity to show he's exactly that.
On the defensive side, I'm watching cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr. The veteran had two interceptions last week against the Browns, and the Bears are trying to figure out who can establish themselves as one of the top depth options at outside cornerback. Bishop could do exactly that with another strong performance against Cincinnati today.
Keep an eye on Malik Muhammad II as well at nickel. With Kyler Gordon
still sidelined, it's looking very likely that the Bears will turn to the fourth-round rookie as the potential starting nickel for Week 1 saying he continues to progress at the position.
This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: Bears players with the most to prove in Saturday's preseason game against the Bengals
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