The Chicago Bears begin training camp on July 30 on the campus of Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois.
Leading up to the first practice, we’ll breakdown the roster, position-by-position. We conclude with the secondary, arguably the strongest unit on Chicago’s defense.
The cast:
Cornerbacks: Kyle Fuller (second season), Tim Jennings (10th season), Tracy Porter (eighth season), Sherrick McManis (sixth season), Alan Ball (eighth season), Al Louis-Jean (second season), Demontre Hurst (second season), Terrance Mitchell (second season), Jacoby Glenn (first season), Bryce Callahan (first season), Qumain Black (first season).
Safeties: Antrel Rolle (11th season), Ryan Mundy (seventh season), Adrian Amos (first season), Sherrod Martin (sixth season), Brock Vereen (second season), Malcolm Bronson (first season), Anthony Jefferson (first season).
Key number: Chicago’s secondary combined for only 13 interceptions in 2014, and only three players picked off multiple passes (Fuller, Mundy, and Chris Conte).
For starters: Fuller is entrenched as one of the starting cornerbacks after an impressive rookie season (73 tackles, four interceptions, three forced fumbles). The Bears need a bounce back year from Jennings, who failed to intercept a single pass in 2014 after recording 13 INTS in 2012-13. Jennings, 31, is scheduled to earn $4.4 million in 2015. The Bears upgraded at safety when they signed Rolle to a three-year contract in the offseason. An incredibly durable player, Rolle, 32, is a three-time Pro Bowl selection. Fellow safety Mundy had 108 tackles and four interceptions last year for the Bears. The nickel back position is fluid, with several candidates vying for the spot. Jennings also has the ability to slide inside and cover the slot if necessary.
Backup plan: The Bears have depth at cornerback. McManis, Ball, Louis-Jean, and Hurst all have talent. Expect there to be tough cuts at that positon. The safety crop is thinner. Amos -- the Bears 2015 fifth-round pick -- is a pure free safety. Vereen gained valuable experience as a rookie last season, but he is a smaller safety, generously listed by the Bears at 5-foot-11, 199 pounds. Martin is a veteran who played for Bears head coach John Fox in Carolina (2009). The Bears cannot afford for Rolle or Mundy to miss extended periods of time due to injuries.
