Storylines to watch as Bears kick off mandatory minicamp
The Chicago Bears are set to begin their mandatory minicamp this week, which runs Tuesday through Thursday at Halas Hall, and will give us a good look at this team through the offseason.
There have been some big roster changes, specifically when it comes to the quarterback, offensive line and cornerback positions, which presents plenty of questions heading into the 2021 season.
Here’s a look at some of the storylines to watch as the Bears kick off mandatory minicamp this week:
The return of Allen Robinson
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It's not uncommon for franchised players to holdout when it comes to a long-term contract extension. But that doesn't appear to be the case for wide receiver Allen Robinson, who is expected to report to minicamp on Tuesday. Chicago's most dependable offensive player -- who is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons -- was slapped with the franchise tag earlier this offseason after the Bears and Robinson failed to come to an agreement on a contract extension. Chicago has until July 15 to lock down Robinson to a long-term deal before he plays out his franchise tag. It'll be nice to get Robinson on the field, where there are two new quarterbacks he needs to start building chemistry with in Justin Fields and Andy Dalton.
The defense under new DC Sean Desai
AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack
During voluntary OTAs, linebacker Roquan Smith and safety Tashaun Gipson were the only defensive starters present during on-field workouts. With defensive starters expected to report in full for mandatory minicamp, it'll provide us with a first look at this defense under new defensive coordinator Sean Desai, who replaces the departed Chuck Pagano. Desai was Vic Fangio's right-hand man and helped develop the 2018 defense, so he has a good understanding of these players. There's plenty of stability for Desai on defense, with the exception of cornerback following the departures of Kyle Fuller and Buster Skrine.
The unofficial quarterback competition continues
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There's going to be comparisons between Andy Dalton and Justin Fields from now and possibly through the start of the 2021 season. Even if Dalton has already been named the starter for Week 1, things can certainly change between now and September...especially if Fields continues to impress during training camp. Fields has been garnering praise from the coaching staff and players alike throughout rookie minicamp and voluntary OTAs, and it wouldn't be a surprise for him to exceed expectations to compete for the starting job. Dalton and Fields hit the practice field for the first time together during OTAs, and while Dalton appeared to struggle, Fields continued to impress. We'll see what happens as the unofficial quarterback competition continues during minicamp -- especially with the starting defense back in place.
Retooled offensive line
AP Photo/David Banks, Pool
Another position group that's seen an overhaul this offseason is the offensive line, which will look a lot different at the tackle position with the releases of Charles Leno and Bobby Massie. Chicago traded up to draft Teven Jenkins in the second round of the NFL draft, where the expectation is that he will serve as the team's starting left tackle. The competition will come at the right tackle position, where Germain Ifedi appears to be the favorite. But he'll have to hold off competition from fifth-round rookie Larry Borom -- that is, unless Chicago makes a move in free agency for a tackle like, say, Morgan Moses. The good news is that the interior of the line appears set with Cody Whitehair, James Daniels and Sam Mustipher.
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