When Roquan Smith stepped in entrance of reporters Saturday afternoon following his initially exercise of training camp, the Chicago Bears linebacker explained he has as considerably on the line as it's possible any player on the group this time.
“Betting on myself,” Smith explained on ending his 3½-week “hold-in.”
In taking part in out his fifth 12 months with the Bears soon after failed contract negotiations with normal supervisor Ryan Poles, Smith sales opportunities our list of five returning Bears players who encounter big questions this season.
1. Will Roquan Smith get paid the payday he desires in his fifth year?
As the Bears inched nearer to the time, Smith did not see his situation switching in the weeks in advance. He and the Bears weren’t in arrangement on a new offer. The Bears declined to trade him, he claimed. And Smith knew without having possibly of those people moves in location, he wanted to get all set for a critical time for his long term.
So Smith returned to exercise above the weekend with his focus turned away from negotiations and toward football and what he can do to encourage the Bears — or one more group — he’s really worth the type of deal he needs. The Bears would have the solution to use the franchise tag on Smith in 2023, but he observed that ought to be “a awesome number following 12 months.”
Smith, the No. 8 decide on in the 2018 draft, was a second-workforce All-Pro in every of the past two seasons, a span in which he totaled 302 tackles, 30 tackles for a reduction, 10 quarterback hits, 7 sacks, 10 passes defended, a pressured fumble and a few interceptions, including a select-six.
By not settling for the Bears’ provide, he’s betting he can not only generate continually like he did in those seasons, but also keep healthful and make enough recreation-modifying performs to be paid out as just one of the NFL’s top rated off-the-ball linebackers.
“I’m likely to do it the exact way I’ve normally done it: 100 miles an hour and won’t let up,” Smith reported.
2. Can a major year for David Montgomery guide to a new agreement?
Montgomery also is in a deal period right after dashing for 2,808 yards and 21 touchdowns and catching 121 passes for 924 yards and three touchdowns in his first a few seasons. That included one particular 1,000-property speeding time in 2020 and 4 missed online games for the reason that of a knee damage in 2021.
There could be significant chances for Montgomery to prosper in Luke Getsy’s offense. But the 2019 3rd-spherical pick out of Iowa Point out explained he is not paying a great deal time considering about his following contract.
“It’s heading to get treatment of alone,” Montgomery explained. “I ain’t seriously concerned about that. I have bought bigger fish to fry. … Simply because at the conclusion of the day, I’m striving to participate in soccer and have fun performing that. Everything else will acquire care of by itself. I’ve received no anxieties in the planet.”
Montgomery enters this period with a new perspective on lifestyle.
He was open up for the duration of a media session previously this thirty day period about struggling with psychological health the last 3 seasons. He claimed he established “unnecessary pressures” on himself. The news that he has a baby on the way prompted him to speak up that he was hurting, and he described himself as currently being on a “spiritual journey” to obtaining better.
“It was far more so with myself, not meeting the criteria or the anticipations that I place on myself, going again to creating these unneeded pressures for myself,” Montgomery said. “A large amount of folks really don't fully grasp currently being in the NFL, like us as men and women, we go by way of a large amount of mental battles on a everyday basis, but because we’re athletes and we’re pros and we get a ton of funds, that receives missed.
“But at the finish of the working day, we’re even now human beings and people forget about about that. So for me, for a though, I masked it. I was just in a negative location mentally, how I was hunting at life, how I considered it. I was sad. But it is on the up and up now, and I’m grateful and I’m blessed that God brought me listed here.”
3. Will the new coaching employees aid Justin Fields unlock his probable in Calendar year 2?
Contrary to Smith and Montgomery, Fields’ deal worries are not imminent, but no issue is extra intertwined with the Bears’ upcoming success. And no participant on the Bears will be watched closer for signals of progress less than Getsy and quarterbacks mentor Andrew Janocko.
For Bears coaches, holding Fields centered on day-to-day improvement is the most effective approach to these critical advancement.
“It’s one particular of the most critiqued positions in the earth — I would say critiqued positions in the entire world,” Janocko reported. “So it is just executing your career, knowledge what it usually takes to be thriving, reemphasizing that each day. Then buying out very little points every day to enhance on and often obtaining a targeted region on what we’re going to get greater at today.
“Whether it is feet, irrespective of whether it’s timing, regardless of whether it’s something about the X’s and O’s, but getting a system completely ready each and every working day to say, ‘Hey, we’re going to get much better at this now.’ When you concentration in on more compact regions like that, then you see huge jumps.”
In 12 games and 10 starts as a rookie, Fields done 159 of 270 passes (58.9%) for 1,870 yards with seven touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a 73.2 passer ranking. He was sacked 36 periods and rushed for 420 yards and two touchdowns.
It was not an suitable begin, in aspect for the reason that Fields opened the year as Andy Dalton’s backup before coaches threw him into the fire in Week 3 and due to the fact Fields battled personal injury and health issues later in the calendar year.
But Fields has explanations to be hopeful for development this yr — from Getsy’s offense that may possibly be greater tailor-made to Fields’ skill established to the lessons acquired from his initially season.
“I’m way extra relaxed just being in the NFL this 12 months and of program possessing performed a 12 months,” Fields claimed. “I’m just going to hold performing, preserve stacking days and go on to get superior at the small specifics each and every and each and every working day.”
4. Can Teven Jenkins solidify a setting up location on the offensive line?
Two months back, Jenkins could possibly not have designed this listing immediately after an undisclosed ailment early in camp and trade rumors designed him glance like the possible odd person out on the line. Now, after his preseason debut at ideal guard, it is honest to surprise if Jenkins can salvage his future with the Bears at that posture.
With Braxton Jones, Larry Borom and Riley Reiff competing at tackle, Jenkins moved within final week, spent two practices at ideal guard and then played there towards the Seattle Seahawks. Bears mentor Matt Eberflus explained he turned in a “solid” functionality.
“We have been amazed,” Eberflus claimed. “He did a good occupation. Now he’s acquired to go on to increase at the situation. Like everybody else on the crew, he’s obtained a lot to function on. But he had a very good 1st outing in there.”
Jenkins, a 2021 second-spherical choose, has not had an simple commence to his career, undergoing back again surgical procedures during past year’s coaching camp and coming back to enjoy in just six game titles with two commences as a rookie. The odd commence to this camp did not support, but possibly he has observed a path to generating an impression with the Bears.
“He’s handled it like a professional,” Montgomery explained. “He does not complain. He comes to perform just about every working day. I by no means read him say just about anything damaging in any way. Each time I chat to Tev, it’s normally, ‘I’m making an attempt to get greater, hoping to enhance myself so I can be the greatest variation of myself.’
“That’s tremendous refreshing to see from anyone who managed the degree of adversity that he did handle his 1st 12 months.”
5. Can Eddie Jackson make the activity-switching performs that stood out early in his occupation?
A whole lot of players could have taken this fifth place, such as limited finish Cole Kmet and large receiver Darnell Mooney, the 2020 draft picks who could be in line for significant seasons.
But Jackson is an exciting situation. He hasn’t had as substantially achievements considering the fact that signing a 4-yr, $58.4 million agreement extension in 2020 and now is striving to impress a new set of coaches.
He and Eberflus both equally named this period a “fresh start” for the sixth-calendar year security, who experienced 10 interceptions in his very first a few seasons and none in his previous two. Jackson also had 5 defensive touchdowns in his to start with two seasons and a single given that, nevertheless he has experienced some termed back because of penalties.
He mentioned before in camp that he feels at relieve “mentally, physically, emotionally” with the coaches, the plan and the way the crew is operating. Can the 28-calendar year-aged rejuvenate his job and positively affect rookie safety Jaquan Brisker?
“You can strategy this (coaching adjust) distinctive approaches,” Jackson said. “You can strategy it like, ‘Oh person, in this article we go, commencing in excess of.’ You can strategy it like, ‘Man, it is a fresh new begin, new coaches — I’m all in.’
“I just feel like the a long time I experienced, I was not glad with them, did not stay up to expectations and expectations that I established for myself. So to go out there this yr is like a whole new begin, whole new year, entire new team. I feel like a rookie coming in yet again, just discovering, soaking up this game and foremost my men the way I get the job done and the way I do items.”
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