Three Under-the-Radar Competitions to Keep An Eye on During Bears Training Camp

Training camp is always full of positional competitions. For the Chicago Bears, this is no different under the new leadership of Ben Johnson. There are many obvious examples of the competition this year, such as the left tackle battle. However, there are also some races flying under the radar. Some of these positional battles are running back, backup quarterback, and cornerback. They may not be the top competitions recognized, but all three are crucial for the Bears this offseason.

Running Back 

Many would agree that D’Andre Swift did not fully live up to the hype last year. However, he remains arguably the most talented player in the backfield on the team. Additionally, the fact that he has played in the Ben Johnson offense before in Detroit may give him the upper hand. Roschon Johnson made an impressive mark in his sophomore season this past year, scoring six touchdowns on only 55 carries. This creates a question about what he could do with more carries, or if he could potentially carry the bruiser role for the offense. Behind Swift and Johnson is rookie Kyle Monangai. While he may be a seventh-round rookie, which means he has a lot to prove, the hype and potential have been there so far. While the hierarchy may be unknown right now, these three should provide the Bears plenty of options in the running game. 

Backup Quarterback 

Caleb Williams is locked in as the starter. The order behind him is currently unknown, though. The race is between Tyson Bagent and veteran Case Keenum. Bagent has served as the backup for the Bears for the past two years, starting four games during that time. Keenum has been in the league for 11 years, starting a total of 66 games. The experience difference may be drastic, which does, however, create a massive age difference. The question to be seen is if the Bears value 37-year-old Keenum, who has the experience and they know what they are getting with him, over Bagent. On the other side, Bagent is only 25 years old and should have more room to grow than Keenum. 

Cornerback

Currently, the Bears are set to have an extremely dangerous secondary. However, there remains one more starting spot. Tyrique Stevenson currently holds it, and while he has the talent to keep it, it remains to be seen if he can keep his head in the game away from the drama. Stevenson must keep his focus as he has a deep room chasing him, with the likes of Terell Smith and Josh Blackwell, who both performed well last year. In addition, newcomers like fifth-round rookie Zah Frazier and Nahshon Wright, who has been the surprise so far as he has been filling in well for the injured Johnson. Regardless of the outcome, these three competitions are set to be fierce and should be closely monitored throughout training camp.