Chicago Bears

With so much attention being paid to the Bears' roster churning this offseason, now seems like the perfect time to check on the current Chicago Bears depth charts to see what Phil Emery and Marc Trestman have, at present, to work with. The bulk of significant roster additions is over for the offseason, and while plenty of Turk visits will be occurring at Halas Hall over the next few months, let's get a jump on the process of roster evaluations and how confident we are with each position. Call it a prelude to Wiltfong's excellent "position battle" series that runs around training camp. The "Confidence Check" series will look at our (the fans) confidence level with the overall depth chart at each of the positions. The main point is to determine that if no other significant roster additions are made at that particular position, do you have confidence that that group of players can get the "job" done. Job gets quotes because you determine the specifics of what the "job" entails within the confines of their specific position on the depth chart. For example, a backup quarterback - in the Bears case Josh McCown - is unlikely to produce at a level of play equal to or exceeding the starting quarterback - one Jayzeus Danger Cutler (or something) - but should be able to provide an adequate level of production if called upon (i.e. not Caleb Hanie). The third-string quarterback should be a developmental young player like the Bears have in Matt Blanchard; one that is developing and improving from year to year in hopes that he is able to eventually claim one of the top two spots on the depth chart. If the third stringer isn't a young developmental player, than it should probably be a veteran that has enough experience to help out the first and second string quarterbacks and not be completely terrible when called upon. A perfect example would be how the Steelers managed their depth chart the past few years with Charlie Batch and Byron Leftwich. MORE:Bears Preseason Schedule and Times After we look at each player, their expected role on the team, and my confidence level, hit up the poll and comments section to voice your opinion. We'll break down each positional group over the next few weeks to see what the fans think of Phil Emery's roster building, and you can state your case for having a high, low, or no confidence vote in each group. Starting Quarterback: Jay Cutler (8th year in NFL, 5th with Chicago) Job Responsibilities: Lead the team into the playoffs and prove he is the Chicago Bears starting quarterback for the next five years. Job So Far: After four years in Chicago, the Bears still don't know if they have a franchise quarterback in Cutler. He's been brilliant at times, and frustratingly bad at times, in some degree because of a lack of talent at every other offensive position except for running back. Thing is, the Bears have never won less than seven games in a season with Cutler at the helm, so while we may quibble about his overall play, he's never been the captain on the Titanic. Confidence Level: Low. Look, I think he can get the job done, and having Marc Trestman there, along with improved offensive skill players like Martellus Bennett and a (hopefully) improved offensive line, should make a world of difference for Cutler. But, he's been a top-20 quarterback over the past four years, and if he doesn't improve this year on his numbers, that makes him more of a short-term solution than a quarterback you want at the helm of your franchise for a decade. His completion percentage (ranked 17, 19, 23, 21 over the last four years) needs to improve at least a bit, because he's already proved willing to throw it up deep to net some yards (ranked 20, 7, 14, 16 in yards-per-attempt). I have confidence in Jay, but not a ton right now. MORE:Does Cutler have the biggest arm in the NFL? Backup Quarterback: Josh McCown (3rd year with Bears) Job Responsibilities: Provide adequate quarterback play in relief of the start

Last year, I ran a bit of a minor series about players (mostly recent draft picks) that I thought would have a better year than their rookie season for whatever varied and sundry reasons. Today, we're going to bring that back (with better formatting and better thoughts!) by talking about second-year defensive lineman Shea McClellin. Past Performance: 2012: 13 games, 7 tackles, 7 assists, 2.5 sacks Not quite the rookie season one might expect out of a first round pick, but McClellin was a project player when he was brought in, whose skill set best lent him to getting after the quarterback. And pressure the quarterback he did. I saw some things in McClellin that needed work last year, but I think the Bears still have themselves a solid defensive end in the making. What's New? One of those things is his lack of opportunity. McClellin was primarily a rotational guy last year, brought in in special packages like the Boise package (which had McClellin roaming the line of scrimmage like a rushing linebacker) and the Dan Ryan of bringing Julius Peppers inside and McClellin with Corey Wootton as the bookends to maximize the speed of the defensive line. This year, with Isreal Idonije presumably booking a room somewhere except Chicago, McClellin moves to the third end and should be the first one in when Peppers needs a breather. This should get him more chances to develop against pass protectors and develop a counter move. McClellin's also going to be a few pounds heavier without sacrificing any of his speed, which should help him make more plays in the run game. The 2013 Season McClellin will be closer to a finished product, but still not quite there - we probably won't see everything McClellin has to offer until year three. That's okay, but McClellin needs to have more production now, particularly sacks, to quiet his doubters to a dull roar. I think we'll see some growth from Shea. The question is, will it be enough? Early 16-Game Prediction: 5.5 Sacks, 20 Tackles, 15 Assisted, with no move to linebacker.

1. Bears QB coach Matt Cavanaugh called Jay Cutler ‘brilliant’ in regard to his football IQ. Do you agree? I’ve never been around Jay a whole lot, but I think he’s a smart kid. I think he really understands the game. I know Matt is not going to say something if he doesn’t mean it. That must be Matt’s impression, and I’ll go with his impression. I think the sky’s the limit for Jay Cutler. But the only guy that has to realize that is Jay Cutler. It’s not you or me or Matt Cavanaugh or Marc Trestman. He’s got …

The Bears agreed to terms Friday with first-round pick Kyle Long, the 20th overall selection, on a four-year contract with an option. Long was the final draft pick of their 2013 class to reach a deal. “I just know that Chicago is one of the most historic football towns in the country,” Long said after he was drafted. “There are Chicago Bears fans everywhere in the world. The ‘C’ on the helmet is synonymous with success and tremendous football.” Details of the deal aren’t known, but it’s expected to be similar to what receiver Kendall Wright, the 20th overall pick …

The Chicago Bears have agreed to terms on a four-year contract with first-round offensive lineman Kyle Long. The team has now signed all of its 2013 draft picks.

The Bears announced late this evening that they have reached a four-year deal with club-option fifth year, with first round pick Kyle Long. From Chicagobears.com: The Bears on Friday agreed to terms on a four-year contract plus an option with first-round draft choice Kyle Long, who had been the team's last unsigned pick. Terms have not leaked out yet. The Bears, specifically contract negotiator Cliff Stein made quick work (as has been customary in recent years) of getting the draft class inked. From Brad Biggs: This might be the earliest agent Marvin Demoff, who reps @ky1elong, has ever done a 1st round contract. Quick work by Cliff Stein.— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) May 18, 2013 Signing first round picks has become much, much easier under the new CBA and it's been standard for deals to be four years with a fifth-year option. Long, if you needed a reminder, did not participate in this week's OTAs because of the NFL's rule barring rookies from college's who have not had their final exams yet. The Bears can now turn to other contract issues, such as a contract extension for Henry Melton.

April 26, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; General manager Phil Emery (left) and head coach Marc Trestman (right) stand with first-round selection of guard Kyle Long (center) from Oregon University during a Chicago Bears press conference at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Reid Compton-USA TODAY Sports The Bears have their entire 2013 draft class under contract, as they’ve reached agreement to a contract with first round selection Kyle Long.  Long was the last of the class to agree to terms as rest of the rookie class had new paper before rookie minicamp last week. Terms of the four year deal, with a team option have not been disclosed, but with the new slotting you can bet that it’s somewhere in the ballpark of the 4 year $8 million that Shea McClellin got last season as the 19th pick.    (more…)

NFL rules prohibit Kyle Long from participating in the remainder of the Bears’ offseason program because of Oregon’s academic calendar.

Brace Hemmelgarn-USA Today Sports The Chicago Bears are getting ready to embark on a very intriguing season in 2013. Unlike most teams that underwent a head coaching change in the offseason, the Bears are expected to contend for a playoff spot. Depending on who you ask, there might even be higher expectations than that. Marc Trestman is widely expected to come in and pick up right where Lovie Smith left off, and then some. Most people can agree that the Bears’ offense has been what’s holding the team back, but at the same time, it’s not a bad offense. The guy who runs that offense on the field, is Jay Cutler, so he often takes a lot of the blame. People seem to rush to criticise Cutler, but overall, he’s a good quarterback. But just being good, is no longer enough. Bears’ fans will now expect even more from No. 6, mainly because of the installation of Trestman’s offense. I think without question, Cutler is under the most pressure of any Bears player this year. Put all the on-field expectations aside, and he’s still playing for a new contract. If he doesn’t perform, he’ll be looking for a new job in 2014. It’s not out of the question to think that Trestman would like to hand-pick a QB in the draft, and if Cutler misses the playoffs again this year, why wouldn’t they look in that direction? There’s not really any players on the defense that will be under the microscope this year, and the other skill position players are in fairly good standing. You can make a case that running back Mart Forte also has much to prove in 2013, but it’s no where near the level of Cutler. Forte is under contract for two more years, and let’s face it, running backs rarely get the blame quarterbacks do. Jay Cutler needs to play some of the best football of his career this season, and the better he performs out of the gate, the more the pressure will go away. Follow Andrew Fisher on Twitter