Bears' Projected Winners of Key Position Battles
The majority of the focus in Chicago Bears training camp, outside of Caleb Williams, has been on the offensive line.
The Bears have two glaring positional battles that need to be decided over the next few weeks.
Chicago needs to find a center and right guard that can best protect Williams as he begins his rookie season at quarterback.
The Bears do not have many other key decisions to make across their roster, but one may have already been made for them at running back.
Center
Ryan Bates and Coleman Shelton are fighting to be Williams' first starting center in the NFL.
Bates currently holds the advantage over Shelton as the top center on the depth chart, but a few things could change that order.
Williams' connection with Bates and Shelton should be considered by the Bears coaching staff because they need the rookie quarterback to feel as comfortable as possible in the pocket.
The injury to Nate Davis at right guard could also affect how the Bears line up on the interior.
Bates has experience playing at the guard position and may be shifted one spot over on the line to give the Bears the best chance to win in Week 1.
It's not the ideal situation, but at least the Bears have a worthy backup in Shelton, who came over from the Los Angeles Rams in the offseason.
Projected Winner: Coleman Shelton
Right Guard
The right guard spot is the biggest weakness on the Bears offensive line.
Nate Davis has not lived up to expectations and that has led to questions regarding his starting spot.
Davis' week-to-week injury status further complicated the situation going into Week 1.
The Bears have a veteran backup in Matt Pryor who could fill in if they want to keep Bates at center.
However, Bates has five seasons worth of experience starting at guard from his time with the Buffalo Bills.
The wise move, at least in Week 1, may be to shift Bates over to right guard, start Shelton at center and figure out Davis' status on the roster when he gets healthy.
Projected Winner: Ryan Bates
Backup Running Back
The Bears may rely on Khalil Herbert's experience over Roschon Johnson's raw potential to backup D'Andre Swift.
Herbert played well in the first two preseason games. He had four carries for 35 yards in the Hall of Fame Game against the Houston Texans and contributed 31 yards off nine carries versus the Buffalo Bills.
Herbert provides the Bears with a veteran presence behind Swift who can reliably pick up yards when the starter is off the field.
Johnson displayed flashes of potential in his rookie season, but he has not performed better than Herbert yet in preseason.
Herbert should win the backup job out of training camp and it will be up to him to keep that role as the season goes on and Johnson hopefully pushes for the job throughout the weeks in practice.
Projected Winner: Khalil Herbert