Kevin White and Tanner Gentry Could Step Up in Meredith’s Absence and Other Bullets

Aug 29, 2017

If you look very, very closely, you’ll see Chicago Bears left guard Kyle Long on the cover of Sports Illustrated:

Very happy for @Ky1eLong getting an SI Cover #DreamsComeTrue pic.twitter.com/vvzcgw7kFk

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 29, 2017

The Bears’ starting offensive line has been pretty solid through the preseason, but there is more concern about which receivers Glennon will throw to than who is blocking for him. After all, an already thin group of receivers lost their best player in Cam Meredith.

But with that said, Chris Emma of CBS Chicago sees this as an opportunity for some players to step up into a prime role, and at the top of the list you’ll find Tanner Gentry and Kevin White. Gentry, you’ll recall, is an undrafted rookie free agent who’s seen an increase in playing time with the special teams unit. White is a former top-10 pick who might as well be a rookie after playing in just four games in his first two seasons. Both stand to gain significant playing time because of Meredith’s absence.

Mitch Trubisky (who really hasn’t played in a traditional third quarterback role this preseason) has been sprinkled with praise for his play through three preseason games. The latest comes from Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus, who broke down each first-round rookie’s performance after the all-important third preseason game. While Trubisky hasn’t been exactly the same player he was during Week 1 against the Denver Broncos, the arrow has continued to point up in his development. A stray, but interesting nugget: Trubisky posted a perfect 158.3 rating when given 2.6 seconds or more to throw. However, that rating dropped to 68.3 when given 2.5 seconds or less.

Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report sizes up the potential big names who could be cut by their respective teams before Saturday’s deadline to set 53-man rosters, listing outside linebacker Lamarr Houston as a prime candidate to get cut by the Bears. Moton notes the Bears could save $6 million by parting ways with the 30-year-old who has had two ACL procedures in the last three years. However, Houston’s future with the Bears could be tied to the health of its defensive linemen and outside linebackers. Primarily, Pernell McPhee.

Devin Hester’s son isn’t old enough to play in the NFL, but you just might want to keep an eye on the youngster moving forward:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYM-kCjATF-/

Matthew Stafford got paaaaaaiiiiiiiid, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has some of the finer details in the deal as part of having the full scope of the deal – which could be worth $151.5 in full value.

Over at The Ringer, Danny Heifetz explains how Stafford’s deal resets the quarterback market. If you’re looking for a beneficiary of this deal, look no further than up the road in Green Bay where Aaron Rodgers and his $22 million per year has been eclipsed by Stafford, as well as Derek Carr.

Over at Sports on Earth, Will Leitch previews the NFC North, and to no one’s surprise, doesn’t think much of the Bears’ chances. Leitch pegs 2017 as a third straight losing season, adding the way GM Ryan Pace addressed the quarterback situation could sink the season.

Kevin Mawae was one of the NFL’s best centers from 1994 to 2009, an era in which he made eight Pro Bowls and earned three first-team All-Pro nominations. Mawae, who served in an assistant role with the Bears last season, will be inducted into the New York Jets ring of honor.

Speaking of the Jets, it looks like they are exploring the possibility of shopping running back Matt Forte, per Tom Pelissero. The former Bears standout has a guaranteed salary of $4 million which Pelissero believes could be tough to move. Cutting ties with Forte was a difficult move for the Bears front office to make, but a necessary one based on where the team was competitively. When taking into consideration the traditional steady decline of running backs, it appears as if the front office made the right move for the team moving forward.

The college football season kicked off over the weekend, and the game is as healthy as it has ever been. Well, as long as you’re not playing in the game. Steve Berkowitz of USA Today Sports writes approximately $150 million will flow through college football via “guarantee games.” Whether it’s college or the pros, football is BIG business.

written by

Luis C. Medina

Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.

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Kevin White and Tanner Gentry Could Step Up in Meredith’s Absence and Other Bullets

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