Floyd’s “Uphill Battle,” Offensive Line Potential, Waiting for Good News on Shaheen, and Other Bullets

Aug 21, 2018

Last night, I found out that one of my favorite pairs of shoes are damaged without repair. It stinks especially bad because I was hoping someone could save them for one last late-life spurt. I guess, it just wasn’t meant to be. These shoes lasted nine years. We had a great run.

We’re still holding out hope for some good news regarding Adam Shaheen’s injury status. Shaheen was being evaluated during Head Coach Matt Nagy’s press conference (which featured some colorful conversation on a variety of topics) so we figure to get the latest after he meets the media at Halas Hall later today.

The timing for Leonard Floyd’s injury couldn’t have been worse (or more ironic), seeing that we were just talking about how he has found strength in using his hands. Over at the Chicago Tribune, Brad Biggs catches up with ex-Bears defensive end Alex Brown, who explains the “uphill battle” Floyd will have while playing with a cast or club on his right hand. We have seen the big bruisers play through with a club or cast on both sides of the line over the years, so it’s not an impossible task to conquer. But it’s one Floyd will need some time to get used to. No matter how you slice it, Floyd finds himself facing another injury related challenge he must overcome.

Floyd’s injury puts the spotlight back on the Bears’ collection of edge rushers, which was a position of perceived weakness before Saturday’s injury. Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times wonders if it’s too early to worry about the team’s pass-rush depth. Frankly, it’s been something to be worried about for quite some time. The group was already lean when it came to quality starters and now the team’s depth pieces are going to be pushed into roles that are going to ask for a lot more than what was originally bargained for before Floyd’s injury. I guess we could look at it as an opportunity for someone to make a strong impression and break out, but we’re still asking a lot of players who don’t have much of a history in doing so.

Sigh. We’ll dive deeper into that position group later because it deserves a closer inspection.

News of Floyd’s injury news didn’t move the meter at the Las Vegas SuperBook, as the Bears remain among the long-shots to win the Super Bowl:

Updated NFL futures odds from @LVSuperBook to win Super Bowl LIII. pic.twitter.com/6HONd39nOB

— Covers (@Covers) August 21, 2018

On the other side of the line of scrimmage, John Mullin of NBC Sports Chicago sees the offensive line as a group with plenty of upside and potential. Mullin views this group as being on the cusp of possibly being among the league’s elite. Better luck in the health department will certainly help matters, but so will some consistency from the center position. Much like last year, the Bears have quality starters. This year’s collection of linemen appears to have better depth. Quality and depth could turn out to be a fine combination under the guidance of highly-touted Offensive Line Coach Harry Hiestand.

Jordan Howard ran for just 32 yards on nine carries, but it was good to see him back in action. Adam Jahns of the Sun-Times caught up with Howard, who enjoyed getting in on his first preseason action. We still haven’t seen Howard targeted in the passing game, though that’s something that could come in the team’s all-important Preseason Week 3 matchup against the Chiefs. Or maybe we won’t. Remember, the Bears didn’t target Tarik Cohen once in the passing game during the preseason in 2017.

Anthony Miller is going to steal our hearts, isn’t he:

Miller stiff arm pic.twitter.com/EJBFw9sbfn

— ✶ Ⓜ️𝕒𝕣𝕔𝕦𝕤 ▶️ ✶ (@_MarcusD2_) August 19, 2018

Do you guys remember Deonte Thompson’s 109-yard return of a missed field goal from last season? We certainly do. And it popped up on this list of craziest plays to ever happen in a preseason game. There was a brief moment when we thought that might be the offensive highlight of the year, but I’m glad that turned out not to be the case.

Speaking of the 2017 preseason, remember when Victor Cruz was playing in Chicago? Cruz’s Bears career was short-lived, but he’ll always be the guy who caught Mitch Trubisky’s first touchdown pass. Happy retirement, #80:

WR Victor Cruz, who played most of his career with the #Giants, has retired from the #NFL

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) August 21, 2018

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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