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After the OTAs…

| June 18th, 2009

Nice job by Brad Biggs (been saying that quite a bit recently) with his position summaries coming out of the OTAs.  Let me break it down, in brief:

The Non-Surprises:
1. Caleb Hanie is going to be the team’s backup quarterback, making him the player I’ll be watching the closest throughout the summer. 
2. Pisa is going to be the starting backer on the strong side and I don’t see Hunter Hillenmeyer as more than a special teams player in 2009. (Especially due to the emergence of Jamar Williams.)
3. Frank Omiyale is lining up as the starting left guard.  Frank Omiyale will be the starting left guard.

The Surprise
:
Biggs reports that Corey Graham was playing nickel corner, not safety, meaning Kevin Payne and Craig Steltz are currently the starting safeties.  This doesn’t necessarily mean that Graham won’t be moved there in August but that’s a frightening amount of inexperience on the third level.   

The Summary
The Chicago Bears are going to be able to run the ball and stop the run, just as they did in 2008.  The questions heading into training camp and the 2009 season will be can the club make plays down the field offensively and prevent opponents from converting in third-and-long situations?  They’ve upgraded the offensive line and quarterback spots.  They’ve brought in Rod Marinelli.  This means the focus at the end of July will be on the wide receiver and safety positions – where the most intense competition will be taking place.

Updating Earlier Stories
: Chicago has decided against retroactively taxing PSLs.