Emma: Top Bears' Preseason Storylines, In Hyperbole
By Chris Emma--
(CBS) Believe it or not, there's purpose to the NFL's preseason.
General managers like the Bears' Ryan Pace get to evaluate their personnel in great detail, whether it's in training camp drills or the four exhibition contests. It's an important time to solidify depth.
But for the fans, the preseason brings two important things. One is football fun, the other is hyperbole.
Following months of football deprivation, the local heroes suit up in pads and helmets and play. In the grand scheme, it doesn't mean much, but this is the time of year for looking at everything under the microscope.
Let's take a look at the Bears' preseason hyperbole from the first weeks of preseason preparation.
Greatest preseason performer: G Kyle Long
Is it a bad thing that the best Bears player to this point is an offensive lineman? Probably, but let's look at the positive here. Long has been dominant. He looks even better than in his first two seasons, both of which resulted in a Pro Bowl appearance.
What the Bears have in Long is a tremendous team leader and respected teammate, somebody who brings stability to a locker room that needed it. More importantly, they have a monster up front, the kind of player who makes the rest of the offensive line better. If Long performs anything like he has in the preseason -- and there's no reason to think otherwise -- that's one big step for the Bears' offensive line.
Greatest preseason concern: Injuries at receiver
This offseason, Bears management acted swiftly in removing Brandon Marshall from the team, making Alshon Jeffery the top receiver and drafting Kevin White out of West Virginia with the No. 7 pick. The problem is that both are currently hurt.
On Saturday, the Bears announced that White will have surgery on a stress fracture in his shin and will miss at least the first six games of the regular season. He could miss his entire rookie season, in fact. This followed weeks of deception to White's status and the Bears indicating he had shin splints. Adding to that worry, Jeffery was on crutches and in a walking boot for a calf strain. Can the Bears be believed in saying Jeffery is "day-to-day" like White was weeks ago? Absolutely not. We'll have to wait and see if White plays and when Jeffery returns.
Biggest preseason surprise: LB Shea McClellin standing out
Just as we were ready to write off McClellin, the new Mike linebacker has impressed. He's currently slated as a starter in the middle of Vic Fangio's new 3-4 defense. Basically, McClellin is the quarterback of the defense, a man playing a key role.
McClellin failed as a defensive end and seemed to be a better fit as a 3-4 outside linebacker, but the Bears have committed to making the 2012 first-round pick work at linebacker. It's certainly a surprise, but so is the fact that the experiment seems to be working. Time -- and more importantly, game action -- will tell if the preseason success has been a sham, but it looks good right now.
Least talked-about preseason story: QB Jay Cutler
Past preseasons have brought the most ridiculous Cutler think pieces. The narrative once suggested Cutler would be a different quarterback because he's a father, and his Titanic-sized conversion van was analyzed. This preseason, Cutler is an afterthought, and what a nice change it is.
Cutler's future in Chicago remains a mystery, though it's entirely possible this is his last season with the Bears. There are glimmers of hope in Cutler's relationship with his fifth offensive coordinator in Chicago, the innovative Adam Gase, and the fact he hadn't thrown an interception in training camp until Sunday -- while overblown -- is notable in that he has comfort in the offense. But Cutler hasn't been babbled about nearly as much this August, and it's magnificent.
Best Bears newcomer of the preseason: WR Eddie Royal
Unfortunately for the Bears, this preseason has seen Royal go from important role player in the slot to Jay Cutler's go-to guy. Without Jeffery and White on the field, that comfort between Cutler and Royal is of great importance.
Royal's a sure-handed target who's incredibly smart on the field. He always seems to be in the right place in his passing routes and has a way of separating to stay open. Additionally, Royal has shown an ability for the spectacular in making catches. The Bears have a reliable target in Royal, somebody who has been even more than what was asked.
Bears rookie of the preseason award winner: NT Eddie Goldman
Any NFL executive would request three years to truly judge a rookie. That's when the development track shows and the results become real. But this is the preseason, where logic like that is often thrown out the window, so let's judge Goldman for his success in the first three weeks of the preseason.
Goldman has been a monster in the middle of the Bears' 3-4 defense, showing he can play his important role. He can take on a double team and helps create blitz opportunities for the linebackers. More importantly, Goldman hasn't looked out of place in the NFL, even battling against a Pro Bowl player like Long. It's been a promising start for the Bears rookie.
Most important storyline moving forward: Musical chairs at linebacker
The Bears are plugging 4-3 round pegs into 3-4 square holes. Before the regular season begins, some key questions must be answered. Pernell McPhee is talented and will fit in, while Jared Allen has looked the part as an outside linebacker. So what happens behind them on the depth chart?
The experiment with Lamarr Houston and Willie Young hasn't worked to this point, largely thanks to injuries and inconsistencies, while Sam Acho has offered key depth. But it's possible that somebody will get cut, opening room for special teams roles, and Young is sitting in a bad place as a third-string player. How and where the chips fall in this competition will be fascinating to watch as the preseason continues on.
Follow Chris on Twitter @CEmma670.
