Chicago Bears: 5 Breakout players to watch when training camp begins

Every year there are players who perform great at training camp and give us a preview of a breakout year. Here are five for the Chicago Bears who could do that in 2021.

The Chicago Bears‘ 2021 season is approaching. Next month, the players report for training camp. Shortly thereafter, the preseason games begin. After that, the season starts and we go crazy over just about every play in every game once again.

Training camp gives the coaches and fans a first look at the new roster. This year, there are quite a few new faces that raise Chicago Bears Nation’s hope for a good season (or at least a promising future). The quarterback position is solidified with a veteran signing and a promising rookie. The offensive line had a lot of additions and looks meaner than it has in quite some time.

We also see a change in the cornerback spot. Gone are Kyle Fuller and Buster Skrine. The question is whether their replacements will be effective enough. We’ll see how these new faces jell with the familiar ones and if the combinations equal an improvement.

Every year at training camp we see some players perform well. They break out and impress the coaches. Sometimes it translates to success in the regular season but sometimes it doesn’t. It’ll be fun, however, to see who the breakout training camp stars are and hope their good play continues well into the 2021 NFL season.

Here are five players who could have an impressive training camp.

5. James Daniels, Offensive Lineman

James Daniels was the Chicago Bears’ highest-rated offensive lineman last season. The problem was his season ended after Week 5 when he suffered a torn pectoral muscle. When he went down, it seemed like the rest of the line just deteriorated. Yes, other injuries and COVID also played a part (as well as depth problems), but Daniels seemed to be the glue for the offensive line unit.

Despite the problems with the offensive line for a few years (except for the 2018 season), the offensive line was playing well up to Daniels’ injury. In three of those five games, the offense had over 300 yards of offense, and one over 400 yards. They averaged 21 points per game in that span.

During the next five games after his injury, however, they had two games over 300 yards of offense and none over 400. They averaged just 17.2 points per game in that span.

The coaching staff was able to find a combination later in the season that worked, especially in the interior. Inserting Daniels back, though, vastly improves the unit. He’ll easily be a starter again.

With him back, that moves someone like Alex Bars, who played well when he was playing, to a reserve. Having a player with starting experience like Bars as a backup strengthens the offensive line. Should Daniels or Cody Whitehair (the likely starter at the other guard spot) go down, Bars can step in and get the job done.

Daniels is healthy again and rearing to go. He saw how the line suffered in his absence and wants to come back and pick up where he left off before his injury.