Trevathan is travelling to Tennessee, 11 Bears will not

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On Friday, Chicago Bears head coach John Fox told reporters that inside linebacker Danny Trevathan, who tore his patellar tendon back in November, would be making the trip to Tennessee ?for sure.?

On Saturday, the Bears announced the eleven players that would be staying in Chicago while the team heads to Nashville to play the Titans, and as promised, Trevathan wasn?t on that list.

We?ll have to wait and see if Trevathan takes his spot alongside Jerrell Freeman as the starting inside backers on Sunday, but it?s still a good sign that he?s travelling with his teammates.

Here are the full list of Bears? players that stayed home.

DL - Jonathan Bullard

DL - Mitch Unrein

ILB - Jonathan Anderson

CB - Johnthan Banks

CB - Bryce Callahan

S - Chris Prosinski

S- DeAndre Houston-Carson

OL - Kyle Long

RB - Ka?Deem Carey

WR Josh Bellamy

WR - Markus Wheaton

Here are a few players that may take advantage of bigger opportunities.

UDFA wide out, Tanner Gentry, may have a chance to shine on special teams with Bellamy out.
Roy Robertson-Harris may get some reps in rotation with the ones with Unrein and Bullard out.
Cre?Von LeBlanc will look to cement his hold on the nickleback spot.

 

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The most important preseason game is upon us.

It is called the dress rehearsal.

Game No. 3 serves as the matchup with the most extensive playing time for the starters on both sides of the ball.

Role players and backups will see action in the second half limiting their time, but it is crucial for them to stand out. The final preseason game is nothing more than just a practice game filled with players who won't be in the league a few days after.

With that being said, here are five things I'll be watching on Sunday as the Bears take on Tennessee.

Glennon vs. Trubisky: Part 1

You can easily call this Part 2 or Part 3 as Mike Glennon and Mitch Trubisky have been in a competition since the preseason started. It all began because Glennon struggled and Trubisky played really well.

Either way, this is technically the first part of the quarterback competition.

Glennon knows he can't afford another stinker as he will play the first half with the starting group. Trubisky will relieve him for a series or two in the third quarter.

It is great the Bears are finally realizing they need to see what Trubisky can do with the first-team. Plus, putting Glennon on the hot seat is ideal. He doesn't deserve to just win the job outright after his poor play. Sunday will be a big one for the two quarterbacks.

Running back room

Ka'Deem Carey is the lone running back who won't be making the trip due to a broken wrist. He's likely out for six weeks or more.

That means Jordan Howard returns after missing the second game and Jeremy Langford will make his preseason debut. Tarik Cohen is emerging as a fourth round rookie and Benny Cunningham has done some things as a receiver out of the backfield.

Cohen will continue to be a playmaker and that will put some pressure on Langford in his first game back from ankle surgery. Expect a different, more complete look at the running back position.

Wide receiver mess

After Cameron Meredith, the Bears' wide receiver room is an absolute mystery. Kevin White has yet to prove his first round stock. Markus Wheaton is injured again with a broken finger and veterans Kendall Wright and Victor Cruz have been so-so.

Tanner Gentry, Deonte Thompson and even Titus Davis have shown up so far this preseason. Daniel Braverman looks to be a long shot and Josh Bellamy remains out due to an ankle issue.

White, Wright and Cruz will be monitored all night in this one. Gentry is a guy who should be watched closely as well since he's been impressive out of the slot.

Offensive line growth

It has been a smooth transition for the Bears' offensive line without All-Pro guard Kyle Long. It doesn't appear as if Long will be ready for Week 1, so the team has been preparing with Cody Whitehair at left guard, Hroniss Grasu at center and Josh Sitton at right guard.

The interior line has held up and when Long returns it will give this line some versatility and added insurance. Left tackle Charles Leno Jr. will suit up in his first game since cashing in on a four-year, $38 million deal. Right tackle Bobby Massie is back again, but his job isn't guaranteed past this season.

The defensive identity is solid

Vic Fangio's defense is coming along. It flashed promise a year ago, but it looks ready to pounce in 2017.

The front four has been able to generate pressure on its own. Leonard Floyd looks poised to be a star and Jaye Howard, Jonathan Bullard, Akiem Hicks and Eddie Goldman make for a nice rotation along the line.

At inside linebacker, Jerrell Freeman is locked in as the workhorse tackler and Danny Trevathan is shooting for a Week 1 return. If he isn't back, Nick Kwiatkoski, Christian Jones and John Timu will earn some valuable reps.

Cornerback seems to be improved but we still haven't seen a lot from starters Prince Amukamara and Marcus Cooper. This is yet another audition for Kyle Fuller.

Pay attention to Eddie Jackson, the rookie should be able to overtake Adrian Amos as a starter some point this season.

 

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It?s Week 3 of the preseason, the last true tuneup for most of the Tennessee Titans starters before beginning regular season action in two weeks.

The 2017 Titans are starting to look as strong on the field as they do on paper, given the talent general manager Jon Robinson brought in. With the bandwagon getting larger, it?s a good time to look big picture for this team.

That takes us to this week?s mailbag question:

What do you see as the biggest strength of this team? What do you see as our biggest weakness? -- Justin Smith, Idaho

The Titans? biggest strength remains their power running game led by one of the NFL?s best offensive lines. Improved receiving options will open up the box and make that dominance even more pronounced in 2017.

Tennessee has the luxury of two high-end offensive tackles in Taylor Lewan and Jack Conklin to bookend the line and a strong communicator and performer in center Ben Jones to anchor this group.

DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry would be a top-five running back duo behind most offensive lines, but they are arguably the NFL?s best pair because of the bullies up front. All five offensive line starters return for a rushing attack that finished third in 2016.

The Titans' weaknesses are becoming less apparent as we get closer to the regular season, but the youth, depth and continuity of this secondary remains a question mark.

Of Tennessee?s top five defensive backs -- Logan Ryan, LeShaun Sims, Adoree' Jackson, Kevin Byard and Jonathan Cyprien -- three are first- or second-year players. The other two -- Ryan and Cyprien -- were big free-agent signings.

It?s a much-needed overhaul for a secondary that finished 30th in pass defense last season. Results have been up and down in the preseason, but it appears this unit will be better.

The true question comes in how this unit responds to a string of bad plays or a significant injury at the cornerback position where there isn?t much proven depth.