And now, they welcome the Kansas City Chiefs and a familiar face at the QB position back to Chicago on Sunday.

Kyle Orton may not be the listed starter yet, but with Shane Falco (OK, his name is Tyler Palko, but it is the same difference, really) throwing six interceptions and zero touchdowns in his first two games starting, Todd Haley will be quick to pull the plug if things go south early for his team.

And Orton has to have the motivation. He was traded with two first rounders and a second rounder for Jay Cutler and a fifth rounder (Johnny Knox) to Denver two seasons ago. He put up pretty good numbers over the past year, but with the team flailing and losses continuing to mount, he was replaced by Tim Tebow and subsequently cut.

Orton will want to prove to both Chicago and Denver that he still can play and that both teams were wrong to give up on him. Now only being in the system for two weeks or so means that if he plays, he will be probably on a smaller playbook, which is a good thing for him. He can study the defense, and Haley can put him in a position to make plays and deliver the ball.

The Chiefs season has been disappointing this year, but if anyone watched the Sunday Night Football game, the Chiefs defense clamped down on a good Pittsburgh Steelers offense, allowing only 13 points.

Their corners are very athletic. Brandon Flowers can be left on an island much of the time, as he is the best athlete on the defense.

On the other side, Brandon Carr has been improving all season and generally gets solid over the top help from free safety Kendrick Lewis. This trio has combined for nine interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns and 149 tackles.

This group is going to test Hanie, and I expect defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel to dial up blitz packages with the 3-4 defense and challenge Hanie to beat his corners one-on-one. The Chiefs pass defense is currently ranked 12th in the NFL, giving up 225 yards per game.

For the Bears to win, it comes to down to blocking.

They will need their guards, Chris Williams and Chris Spencer, and their tight ends to attack the holes on running plays and get to the second level. The Chiefs have good linebackers, especially in Derrick Johnson and Tamba Hali, and the Bears need to put on a body on them if they want Matt Forte and Marion Barber to succeed.

They also need the line, as a unit, to be in max protect during passing plays. Give Hanie time to survey the field and go through his progressions.

That said, Hanie will still need to make smart throws. He showed flashes of it against Oakland, but as a whole, was very uninspiring.

The Bears are currently the pretty heavy favorite, but if they overlook this Chiefs team, they could give up an embarrassing loss at home and put themselves in a very bad spot when it comes to the playoff race

Read more Chicago Bears news on BleacherReport.com

I watched him since he was a rookie thrust into the starting role and navigated the Bears to a 10-6 record. I cheered for him after the Rex Grossman meltdown. He made some plays. He limited his mistakes. Orton isn't a bad QB.

When the Bears traded him to Denver, I still rooted for him. I still hoped he would win. I still enjoyed watching him succeed. Heck, I was even was saddened when I heard of his benching and then his release, and this is three years removed from his time in Chicago.

I wish him all the best in the future—just not with the Bears.

I understand the reasons behind wanting Orton. He is a great game manager. He has a relationship with the Bears, the head coach, the front office, the fan base and even some of the players still.

However, he doesn't have a relationship with Mike Martz, and that is the big problem.

Martz is notorious for running a very complicated and very large playbook for his offense. It has taken this core group of players until this season to fully begin mastering it, including Jay Cutler himself. To ask a Orton to come in and learn it quick enough to make a difference in how the Bears finish this season isn't fair to Orton and isn't fair to the Bears. 

In the next three weeks, the Bears face three teams that they should be able to beat with a QB that just needs to understand the system and not make mistakes. Enter Caleb Hanie.

While there may be an argument to be made for needing for a veteran backup behind Hanie and rookie fifth-round pick Nathan Enderle, the Bears' starting QB for the next six weeks, barring injury, is going to be the undrafted free agent out of Colorado St. who has been on the bench for the past four years.

He has sat behind Cutler and learned from him over these last three years. He has worked in Martz's system for the same amount of time. He has sat in all the meetings and studied. He has earned the respect of the team and the fans.

Hanie even came in during the NFC Championship Game and gave the Bears a little spark after Cutler's injury and the failed Todd Collins experiment. (That man still haunts my nightmares.) He played decently and deserves the chance to prove he can play in this league.

There are no better options right now than him, and I know that is scary to hear. Heck, it is scary to type, but it is the truth. For the Bears to win right now and have any shot of sliding into the fifth or sixth playoff spot, they need the best possible QB in right now. That is Hanie.

If the Bears signed Orton, it means No. 12 will spend a lot of time looking over his shoulder every time he throws an incomplete pass. There is enough pressure on him already—Lovie Smith and Jerry Angelo just need to give him his shot.

The rest of the Chicago Bears' regular season is, and should be, placed squarely on Hanie's shoulders. It does not matter whom, or even if, the Bears select for a third quarterback while Cutler is on the shelf. The Bears' best hope for making playoffs now rest with Caleb Hanie as their starter. End of story.

Read more Chicago Bears news on BleacherReport.com

The Bills are 0-7. They have scored a total of 136 points while allowing 211. Their defense ranks dead-last in both points allowed and rush yards allowed and then give up the fourth-most total yards per game. (Although, in an odd change of pace, the Bills allow the sixth-fewest passing yards per game.)

In fact, the Bills will not even be playing in Buffalo when the Bears make the trek up there this week. The game will be held in Toronto, which is where many speculate the Bills will be moved to once current owner Ralph Wilson passes away.

After the first three or four weeks, most NFL teams were licking their chops when they saw Buffalo on the schedule, viewing them as a "gimme win."

But not so fast. Let us take a closer look at these Bills.

First off, the teams the Bills have lost to are the following: Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs who have a combined record of 34-17.

They have lost four of those games by one score or less (Dolphins, Patriots, Ravens and Chiefs) and the last two losses to the Chiefs and Ravens both came in overtime.

In the five games that Ryan Fitzpatrick has played in, since taking over for former teammate Trent Edwards, he has thrown for 12 touchdowns, five interceptions and 1,200 yards. He has shown poise and leadership, especially in the last two weeks.

Lee Evans has enjoyed the spoils of Fitzpatrick's success as in the last three games he has grabbed 16 passes for 248 yards and four touchdowns.

The Bills also made a solid decision when they traded away running back Marshawn Lynch to the Seattle Seahawks several weeks ago. That has allowed both remaining running backs, Fred Jackson and rookie C.J. Spiller, to have their roles within the offense become more defined.

And what is more, the Bills are hungry. Two weeks in a row they have smelled victory. They went up to Baltimore and punched the Ravens defense in the face, piling on over 500 yards of offense on what has been the best defense in the NFL over the past decade plus.

They stood tall at Arrowhead Stadium and went nose to nose with an upstart Chiefs team that is in the top 10 in most defensive rankings. They lost only when the Chiefs kicker nailed a 35-yard field goal as time expired in OT.

The Bills have been so close to victory. They can smell it. And now they welcome a Bears team that quite frankly has played miserable the last three game.

Five third-down conversions out of the past 50 chances.

Wait—let me repeat that. The Chicago Bears are FIVE FOR THE PAST 50 third-down conversions. JESUS!

I mean is that stat even measurable? Has there been a team with a worse percentage than the Bears in that span of time? I am not sure I even want to know. This is so depressing.

Want more bad news?

According to Steve Rosenbloom of the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Bears:

• Have the third-worst offense in the NFL. 
• Have the worst third-down offense (by a considerable margin).
• Have given up the most sacks in the league.
• Have thrown the most interceptions in the league.
• Have the second-worst red zone offense in the league, which includes an impressive zero for their last 10 chances from the goal line.

Wow...I'm not even mad, that is just amazing.

Jay Cutler has looked like a shell since coming back from his concussion. The offensive line has looked lost and confused for pretty much the entire season.

Even the defense looks like it is lagging. Whether it is because the offense can never stay on the field or that Lance Briggs is missing or a combination of the two, the past two weeks have not been the most pleasing.

Now, will the Bears come out from the bye week motivated with a new game plan? Maybe.

Will Mike Tice have the offensive line figured out (they have had five different starting line combinations in the first seven games with Olin Kreutz as the only lineman who has played and started at the same position since Week 1).

Will the Bills have a hangover after losing out on two close games? It is entirely possible.

But if the NFL has taught us anything this season, expect the unexpected, whether it is the Raiders blowing out the Broncos by 800 points or the Packers beating the Jets 9-0 or the Bears getting a victory despite an obvious touchdown catch by Calvin Johnson in the first game of the year.

The Bills can beat the Bears.

No offense to Tim Jennings, Zach Bowman or Peanut Tillman, but if the Bears don't generate a pass-rush, Fitzpatrick is going to have his way with the Bears defensive backfield all day, much like Matt Hasselbeck did.

This game is dangerous because if the Bears are the first team to lose to the Bills this year, both head coach Lovie Smith and offensive coordinator Mike Martz need to be fired pretty much on the spot.

Read more Chicago Bears news on BleacherReport.com

OFFENSE:

Quarterback - Jay Cutler: B

Cutler went 23/35 for 372 yards two touchdowns, one INT plus five carries for 22 yards, which are pretty solid numbers all things considered. But he gets the B grade because the one interception was thrown into triple coverage, he fumbled the ball away once and at least two if not three of the sacks the Lions had were more of a result of Cutler holding on to the ball a second to long.

Running back - Matt Forte/Chester Taylor: B+

Forte and Taylor combined for 26 carries for 79 yards rushing (an average of about three yards a carry). And Forte did have two fumbles, one he lost. But the simple fact that Forte had two fabulous touchdowns makes up for a lot. Seven receptions for 151 yards and two touchdowns are pro bowl caliber RECEIVER numbers. He has his speed back and Taylor complimented him with some solid runs and a couple nice catches.

Tight ends - Greg Olsen/Des Clark/Brandon Manumaleuna: C

Clark and Manumaleuna blocked pretty well and Olsen had a couple first down catches, but Olsen had a big fumble and no other TE recorded a catch. So, just about average.

Wide receivers - Devin Aromashodu/Johnny Knox/Devin Hester: B-

Aromashodu and Knox had some nice catches (although Aromashodu dropped an easy touchdown catch) and Hester's one reception was for 17 yards. Combined, the three had eight receptions for 140 yards. Should have been better, but when your running back has 151 yards receiving by himself, that doesn't leave a lot of chances.

Offensive line: C-

Some of the sacks were a result of Cutler holding on to the ball for too long, but Cutler was constantly under pressure and the fact that Forte and Taylor could only muster 3.0 yards per carry against a Lions team that Forte gashed for 100 yards in both games last season, forces a poorer grade. Multiple holding and false start penalties doesn't help the cause

DEFENSE:

Defensive Line: A-

Julius Peppers earned his paycheck. He recorded one tackle, one sack and one forced fumble... Oh and one QB knocked out of the game (to be fair, I hope Stafford recovers quickly. I actually kind of like him when he is not facing the Bears).

Tommie Harris actually showed up for a couple plays and the Mark Anderson/Israel Idonije tandem played spirited.

Linebackers - Pisa Tinoisamoa/Brian Urlacher/Lance Briggs: A

This is what the Bears were expecting from their linebacking corps last season before Brian Urlacher and Pisa Tinoisamoa got hurt.

Urlacher was all over the field, sideline to sideline hitting people and making tackles. He finished with eight tackles and a sack and Lance Briggs led the Bears with nine tackles and a forced fumble.

Cornerbacks - Zackary Bowman/Charles Tillman: A-

If you hold Calvin Johnson to four catches for 45 yards, you get a good grade. They get the minus because CJ's non touchdown reception really should have counted.

Safeties - Chris Harris/Danieal Manning: B+

Neither safety played that bad. Although neither seemed to be outstanding. That said, any game where Manning doesn't get burned deep is a good game in this writer's book.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Punter - Brad Maynard: B+

Maynard only averaged 25.6 yards per punt but of his five punts, four ended up inside the 20 yard line.

Kicker - Robbie Gould: A-

Robbie hit both field goal attempts and got the ball close to the endzone on the kickoffs. What more can one ask for?

Kick/Punt returners - Hester/Manning: C

Hester had five punt returns with a three yard return average. Manning had three kick returns for an average of 23 yards. Just an average day.

COACHING

O/C - Mike Martz: B+

Called a pretty good game with the exception of the four straight failures inside the one yard line.

D/C - Rod Marinelli: A-

With the exception of the final drive, Marinelli did very, very well.

Head Coach - Lovie Smith: C

While the defense played well, the decision to go for a touchdown when all you needed was a field goal to take the lead really makes you scratch your head.

Overall grade: C+

While the Lions are a better team than they were last year and the Bears dominated the game in terms of yards and time of possession, if you need a fluke rule to win the game, you can't score any higher than a C+.

Read more Chicago Bears news on BleacherReport.com

According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, wide receiver Freddie Barnes, linebackers Tim Shaw and Kevin Malast, tight end Richard Angulo, safeties Al Afalava and Quentin Scott, center Tim Walter, and cornerbacks Cornelius Brown and Woodny Turenne were all informed of their impending release on Friday afternoon.

Some of the cuts were expected; however, having Shaw and Afalava released was surprising, as both played important roles last year for the Bears.

Afalava started 13 games last season and accumulated 53 tackles, two sacks, seven pass deflections, and a forced fumble as a rookie. That coupled with the injuries suffered so far in the preseason to rookie Major Wright and Josh Bullocks, one would think the Bears need extra depth at that position.

Shaw was in a tough battle with Brian Iwuh for the sixth and final linebacker position. Despite having recorded 30 special team tackles last season, Iwuh got the nod most likely based on experience, as Iwuh played four years with the Jacksonville Jaguars in their linebacker rotation.

Look for some of these players to clear waivers and be signed to the eight man practice squad. Woodny Turenne spend last season there and could be going back. If Barnes clears waivers, he could also land a spot as could linebacker Kevin Malast.

Afalava started over the allowed amount to be practice-squad eligible, and Shaw may get a shot with another team that is special teams starved.

The Bears should release a list of all the players let go before the end of today.

Players to keep your eyes on: WR Juaquin Iglesias, FB Eddie Williams, defensive linemen Jarron Gilbert and Henry Melton, offensive guard Johan Asiata, and either Caleb Hanie or Dan LeFevour at the quarterback position.

Read more Chicago Bears news on BleacherReport.com

Starters, if they even play, generally get one series or so before getting pulled which is the smart move. No offense to those fighting for their professional lives, but the most important thing about Week four of the preseason is to make sure no starters get injured.

So why watch this last game if it is going to be dominated by scrubs and back ups? Well here are five battles to watch that could impact the Bears in the regular season...

1. The Final Linebacker Spot: Tim Shaw vs Brian Iwuh

Shaw was the best special teams player on the Chicago Bears last season by far, recording 24 tackles on special teams, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He was also named to the 2009 All-Joe Team, which is a list of players that the USA Today felt were the most underrated players who did the most.

(Although some former past Joe's from the Bears include Kevin Payne and Garrett Wolfe... so maybe it isn't all that good of list to make.)

Iwuh has a slight advantage over Shaw in the sense that he was part of the Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker rotation over the past couple seasons. Also billed as a special teams ace, Iwuh was hurt early in camp but came on strong, intercepting two passes in his first practice back and playing well this past week against the Cardinals.

Which ever player makes the roster (and it is very unlikely that both make it. Six linebackers is a pretty good number, seven is almost unheard of) the expectations will be that that player will be the top special teamer on the roster.

2. Defensive Lineman: Henry Melton vs Jarron Gilbert

Both players were drafted last season, Gilbert in the third round and Melton in the fifth but neither have wowed coaches in camp.

Expect the Bears D-line to consist of the following: Tommie Harris, Anthony Adams, Julius Peppers, Mark Anderson, Israel Idonije, Corey Wootten and Marcus Harrison.

With those seven, expect the Bears to keep two more players, maximum. One of those spots should go to Matt Toeaina, who has played very well through the first three weeks of the preseason, leaving the two mid round draft picks from a year ago to battle it out for the last spot.

Melton spent all of last season on the IR list as he continued to adjust to the defensive end position (he played running back for his first couple years in college). Gilbert saw minimal game action last season but participated fully in practices.

The real question may not come down to who is better or more ready. It may come down to numbers. Peppers, Anderson, Izzy and Wootten are all defensive ends. Harris, Adams, Harrison and Toeaina are all defensive tackles. So which position do the Bears need more depth at?

The answer is more than likely defensive end. Despite there being four at each, the defensive end position has more questions marks on it once you get past Peppers and Idonije has seen significant time at the defensive tackle position, so he could fill in there if needed.

If that ends up being the case, then expect the Bears to go with Melton. If they just go with the best available, look for Gilbert to make the roster and Melton to get pushed towards the practice squad.

3. Third String Running Back: Kahlil Bell vs Garrett Wolfe

Bell came out of nowhere in the middle of last season when he broke off a 72 yard run in the second quarter of a loss against the Eagles. Going into his second season, Bell has shown some abilities to make plays on special teams as well, so he is not just a one dimensional back, but he would not be the change-of-pace back that most teams look for in their third string running back.

Wolfe would be the change-of-pace back and the more experienced special teamer of the two.

That said, the Bears have been waiting for for three years for Wolfe to be that explosive change of pace player they thought they were drafting. The Bears seemed to hope that Wolfe would be a Darren Sproles type of player, coming in during certain situations and be insanely elusive.

So far though, he has not lived up to the billing. Some of that may be attributed to former offensive coordinator Ron Turner, but even during preseason, Wolfe looks like he is just a step to slow to be a 5'7" running back in the NFL.

The real test in this final preseason game may actually be who can block better. Given his size, the advantage would seem to go towards Bell.

4. Final Three Cornerback spots: D.J. Moore vs Corey Graham vs Joshua Moore vs Tim Jennings vs Woodny Turenne

A five man competition for the three spots (assuming they go with five cornerbacks on roster). D.J. Moore has looked solid in preseason and Graham has gotten some extensive time on the field, so look for both of them to grab a spot.

That leaves rookie fifth round draft pick Joshua Moore, former Indianapolis Colts corner Tim Jennings and seasoned Bear training camp and practice squad member Woodny Turenne.

Now the feel good pick would be Turenne who was signed last season, cut, then signed to the practice squad for the remainder of the year. But the Bears did give Joshua Moore a four year contract and he has shown some positive things through the first three preseason games.

Jennings has by far the most experience and is a solid special teams player as well. In his three years with the Colts, he recorded 126 tackles and two interceptions.

So if any one of the three can make a significant impact in the final preseason game, that should make them the front runner for the final spot.

5. Back Up Quarterbacks: Todd Collins vs Caleb Hanie vs Dan Lefevour

This is the most interesting match up. Each player have different factors that work in their favor.

Collins is the experienced veteran and was just given a nice little signing bonus, which teams generally do not give if they feel the player is will be cut before the regular season.

Hanie has been the back up for the past couple season and seemingly improved year after year. Although a shoulder injury suffered in week one could hurt his chances.

Lefevour is a sixth round pick that many consider one of the biggest steals of the draft. In the most recent game, Lefevour went 10-12 for 99 yards and a touchdown.

Now in a perfect world, Collins and Hanie would stay on as Cutler's reserves and Lefevour would get moved to the practice squad where he can get in reps and develop. The only problem with that scenario is that many feel if Lefevour is placed on waivers, another team will snag him.

So what do you look for in this final game? See how well Collins and Lefevour play. If both do outstanding and Hanie either doesn't play or does poorly in his time, he could be in a little trouble.

Read more Chicago Bears news on BleacherReport.com

With the Bears already having long time back Caleb Hanie on the roster, but recovering from a sprained shoulder, rookie sixth round pick Dan LeFevour and recently signed third year player Matt Gutierrez, there should be quite a competition over the next two preseason games.

That said, as Bradd Biggs has reported, it would appear that the bonus given to Collins would point to him being a mainstay on the roster for this season. And with the signing, it would appear that the Bears figure that out of their four reserve options, they should have at least two suitable back up choices by seasons start.

Now after Cutler, odds are high that Collins will be the primary back up, at least until Hanie recovers from injury. With Hanie there as the second/third option, the best bet would be that LeFevour gets sent to the practice squad and Gutierrez finds himself looking for another team.

Unfortunately, that means that if Cutler goes down with any sort of injury, which after watching him get sacked five times in the first half versus the Raiders last weekend doesn't seem out of the realm of possibility, the Bears will be led by either:

- a 38 year old, 14 season veteran who has started just a total of three (count them, THREE) games since 1998, or...

- a third year player who has not started a single game in the NFL, thrown only seven passes in real games and who just suffered a should injury last week.

Not exactly reassuring to the Bear faithful.

Don't get be wrong, Collins is a very capable backup QB. He would not have lasted 14 seasons in the NFL if he couldn't provide some sort of help.

And I can appreciate that he has skills.

I remember Collins all to well from the 2007 season. The Chicago Bears were facing the Washington Redskins in a Thursday night game and Jason Campbell went down with a knee injury in the second quarter. Todd Collins came in and proceed to go 15 for 20 with 224 yards and two touchdowns while leading the 'Skins to a 24-16 victory.

So the man has the capabilities, but the fact that he is 38 years old and has had so few of starts the past decade makes one nervous. Plus, the older you get, generally the more prone to injuries you become. And after watching Chris Williams gets schooled for the entire first half of the Raider game, whoever our QB is will be taking some hits.

On the other side, Hanie has shown flashes of potential and has improved from each year previous but he still may not be fully ready to shoulder the responsibilities (or take the hits) that a starting quarterback is required to in the NFL.

The only reassuring factor to all this is that at least the Bears made the effort to improve the depth at QB. After Collins, the only other players who may have been willing to sign as back ups would be from the Canadian league.

And while LeFevour had some good passes against the Raiders, it was against the back ups and he still has much to learn before getting any real game time experience. He will benefit greatly from getting reps on the practice squad.

While the signing of Collins adds veteran depth, the truth of it is if Jay Cutler goes down, it does not matter which back up QB comes in because the Bears will not win without him.

Read more Chicago Bears news on BleacherReport.com

As training camp kicks off, the Chicago Bears have more than a couple questions that need answering before the first game on September 12th.

How are Jay Cutler and Mike Martz going to work out?

Can Matt Forte rebound from a miserable sophomore season?

Can the Bears' receivers master a new, highly complicated offense in time to be effective?

Can the defense, once so proud and dominant, regain that form after becoming progressively worse over the past three seasons?

Many of these questions won't be answered until the season is well under way, but questions about positions and roster spots can be answered before the final preseason game.

Here are six battles to keep your eye on:

Starting right tackle: Frank Omiyale vs. Kevin Shaffer

After a terrible first year with the Bears at left guard, Omiyale has moved over to the right tackle spot and stepped into the starters role, a position he played while with the Carolina Panthers.

This will allow him to operate in more space without concerning himself over pulling on running plays, focusing instead on the man in front of him.

While this writer was all for Big Frank no longer being the left guard, making him the starter before training camp seems a little too bold. Kevin Shaffer stepped into the starters role last season when Orlando Pace finally succumbed to injury (and age).

After Shaffer was brought in as the starter, Cutler's interceptions seemed to drop off, only tossing six picks over the last five games, compared to the 20 interceptions in the first 11 games.

Matt Forte also seemed to get a slight boost when Shaffer arrived, gaining 386 yards over the final five games compared to the 272 yards he accumulated in the previous seven games.

Does this mean Shaffer should be the starter?

No; but it should be an interesting battle for offensive line coach Mike Tice and the rest of Bear Nation to watch.

Third-string quarterback: Dan Lefevour vs. Mike Teel vs. Free Agent veteran

Dan Lefevour was the Bears Sixth Round pick in the 2010 draft, and while not much was thought of him before, many considered him a steal of a pick that late.

Mike Teel was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the Sixth Round of the 2009 NFL draft. After spending a year on the bench, new coach Pete Carroll came in and waived Teel. Teel then signed with the Patriots briefly before being waived again and then finally landing with the Bears.

While Teel had a pretty decent college career, this signing was viewed more as competition to the back up quarterback spot than to actually fill a hole.

That said, who should the Bears actually have as their third-string QB?

There is some speculation that Lefevour may be waived so he can be added to the practice squad, but there might be more than one team that would try and snag him.

While that would be a shame, Lefevour is nowhere close to being an NFL QB. He is going to need at least three seasons before he can compete at that level. Wasting a roster spot to keep a player who will not be playing seems foolish.

Mike Teel has a strong arm, but he is going to have to show a lot in training camp to even warrant consideration for the 53-man roster.

So that begs the question, do the Bears think they can bring a veteran to compete behind Cutler and backup Caleb Hanie?

Or more to the point, is there is even a veteran worth bringing in?

*For the record, there really isn't a good veteran out there. The current list of available QBs is highlighted by the following: Colt Brennan (free agent), Brian St. Pierre (free agent), Josh McCown (QB of the Hartford Colonials), Daunte Culpepper (QB of the Sacramento Mountain Lions), JaMarcus Russell (free agent) and Cade McNown.

Starting free safety: Major Wright vs Craig Steltz vs Danieal Manning

Wright is without question the safety of the future. But in terms of being the best player for the team to win right now, that is still up in the air.

Steltz has proven to be an adequate safety in terms of coverage, but his tackling generally leaves a lot to be desired.

In college, Wright was an absolute beast and many believed that had he returned for his senior season, he could have been a top 10 pick in next year's draft.

That said, this may be the best opportunity for him as a Third Round pick. The expectations are not excessively high right out of the gate, and he has a chance to study under an experienced safety in Chris Harris. Not to mention, he will be given the chance to win the starting role while still taking some time to learn.

The real pressure is on Steltz to prove he has progressed and improved each year.

Danieal Manning just has no business being on the field as a starting safety, or (in my opinion) as a safety at all. Manning is best suited for the nickel corner position.

At safety, Manning just looks lost and confused and his insane athletic ability is still not enough to make up for that lack of knowledge.

Fifth wide receiver spot: Rashied Davis vs Juaquin Iglesias

With the top four spots locked up between Devin Hester, Devin Aromashodu, Johnny Knox and Earl Bennett, the fifth receiver spot is currently a two-man battle.

If the Bears decide to keep six receivers, then we have a three-way free-for-all for the final two spots, with undrafted free agent Freddie Barnes in the mix as well.

Iglesias drew praise from general manager Jerry Angelo when camp kicked off, but has since suffered a quad injury that might hamper his chances.

Davis is the experienced veteran and brings to the table his solid special teams play as well. The Bears are the only NFL team Davis has played for and he has expressed a sincere desire to stay and contribute.

Although if he intends to do that, he will have to cut back on the amount of dropped passes he suffered over the past year or two (at one point he had the second highest dropped pass-to-passes thrown to ratio in the NFL, just behind Braylon Edwards).

Barnes is an interesting option. He has, by all accounts, incredibly dependable hands and is an excellent route runner. But he lacks NFL speed and that is what could very well hold him back. I don't think Barnes makes the active roster this year, but he is an interesting option down the road if he can find his niche, like a Bobby Engram-type player; he's a reliable ball catcher who always seems to find the first down marker.

Fullback: Eddie Williams vs Will Ta'ufo'ou vs a fourth tight end.

Williams was a Seventh Round pick by the Washington Redskins last year and after spending part of last season on the practice squad and the other part on the bench, he was released and signed by the Bears.

Williams displayed pass-catching ability while in college at the University of Idaho, but his blocking ability still seems to be a work in progress.

Ta'ufo'ou was an undrafted free agent last season by the Bears and spent the entire year on the practice squad. Ta'ufo'ou has drawn some praise early in training camp from the likes of Brad Biggs, but still has to improve blocking skills.

Which is why both players are on the bubble to make the roster.

The Bears have four capable tight ends on the roster at the moment: Greg Olsen, Desmond Clark, Brandan Manumaleuna and Kellen Davis. Manumaleuna or Clark could slide back into the H-back position to provide blocking support for Cutler on passing downs, which is what both Williams and Ta'ofu'ou need to improve upon the most.

So neither fullback has a spot locked up. If neither impresses, the Bears have the option to just keep an extra tight end as opposed to a single fullback.

Strong side linebacker: Pisa Tinoisamoa vs Nick Roach

A fun battle to watch throughout training camp (providing neither player gets injured) is the one between Roach and Tinoisamoa.

Tinoisamoa started the season last year at the SAM linebacker position, but an injury in Week One and then another injury a few weeks later derailed his entire season. Roach came in last season and performed quite admirably, especially considering he played middle linebacker at times after Urlacher and Hunter Hillenmeyer suffered injuries.

Now the question becomes that even if Tinoisamoa outplays Roach in camp, does Roach have an edge considering he is younger and may be around longer than Tinoisamoa. Giving him experience now with Urlacher and Pro Bowler Lance Briggs next to him could pay dividends down the road for the Bears.

As a nod to their sportsmanship, both players seem to be taking the battle in stride and Tinoisamoa was quoted by Brad Biggs as saying, "I think there's just a respect for each other...Then we watched each other out there. And we were just like, 'To the best man.' It could be quite a battle."

Regardless of who ends up starting, Bears fans can be rest assured that in any injury takes place in the starting linebacker unit, the backup should be more than capable of filling in. 

Read more Chicago Bears news on BleacherReport.com

Read more Chicago Bears news on BleacherReport.com