The Chicago Bears signed free agent linebacker Alec Ogletree to a one-year deal on August 4, and at first, it was a question as to whether he could even make the 53-man roster. Now, after just under two weeks with the team, some are wondering if he may take veteran inside linebacker Danny Trevathan’s job.
Ogletree notched six interceptions in his first four practices with the Bears, and he had some good moments in the Bears’ 20-13 win over the Miami Dolphins in the first preseason game. Other than one very bad play that saw him lose Miami tight end Mike Gesicki in coverage, Ogletree finished the game with four total tackles (three solo, one for loss) and a pass defensed.
Per Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic, Trevathan hasn’t practiced since August 8, and Ogletree was playing with the ones in the team’s first preseason matchup, which suggests he may not only make the roster, he may be competing for a spot to take over for Trevathan. One top Bears insider thinks this is a definite possibility.
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What’s Going on With Trevathan?
Trevathan, who has missed over a week of practice with knee soreness, revealed after training camp had begun in July that he changed his workout routine up this offseason, incorporating boxing with the hope that his endurance may improve. He seemed happy with the results.
“Every game is a title fight,” Trevathan said in early August, per Sports Illustrated. “I just wanted to incorporate some stuff that I heard around the league that was real good and guys that recently played the position, (said) that it was good cardio and it works everything. So I tried to get that into my workout and it worked really well for me. So I’m expecting to continue that throughout the season.”
His 44.1 overall rating from Pro Football Focus was a career-low last season, and while he had 113 total tackles (67 solo, three for loss), a sack and a forced fumble, he had a noticeably slow start to his 2020 campaign. He also missed eight tackles and allowed a 123.5 passer rating in coverage last year, so if Ogletree can perform at a higher level, particularly in pass coverage, Trevathan may see his playing time decrease.
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Bears Insider: Ogletree ‘Could Push Trevathan’
According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, Ogletree has a shot at taking the starting inside linebacker position away from Trevathan.
“Ogletree looked like a starter and has a great opportunity to make this roster even if he can’t be much help on special teams,” Biggs wrote about Ogletree’s preseason performance. “If he can play at this level, he could push Danny Trevathan for a starting job. Trevathan has been out with a sore knee, and Ogletree has a little more juice. … At a minimum, defensive coordinator Sean Desai could find ways to use Ogletree in certain personnel groupings when the Bears want to have two linebackers on the field, and Ogletree could replace Trevathan.”
For his part, Ogletree is just trying to take advantage of every opportunity.
“It’s like, they don’t care what you did before. It’s about what can you do right now,” Ogletree said after coming to Chicago, per Gene Chamberlain of Sports Illustrated. “I wanted to come in and show I still can do it. I never lost it. To me. People can say different, but if I believe in myself that’s all that matters to me.”
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Bears Defensive Veteran Could Lose Starting Job: Report