SIT THIS 1 OUT
It’s best for Bears, Trubisky if QB doesn’t play in 2017
4 CONNOR BARTH
Kicker, 10th year 5- 11, 200, North Carolina Acquired: Signed as a free agent in 2016. Age: 31. NFL experience: 99 games in eight seasons, missed the 2013 season with an Achilles injury. Background: A franchise- tag player with the Buccaneers in 2012, Barth is a career 84.0 percent field- goal kicker — including 26- for- 28 ( 92.9) with the Bucs in 2011 and 15- for- 16 ( 93.8) with the Broncos in 2014. The Bears cut longtime kicker Robbie Gould to make room for Barth before the start of the regular season in 2016 — after Barth had been cut by the Saints. He was 18- for- 23 ( 78.3 percent) last season but made 14 of 16 ( 87.5) after missing three of his first seven. Notable: Barth is 92- for- 98 ( 93.9 percent) inside of 40 yards in his career, 46- for- 59 ( 78.0) from 40- 49 yards and 17- for- 28 ( 60.7) on kicks of 50 yards or longer. He was 1- for- 3 from 50 or longer last season, hitting from 54 yards. The skinny: Though it appears to be his job to lose, Barth will be in yet another training- camp battle — this time with 28- year- old rookie Andy Phillips, who has a stronger leg and figures to be better on kickoffs.
16 PAT O’DONNELL
Punter, fourth year 6- 4, 217, Miami ( Fla.) Acquired: Sixth- round draft pick ( 191st overall) in 2014. Age: 26. NFL experience: Has punted in 47 of 48 games in three seasons. Background: O’Donnell has been a consistent though hardly spectacular punter in his three seasons with the Bears. In 2014, ’ 15 and ’ 16, he was 28th ( 43.8), 24th ( 44.2) and 24th ( 44.0) in raw average, 27th ( 37.7), 19th ( 39.7) and 28th ( 38.4) in net average and 28th ( 20), 11th ( 28) and tied for 17th ( 24) in punts inside the 20. Notable: Though O’Donnell was statistically belowaverage again last season, the Bears did not sign a punter to even challenge him in training camp. The skinny: By the naked eye if not the numbers, O’Donnell is a facilitator more than a weapon, and the Bears seem happy with that. But his leg is strong enough and he is accurate enough that his value figures to grow as the Bears improve on special teams after some lackluster years since the Dave Toub era. It would take a significant regression for O’Donnell to force the Bears to seriously look at a Plan B.
17 ANDY PHILLIPS
Kicker, rookie 5- 11, 209, Utah Acquired: Signed as a free agent in 2017. Age: 28. NFL experience: None. Background: Spent four years with the U. S. ski team as an Olympic downhill prospect before talking his way onto the Utah football team in 2012 — without any high school football experience. He converted 84 of 100 field- goal attempts in four years at Utah, including 4- for- 4 on kicks of 50 or more yards. His long kick was 53 yards. Notable: Though he never played football before going to Utah, Phillips not only kicked field goals, but executed two onside kicks that the Utes recovered — including one in his first college game in 2013. The skinny: Though Barth definitely is the incumbent, Phillips is a legitimate threat to win the kicking job if Barth falters in the preseason. His intriguing background is more than just a good story — Phillips is a competitor who seems to know how to step up his game to meet a challenge. Still, the jump to the NFL is a big one, even for kickers, and Phillips will have to prove himself quickly to get a true shot.
48 PATRICK SCALES
Long snapper, fourth year 6- 4, 242, Utah State Acquired: Signed as a free agent in Week 12 of the 2015 season. Age: 29. NFL experience: 23 games in three seasons. Background: Signed by the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2011, Scales was cut by four teams before he made his NFL debut in 2014 after re- signing with Baltimore. He was cut by the Ravens ( 2011, 2012), Dolphins ( 2013), Jets ( 2013), Buccaneers ( 2014) and the Ravens again ( 2015) before signing with the Bears. Scales originally was cut in favor of Aaron Brewer after the preseason last year, but the Bears re- signed Scales and cut Brewer two days later. Scales was the long snapper without incident last season. Notable: Scales is the only long snapper on the training- camp roster. The Bears gave former Notre Dame All- America long snapper Scott Daly a rookie- minicamp tryout but did not sign him. The skinny: As much as any position in football, the long snapper is not a problem until he is. As long as Barth and O’Donnell are comfortable with him and he doesn’t screw up, Scales will be just fine.