With the offseason program coming to an end for the Bears, the grind and preparation will continue for those battling for a spot on the roster come Training Camp. Rookie 6th round pick DeAndre Houston-Carson of William and Mary and 4th round pick Deon Bush of Miami have been battling throughout the offseason program to get the upper hand on the vacant strong safety position left vacant by veteran Antrel Rolle. The dark horse in the strong safety race appears to be Houston-Carson.
“My first thought (after the offseason program) is that it’s still the same game,” Houston-Carson said. “There’s a lot of hype (about) making the transition from college to the NFL. I realize it’s (still) about the fundamentals you learned when you were 7 or 8 years old. That gives confidence that as long you can try to work on your fundamentals every day, you’ll keep improving.”
Granted, there is a big difference between the non-contact offseason program and the real test of Training Camp, it is encouraging to hear the game hasn’t become overwhelming at the next level for Houston-Carson.
As Houston-Carson and Bush learn the ropes of the NFL and participate in their first Training Camp, second-year safety Harold Jones-Quartey already has a leg up on his younger counterparts. Having started four games during the 2015 season, Jones-Quartey looks to be the favorite to start alongside Adrian Amos come week one. Still, he values the competition and elevated level of play in the safety position group.
“Sky’s the limit,” Jones-Quartey said. “Once we all know our jobs, we can play a lot faster and help each other. We don’t have to be robots. That’s what I like about this group—we’re not robots. We all have a certain job to do, but when the play breaks down, you have your brother alongside you.”
Jones-Quartey isn’t the only veteran presence in the Bears stable of safeties. Chris Prosinski, who has started 14 games in his five seasons in the NFL, is still in the running for the vacant spot. He too has come away impressed so far with the newest safety additions.
“They’re young and fresh and they have a lot of athleticism,” Prosinski said. “I just think the biggest thing for them is just learning the NFL playbook and adjusting to that. But compared to where I was as a rookie, they’re sharp guys. They’re picking it up pretty well.”
The real test for the two rookies will begin on July 28th as the first practice kicks off the 2016 Bears Training Camp. The safety battle will be one to monitor as it’s anybody’s race.
