Coming off another monster preseason win, the Chicago Bears are now 3-0 and have looked strong on both sides of the ball in each contest.
Saturday's win against the Cincinnati Bengals is likely the last day of preseason action for rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and other notable starters. Leaving the final preseason game to determine the final roster spots still up for grabs.
From what we saw on the field this weekend, here are the players who boosted or tanked their stocks as it relates to their potential positions on the team.
Stock Up: DL Daniel Hardy
For the second straight week, Bears defensive lineman Daniel Hardy shined in more ways than one. Coming off a 2.5 sack game against the Buffalo Bills, Hardy needed to continue stacking his days if he wanted to keep his hopes alive of making the roster.
On Saturday, Hardy once again got into the backfield and forced a strip sack against Bengals' third-string quarterback Logan Woodside, while adding two tackles for a loss and a tackle on special teams as well.
Barring any additional move made to the defensive line over the next two weeks, the Bears still have an open spot in the room. After the last two games, that spot should easily belong to Hardy.
Stock Down: RG Nate Davis
After making his first start of the preseason coming off a soft-tissue injury, Bears guard Nate Davis didn't seem to impress like a $30 million man ought to in the preseason.
For days now, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus claimed that a starter shouldn't lose his starting job due to injury, but shaky play on the field certainly can. Against the Bengals, Davis had some plays with solid protection, but also allowed a sack with quarterback Caleb Williams in the game. While taking to the media, Williams claimed the sack was his fault for staying in the pocket too long, but both players can be to blame.
With one preseason game to go and a few more days of practice, I'd expect the Bears to really open up the competition at the position, if Ryan Bates can get healthy.
Stock Up: QB Tyson Bagent
Bears second-year quarterback Tyson Bagent seemed to have locked up the QB2 job with ease on Saturday against the Bengals.
After coming into the game behind Williams, Bagent went 7/8 for 87 yards and two touchdowns. That game was perhaps the most polished performance of Bagent's young career. He seems to have a strong grasp of the scheme and isn't afraid to test defenses down the field.
As good as Brett Rypien looked in the preseason opener against the Houston Texans, he hasn't been able to find that level of success since. Consider the race over and won by a wide margin.
Stock Down: WR Dante Pettis
Even with three preseason games in the books, everyone is still wondering whether or not the Bears will keep an additional wide receiver on the roster, and who that potential extra player could be.
The answer to that question is going to come from that player's impact on special teams, not necessarily on offense catching the ball. Right now, Collin Johnson seems to still be in the lead since no one else has been stepping up.
The one player who has shown the most upside to challenge Johnson for the role has been Dante Pettis, however, his impact on special teams has become a real concern. Offensively, Pettis had a great game on Saturday, hauling in three passes for 53 yards and two touchdowns. However, he also had a punt return that went for -3 yards. That's an area of his game that needs to improve if he wants to stick around.
Stock Up: LB Amen Ogbongbemiga
Another player who solidified his roster spot this weekend against the Bengals is linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga. After bringing in Ogbongbemiga to compete with the other backup linebackers on the roster, he has kept impressing this offseason.
On Saturday, Ogbongbemiga finished his day tied for a team-high with six tackles, while adding an interception and a tackle for a loss. Ogbongbemiga has been a lot more consistent lately and should be the guy listed behind Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, and Jack Sanborn on the depth chart.
