Injuries, suspensions provide three Bears with starting jobs and potential 2017 auditions

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The epic tide of injuries and sundry misfortunes that has swept over the Bears almost from the early days of training has created obvious opportunities which project to pay dividends beyond this season. Never mind that those are of no consolation to players and a front office that clearly had far higher expectations than those of critics. A team that signs a veteran backup quarterback (Brian Hoyer), offensive lineman (Josh Sitton) and core defensive players (Jerrell Freeman, Akiem Hicks, Danny Trevathan) might be rebuilding — every NFL team is rebuilding constantly — but has designs on the present as well as the future.

“Always, your depth is important,” coach John Fox said. “I think when you have injuries it does affect the depth. But we we have capable guys that we have confidence in will get the job done moving forward.”

With injuries and now suspensions to multiple players, an unusual situation is at hand in which a handful of ostensibly backup players now could be playing to position themselves to legitimately challenge for spots in next season’s starting lineup, not simply places somewhere down the depth chart.

Three in particular have had opportunity’s door swing especially wide open.

Cameron Meredith

With Alshon Jeffery, Eddie Royal and Kevin White all operational, Meredith began the season inactive for the first two games. His rise started when Jay Cutler suffered his thumb injury, and Hoyer — with a comfort level having worked with Meredith as part of the No. 2 unit — took over. Meredith’s production peaked with 11 catches against Jacksonville, then disappeared when Hoyer was hurt and succeeded by Matt Barkley and then Cutler.

But with Jeffery suspended and having had added practice with Cutler, Meredith led the Bears with four receptions against the Giants and had more snaps (56) than any two other wideouts combined.

Meredith, meanwhile, has a 75-percent catch rate. Royal is at 76 percent; Jeffery catches 55 percent of balls thrown to him, White 54.

Royal has no more guaranteed contract money after this season. The future of Jeffery in Chicago is uncertain. Marquess Wilson has remained a tease. White is expected to finish his second straight season on the sidelines.

Meredith will be competing for considerably more than a roster spot when the Bears go to training camp next July.

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Eric Kush

Kush started at left guard in place of Josh Sitton at Green Bay and in the win over Minnesota. He stepped in when Sitton reinjured his ankle Sunday against the Giants. A question for the Bears is whether Sitton, who turns 31 next June, is part of their future after 2016; he has $2.25 million of his 2017 salary guaranteed in March, plus a potential bonus of $31,250 per game next season.

The offensive line has Kyle Long set at right guard. But Cody Whitehair had won the left guard job before Sitton was signed. Whitehair is a foundation block of the O-line along with Long.

Kush remains a longshot, of sorts. Sitton has been a Pro Bowl guard. But Kush has been a fit with the Bears’ zone scheme, has played some center. Every game that Sitton misses is a showcase for Kush.

Nick Kwiatkoski

The Jerrell Freeman suspension promises a four-game audition for Kwiatkoski, who missed virtually all of training camp and preseason with a hamstring injury but started at inside linebacker in place of Danny Trevathan at Dallas. He didn’t start the following week but played 71 percent of the snaps in the win over Detroit.

Now Freeman, who turns 31 next May, is out and Kwiatkoski, the Bears’ fourth-round draft pick this year, is expected to get more than simple fill-in snaps.

“He’s a young guy,” cornerback Tracy Porter said. “He’s got to continue to get that experience. We have belief in him. He’s athletic. He can run around. He can make the calls. He can get guys lined up.

“So much like playing the cornerback position, he’s going to have to continue to get more and more experience. He’s going to have to be in the film room, be in his playbook a little bit more because now he’s getting more of a load on his plate, because he’s pretty much going to be the guy calling the defense for us come Sunday.”

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