The first preseason game is all about making a positive first impression. But the Bears Saturday night game versus the Chargers offers some intriguing storylines too. Consider the game will be the first time…

• Lovie Smith gets to see his shiny new defensive monster, Julius Peppers, harass an opposing QB. This one just so happens to be Jay Cutler’s old AFC West archrival, Phillip Rivers. Peppers has looked dominate at times in camp against the Bears tackles. But now it’s time to see how he fares (in limited action) against another team.
• Bears fans get to marvel in the formation shifts, 7-step drops and 3- and 4-wide receiver sets of offensive guru, Mike Martz. It will be interesting to see how in-sync Cutler and his talented young receiving corps are after offseason OTAs and two weeks of training camp.
• We see the reportedly rejuvenated Matt Forte run in an offense that could allow him to put up All-Pro numbers. He won’t get more than 8 carries on Saturday, but Bears fans should see a swifter, smoother #22.
• Defensive rookies Major Wright and Corey Wootten get the chance to stand out on tape…and potentially move up the depth chart. Don’t be surprised if these guys play a half or more.

And of course, we have to add in some drama in the form of…

Cuter vs. Rivers revisited. After battling head-to-head for three years and cussing each other out from across the sidelines during games, it’s obvious these guys can’t stand each other. I’ll be almost as interested in seeing whether they exchange pleasantries before or after the game as the game itself.

Lovie vs. Rivera. Ron Rivera, the popular defensive coordinator Lovie canned after the Bears went to the Super Bowl, will get to show off his 3-4 defense while the three guys who tried to replace him as Bears d-coordinator (Babich, Marinelli and Lovie) watch from the opposing sideline.

Players to watch:

Jaron Gilbert and Henry Melton. For the last year, we’ve heard coaches rave about their physical talent. But now it’s time to see if the young d-linemen can use those skills to disrupt an offense.

The revolving door that is the Bears starting safety combo. How long will 1^st team tandem Chris Harris-Danieal Manning play? Will Major Wright or the steady Craig Steltz start pushing Manning back to nickelback?

Greg Olsen. He’s been a favorite target of Cutler during camp, but when the lights go on and 70,000 fans pack the stadium, will Cutler still find comfort in his BFF?

Offensive line. This is a group that will be under the microscope all preseason. Their ability to protect Cutler and open up running lanes have been the biggest camp question mark so far. With Lovie facing a make-or-break year, it’ll be interesting to watch how patient he is with his new guy (RG Lance Louis) and old guys at new positions – Roberto Garza at LG and Frank Omiyale at right tackle.

Who’s injured?

According to the Chicago Tribune, Earl Bennett (hamstring), Kellen Davis (back), Kahlil Bell (hamstring), Hunter Hillenmeyer (ankle) and WR Greg Mathews (shoulder) nursed injuries late this week and may not play.

Let the over-analysis begin.

On Monday, the Bears released their first depth chart of the 2010 season in advance of their first pre-season game against the Chargers on Friday.

There were no major surprises revealed and the chart will, for the most part, remain unchanged from here till the September 12^th kickoff against the Lions. But here are two positions that will bear watching this preseason:

1. Major Wright’s ascension at strong safety, which would likely push Danieal Manning back to nickelback (again).
2. The battle for the third running back spot between Bell and Wolfe.

If you’re like me and always wondered who backed up Patrick Mannelly at long snapper, that individual is revealed below.

Here’s how the complete depth chart shakes down:

Quarterback: Jay Cutler
Caleb Hanie (backup), Dan LeFevour (third string)

Running back: Matt Forte
Chester Taylor (backup), Kahlil Bell (third string), Garrett Wolfe (fourth string)

H-Back: Desmond Clark
Will Ta’ufo’ou (backup), Eddie Williams (third string), Harvey Unga (fourth string)

Tight Ends: Greg Olsen
Brandon Manumaleuna (backup), Kellen Davis (third string), Richard Angulo (fourth string)

Wide Receiver: Devin Hester, Johnny Knox
Devin Aromashodu (backup), Earl Bennett (backup), Rashied Davis (third string), Juaquin Iglesias (third string), Greg Mathews (fourth string), Eric Peterman (fourth string)

Left Tackle: Chris Williams
Kevin Schaffer (backup)

Left Guard: Roberto Garza
Johan Asiata (backup)

Center: Olin Kreutz,
Josh Beekman (backup)

Right Guard: Lance Louis
James Marten (backup)

Right Tackle: Frank Omiyale
J’Marcus Webb (backup)

Left Defensive End: Mark Anderson/Israel Idonije
Corey Wooten (backup)

Right Defensive End: Julius Peppers
Jarron Gilbert (backup), Barry Turner (backup)

Defensive Tackle: Tommie Harris
Marcus Harrison/Henry Melton (backups)

Nose Tackle: Anthony Adams
Marcus Harrison/Matt Toeaina (backups)

Strong Side Linebacker: Nick Roach/Pisa Tinoisamoa
Tim Shaw (backup)

Middle Linebacker: Brian Urlacher
Hunter Hillenmeyer (backup)

Weak Side Linebacker: Lance Briggs
Brian Iwuh (backup)

Corner backs: Charles Tillman (right), Zachary Bowman (left)
Corey Graham/Joshua Moore/Tim Jennings (backups)

Strong Safety: Danieal Manning
Craig Steltz (backup)

Free Safety: Chris Harris
Major Wright/Josh Bullocks (backups)

Punter: Brad Maynard

Kicker: Robbie Gould

Kickoff Returner: Johnny Knox
Danieal Manning (backup)

Punt Returner: Devin Hester
Earl Bennett (backup)

Long Snapper: Patrick Mannelly
Desmond Clark (backup)

Remember the euphoria that swept Bear Nation last year when news broke that we had traded for Jay Cutler?

I remember exactly where I was: Before packing up to leave the office for the day, I took one last look at espn.com to find my prayers were answered – the Bears had just landed their franchise QB! I shouted (by corporate America standards) “YES!” over my cubicle wall and proceeded to call/text any and every one of my Bear, Viking or Packer fan friends.

I wasn’t as excited when the Bears inked Julius Peppers (for a cool $92 mil) back in March. But the more I think about it, the more geeked I get about the possibilities JP brings to the 2010 Bears.

In fact, I think he’s more important to the Bears playoff chances (and Lovie’s head coaching future in Chicago) than last year’s savior, Jay Cutler.

Here’s why…

1) Peppers’ play will have a greater impact on more of his teammates than Cutler.

Sure, Jay Cutler helped introduce the world to Devin Aromashodu and Johnny Knox. But Cutler alone can’t dictate the success of the offense. He needs time to throw and a running game to complement his aerial attack.

Now, consider the impact Peppers will have on his running mates. Lining up Peppers on the outside will make every position on his unit better. Here’s how…

Peppers will:

• Free up space for Urlacher and Briggs to roam and make plays.
• Draw an extra blocker, which will mean less resistance to the opposing backfield for fellow linemen like Harris, Harrison and Anderson.
• Save Bowman, Tillman and other DBs valuable seconds in coverage by generating more consistent pressure on the opposing QB, giving him less time to think/throw.
• Give Special Teams coach Dave Toub an extra ball swatter to cram the middle of the line on opponents’ field goal and extra point attempts.
• Make Bears left tackle Chris Williams better by forcing him to ‘bring it’ every day in practice.

2) Quarterback play by Chicago signal callers is WAY over-rated when determining the team’s success.

What do Jim Harbaugh, Steve Walsh, Mike Tomczak and Rex Grossman have in common? These gunslingers guys have actually led a Bears team to the playoffs. To circumstances both directly related and unrelated to his play, Cutler hasn’t sniffed the playoffs in his 4-year career.

And consider this…two of the top 3 all-time seasons by a Bears QB – as far as TDs and yardage go – were by Erik Kramer in 1995 (29 TDs, 3,838 yards) and the aforementioned Cutler last year (27 TDs, 3,666). Neither performance resulted in post-season play.

All eyes will be on Peppers next week when training camp opens…including mine. I’ll be there next Sunday for the afternoon practice to witness #90’s freakish talents for myself.

Anyone else going? If so, look me up. I’ll be the dude sporting the Curtis Enis throwback jersey (That’s #44 for those of you who erased the Dick Jauron era from your personal memory card).

Larry Mayer at chicagobears.com interviewed Bears WR coach Darryl Drake to get a pre-training camp read on his talented group of pupils. While it’s not unusual to hear coaches blow sunshine up everyone’s hineys this time of year, a couple of Coach Drake’s comments were eye-openers.

Drake on whether Devin Hester can be an elite receiver…

“There’s no doubt in my mind that he can be. There’s no doubt in my mind that Aromashodu and Knox can be as well.”

The unsolicited inclusion of DA and Knox is surprising, and probably more of a motivational tactic for the 2 young WRs than anything. But it says a lot about the increased production he expects from these guys next year.

Drake on the progress of second-year wideout Juaquin Iglesias…

“It’s a night and day difference compared to last year. He started to come on last year at the end of the season. But right now he’s really making a push. He’s doing some really good things. He’s caught the eye of the coaches and the quarterbacks. He’s doing really well and he needs to continue to do that.”

Reading between the lines, if Iglesias continues at his current pace, it could mean he’ll steal some playing time away from this guy…

Drake on Earl Bennett…

“Earl’s starting to come. He had an injury and missed a lot of valuable time [early in the offseason program]. But the last few days of OTAs we saw the old Earl. He started to do some things that we know he’s capable of doing. Training camp will be big for him like it will be for the rest of the guys.”

Not necessarily a rousing endorsement, is it now?

The more I think about it, the more the Bears defensive line reminds me of Megan Fox.

At first glance, your eyes focus on the obvious physical talent, which – with the exceptions of Anthony Adams and Marcus Harrison – looks especially good running around in shorts (and helmets).

On the other hand, there isn’t much else to show for those striking good looks. Having never made their mark on the field, these young guys are getting paid based on potential alone. You wonder if they’ll ever turn those physical gifts into on-field production…kind of like Ms. Fox’s future in movies.

The verdict is still out on whether she’ll make it as an actor or if she’d be better off simply posing for pictures in her underwear. Seriously – did she even spit out 17 words in both Transformer movies combined?

2010 will show which of the young uglies up front will turn potential into production. Because like it or not, they’re going to see the field.

Locks:

Julius Peppers, Tommie Harris, Mark Anderson, Israel Idonije, Jarron Gilbert, Anthony Adams

Limbo:

Henry Melton, Marcus Harrison, Matt Toeaina, Corey Wootton

Prediction:

• D-ends: Peppers, Anderson, Wootton, Idonije, Melton
• D-tackles: Harris, Harrison, Adams, Gilbert

Outside of proven vets Peppers, Harris, Anderson, Izzy and Adams, the big question is how many of the 2009-2010 mid-round D-line draft picks will stick.

Assuming Gilbert’s pool-jumping talents can translate to the field, he’ll be in the rotation at D-tackle. I think Lovie and Marinelli are so intrigued at Melton’s physical attributes that he’ll stick around for the year too. And Wootton could develop into a situational pass rusher, much like Anderson was in the 2006 Super Bowl season.

If he doesn’t get his oversized backside into shape, there’s a slim chance Harrison could be pushed for a roster spot. But the coaches would be crazy to go into the season with no proven depth behind starters Harris and Adams. Of course, the versatile Idonije could step in on the inside, especially in third-and-long situations, if needed.

Opting for these young guys will leave the solid, but unspectacular, Matt Toeaina looking for work elsewhere.

Keep an eye on how the battle for playing time unfolds between the young guys at next month’s training camp. And look for Megan Fox in some stupid movie called Jonah Hex, which is in theaters now!

In addition to paying to watch mediocre football for four months, Bears season ticketholders also paid handsomely for the chance to ask Brian Urlacher a question over the phone.

During a conference call with a group of season ticketholders, the face of the franchise said some nice things about some of his new (and old) defensive teammates.

Urlacher on Julius Peppers…

“We all know his athletic ability is unmatched in this league. But he works his butt off every day. He’s in the weight room working, he’s on the field. He doesn’t say too much, but he works his tail off every day.

“I think most importantly it will help our secondary, and if you help them you help our whole defense,” Urlacher said. “It’s going to help our DBs out because they don’t have to play coverage very long. As linebackers, we can break. When the quarterback looks [to a receiver], we know to go because if he pumps it he’ll get sacked.”

Urlacher on the return of Chris Harris…

“He helps us all. He gets us all in position. What I like about it is if I screw up, he’ll tell me I screwed up. Sometimes you don’t have guys who do that. [New guys] don’t want to step on anyone’s toes. But Chris knows where we’re supposed to be. He knows what’s going on out there and it’s nice to have him back there.

I like it when a guy will do that. Lance [Briggs] will tell me when I screw up, the guys up front will. But it’s nice to have a guy in the back end [Editor’s Note: ‘That’s what she said’] who will do that.”

Urlacher on Major Wright…

“I watched him practice three years ago in spring practice. They wouldn’t let him do much in practice because coach [Urban] Meyer said he hits too hard.

“I’m impressed with him. His footwork is good. He’s smooth. He comes out of his breaks really good. He takes great angles on the football and he goes for the football. There are going to be times to hit people, but he goes for the football, which I like. I’m excited about him.”

Thank you chicagobears.com for the snippets.