Roquan Smith remains ‘extremely motivated internally’ after a breakout 3rd season. A closer look at the Chicago Bears inside linebackers.

Roquan Smith and Danny Trevathan will team up for the fourth straight season in the middle of the Chicago Bears defense.

As Bears training camp progresses into its second week, the Tribune is taking a snapshot look at each position group. Today: Inside linebackers.

Currently on roster: 7

Projected on final roster: 4-5

Roster locks: Roquan Smith and Danny Trevathan

Good bet: Christian Jones

On the bubble: Joel Iyiegbuniwe, Josh Woods and Austin Calitro

Practice squad candidate: Caleb Johnson

Biggest offseason developments

The Bears brought in Christian Jones on a one-year contract and signed Austin Calitro to a one-year deal. They hired Bill McGovern to be the new inside linebackers coach. He replaces Mark DeLeone, who joined the Detroit Lions.

What to like

Roquan Smith’s play in 2020 was one of the highlights of the Bears season.

In his third year, Smith totaled 139 tackles, 18 tackles for a loss, four sacks, six quarterback hits, seven passes defended, two interceptions and a forced fumble. His production earned him a place on the Associated Press All-Pro second team, though he was snubbed for his first Pro Bowl nod.

The strong performance didn’t dampen his drive this offseason. Coach Matt Nagy said Smith was practicing and showing up in meetings with the same fervor as a rookie. He was one of the few returning defensive veterans to show up for organized team activities.

“It’s special, it really is, and it’s not talk,” Nagy said. “It’s real. … He wants to learn. He’s willing to be a sponge. He doesn’t think he knows everything. He’s extremely motivated internally. Either you have that or you don’t, and it’s not fabricated, it’s not false, it’s very organic. So I am so pumped to see what he does this year.”

Smith’s leadership is also important under new defensive coordinator Sean Desai. Smith wears the green dot on his helmet as the player who receives the play calls from Desai and relays them to the defense on the field.

“It starts with him,” Desai said. “He’s just a tremendous person … and an even better football player. So that helps. He’s really smart, really bright. He works at it every day, and he kind of understands the bigger picture. And I’m going to help him understand the bigger picture from my perspective so we’re on the same page.”

Biggest question

Will a more normal offseason help Danny Trevathan get off to a good start?

The all-virtual 2020 offseason and shortened training camp — and the concerns of playing during the COVID-19 pandemic — affected players differently. Trevathan was among the players to get off to a slow start last year while dealing with the unusual circumstances.

He came on stronger at the end of 2020 and finished with 113 tackles, three tackles for a loss, a sack, a forced fumble and five passes defended.

“These players (went) through the physical side of training and ‘Where do I go to train?’ ” Nagy said. “Remember, you couldn’t go anywhere, so you had to create your own stuff on how you’re going to train and where you’re going to train.

“They all had different scenarios. You’ve got family members (to worry about). Football was probably secondary to a lot of people last year. But he fought right back and got back into where he needed to be.”

If the shape in which Trevathan showed up to training camp is any indicator, he could be ready for a better start to his 10th season in the league and sixth with the Bears. Nagy said Trevathan did some boxing in the offseason and got into “major shape.”

“The dude is ripped and he’s ready to go,” Nagy said.

As with some of the other veteran players, Nagy said the Bears will practice load management with the 31-year-old Trevathan, and that can include giving him veteran rest days during the week to help keep his body fresh.

Fresh face

The Bears lacked depth in the inside linebackers room in 2020, an issue when Smith missed the playoff game against the New Orleans Saints with an elbow injury.

They brought back Jones to address that deficiency. Jones joined the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2014 and played his first four seasons in Chicago before starting 42 games over the last three with the Detroit Lions.

He made a couple of big plays in the first week of training camp.

“He’s a big guy that can move and do good things,” Nagy said. “I love his personality, he’s willing to learn, he has a relationship with Sean. So having that depth at inside linebacker is going to be crucial. And now I know why they call him ‘Cheese,’ because the dude’s smiling everywhere he goes.”

You should know

Smith’s breakout performance in 2020 made it an easy decision for the Bears to pick up the fifth-year option on his contract for 2022, though it’s possible they sign him to an extension before Year 5.

Smith said he’s “not too worried” about a future contract.

“My time will come,” he said. “I still have a lot to prove. That’s my focus right now — proving a lot of different things. I’m just excited for the year.”

And what exactly does Smith have to prove after his strong season?

“Just how good I am,” he answered.

Quote of note

“I’ll be vocal when I need to be, but I’m not some rah-rah guy and get out there and try to tell everyone what to do. We’re all adults here. We know right from wrong. We know if we’re doing the right things. So it’s just about each and every individual holding themselves accountable and not looking for another guy to hold everyone accountable to their level. Guys know the level that we need to be on and what we need to play at to get the job done.” — Roquan Smith on his leadership style

Big number

98

Solo tackles for Smith in 2020, second in the NFL behind Houston Texans linebacker Zach Cunningham. His 18 tackles for a loss also were second behind Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt.

Sign up for alerts on your phone, desktop and inbox to stay current with the latest news

Sign up for our sports newsletter, delivered daily each morning