Before we start a lynch mob for ye ole’ Denmaster, hear me out. I don’t want to see any of our critical starters even suit up for Thursday’s game. Why?

Think back to last season, fourth quarter of the Bears preseason game against Cleveland. The Bears were down 25-0 in an absolutely meaningless game record-wise, and facing desperate players overextending to try to make a roster.

Connor Shaw was playing QB, and he was banged up. Mitchell Trubisky, the much-heralded future of the franchise, was brought into this meaningless contest in one of the more idiotic decisions made by a coaching staff that made a whole lot of idiotic choices last year.

First play in, some nameless soon-to-be insurance salesman comes flying in around the “theoretical” block of one of our soon-to-be pizza-delivery guy linemen, and he hits Mitch right in the knees as he’s trying to execute the idiotic pass play that was sent in from the sidelines.

You know what I did when I saw that? I went bug-freaking-bonkers. My wife had to peel what was left of me off the ceiling.

Too much risk

I, like many people, think that the preseason is already two-games too long. With the Hall Of Fame game, our preseason is THREE games too long this year.

Our main goal as a franchise should be to get the players we have into the NFL season healthy, and with improved depth.

The best way to do this is to give our depth people more playing time while keeping our starters in street clothing for this first game (and also the last game).

We’ve got a lot of roster battles to sort out. The bottom end of the WR, TE & DB charts will be decided in preseason action.

I’’m not proposing we take the entire preseason schedule off, I just think we shouldn’t add more risk than necessary.

Play the next four games like normal, using game 3 as a dress rehearsal.

I just don’t think the risk/reward of giving our starters an extra game to get hurt in is worth it.

My proposed lineup for Thursday night:

QB – Chase Daniel

WR – Kevin White, Anthony Miller, Javon Wims

TE – Adam Shaheen

LT – Bradley Sowell

LG – James Daniels

C – Jack Allen

RG – Earl Watford

RT – Rashaad Coward

RB – Taquan Mizzell

FB – Ryan Nall

Defense

LE - Bilal Nichols

NT – John Jenkins

RE – Roy Robertson-Harris

OLB – Isaiah Irving

MLB – John Timu

MB – Jonathan Anderson

OLB – Kylie Fitts

CB – Cre’von LaBlanc

NB – Michael Joseph

S – Deon Bush

S – Deiondre’ Hall

CB – John Franklin III