The slog is starting.
After rookies report to Halas Hall on Saturday and veterans on Tuesday, the Bears will begin training camp for a season that seems destined to leave them near the bottom of the standings and the top of the draft order.
General manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus won’t use the word ‘‘rebuilding,’’ but that’s precisely what the Bears are doing. Poles traded Khalil Mack and didn’t re-sign veterans Allen Robinson, Akiem Hicks, Bilal Nichols or James Daniels during the offseason. He didn’t replace them with big-name free agents, either. By cleaning up the Bears’ finances in 2022, Poles has them positioned to lead the NFL in salary-cap space in 2023, with about $90 million.