The Chicago Bears held their fifth apply of organized group actions Wednesday at Halas Hall, transferring via their offseason program with the purpose of constructing continuity and chemistry earlier than coaching camp.
Here are six issues we discovered from Wednesday’s on-field session in addition to interviews with coaches and gamers.
1. Quarterback Justin Fields continues to impress together with his progress and management expertise.
Defensive coordinator Alan Williams put his evaluation into the Fields progress report Wednesday, indicating he has been impressed with Fields’ possession of the place and growth during the last 14 months.
“I see how he has grown from last year to this year, and practice by practice by practice, he’s still growing,” Williams stated. “You have to be encouraged when you see those things.”
Specifically?
“His leadership,” Williams stated. “Because that’s what you want in your quarterback. I see good decision making. That’s what you want in your quarterback. I see improved accuracy. That’s what you want in your quarterback. And how fast he’s processing. That’s also, in my mind, what you want in your quarterback.”
Coach Matt Eberflus agreed with Williams’ evaluation, notably because it associated to Fields’ processing velocity.
“It is detectable when you’re out there,” Eberflus stated. “You can see him going through his reads quicker and reading the coverages on the snap and processing where to go with the football. And he’s been working on his footwork and his release. He’s been doing a great job with all those things.”
2. The Bears are conserving their eyes on the free-agent market as they give the impression of being to enhance their cross rush.
“We’re interested in a lot of free agents,” Eberflus stated after apply. “We’re interested in a lot of guys at all positions right now. We’re just excited about being able to look at those guys and potentially add as we go through camp and get closer to the season.”
The Bears completed final season with the bottom sack whole within the NFL, tallying 20 in 17 video games with rookie security Jaquan Brisker main the group with 4. Yet their offseason exercise in upgrading the cross rush has been minimal.
They signed veteran DeMarcus Walker to a three-year, $21 million deal in March and added sixth-year defensive finish Rasheem Green on a one-year “prove-it” contract just a few weeks later. Trevis Gipson and Dominique Robinson are additionally a part of the defensive finish group.
General supervisor Ryan Poles has vowed to discover each possibility for potential upgrades, and Eberflus’ feedback Wednesday had been one other indication the Bears will proceed to judge potential roster additions this summer time.
3. Jaylon Johnson remains to be not collaborating in OTAs.
Johnson was as soon as once more absent from on-field work and group conferences, and Eberflus stated he has no readability on whether or not his prime cornerback will likely be again for the third week of OTAs.
“He’ll probably be here for mandatory minicamp (June 13-15),” Eberflus stated. “Hopefully subsequent week (too), doubtlessly.
Williams additionally weighed in on Johnson’s absence, emphasizing that the Bears would like to have Johnson collaborating in OTAs.
“I want the guys to be out there because I do feel that we bring value,” Williams stated. “I think we have the best coaching staff in the world, the best training staff, the best strength and conditioning staff. We have the best dietitian. I think we have the best of everything here. So I want guys to be here. But it is voluntary.”
Williams spoke glowingly about Johnson when requested for his overview of the cornerback from their first season collectively in 2022. Johnson performed 11 video games earlier than struggling a season-ending hand damage in December. Williams praised Johnson’s intelligence, athleticism and footwork.
“The one thing that shows up the most is he understands football,” Williams stated. “And so he sees the big picture.”
4. Jaylon Johnson wasn’t the one Bears participant not working towards.
Veteran guard Nate Davis, a precedence free-agent signee in March, has not attended OTAs, and Eberflus stated Davis’ absence just isn’t associated to the season-ending ankle damage he suffered with the Tennessee Titans late final season.
“He’s just not here,” Eberflus stated.
Veteran heart Cody Whitehair believes it will likely be straightforward to mix Davis into the beginning offensive line as soon as he begins working together with his new group.
“I think he’ll be fine,” Whitehair stated. “He’s a veteran guy. He’s played in this system for a long time, coming from Tennessee. A lot of the stuff is the same. … I don’t think it’ll be a very hard transition. It’ll be pretty smooth.”
Safety Eddie Jackson and huge receiver Darnell Mooney additionally weren’t current Wednesday as each get well from season-ending accidents in November.
Players who attended however didn’t take part included huge receiver Chase Claypool, linebacker Jack Sanborn, operating again D’Onta Foreman and offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood. Eberflus insinuated that Claypool was coping with a minor soft-tissue subject.
“There’s no reason to risk anything at this time,” Eberflus stated.
5. The Bears welcomed Cooper Roberts as a particular visitor to apply.
Roberts was 8 years outdated final July 4 when he was paralyzed throughout a mass capturing on the Highland Park parade. His brother, Luke, was additionally injured by shrapnel throughout the capturing, and his mom, Keely, was shot twice within the leg and foot throughout a tragedy that claimed the lives of seven others.
Both Roberts boys and their dad and mom, Keely and Jason, had been at Halas Hall on Wednesday and had an opportunity after apply to satisfy Fields, Eberflus and Poles.
Cooper Roberts, who loves the seaside, acquired a brand new seaside buggy from the group.
“He’s really excited about using that really soon.” Eberflus stated.
6. The Bears have created offseason competitors — type of — at punter and placekicker.
The plan inside Halas Hall is that incumbent kicker Cairo Santos and punter Trent Gill will retain these roles heading into the season. But for now, each gamers have hungry rivals attempting to problem them.
Kicker Andre Szmyt is an undrafted rookie from Syracuse who signed with the group final month. Punter Ryan Anderson entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2018 however has but to be on a regular-season roster after quick stints with the New England Patriots (2018) and New York Giants (2019).
“Competition’s always good,” particular groups coordinator Richard Hightower stated. “Having more than one leg in camp is always good.”
Hightower praised Szmyt as a mentally powerful kicker with a “quick ball strike, rise and elevation.” But he dismissed the notion that the Bears are anxious about Santos after the veteran kicker missed 5 extra-point makes an attempt final season regardless of connecting on 91.3% of his field-goal tries.
Hightower famous the Bears completed 2022 ranked fifth within the league in field-goal proportion (.926) with Santos kicking in 16 video games and Michael Badgley filling in for one.
“A lot of people would kill to have a top-five kicker,” Hightower stated. “We have to make our extra points, and I think (Santos) fixed that toward the end of the year.”
Santos made his closing 5 PAT tries.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com