The Chicago Bears vast receivers corps crept nearer to full power Monday, six days earlier than the season opener towards the San Francisco 49ers at Soldier Field.
The return of Byron Pringle and Velus Jones Jr. from accidents and the arrival of Ihmir Smith-Marsette off waivers from the Minnesota Vikings will bolster a bunch — now six deep — that was severely depleted by most of coaching camp.
Now it’s a matter of the Bears getting Justin Fields’ targets in control as rapidly as doable to see if they are often energetic on recreation day.
Bears coach Matt Eberflus mentioned will probably be simpler for Pringle to be prepared as a result of he’s a veteran who performed in 46 video games during the last three seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. But Eberflus additionally acknowledged Pringle missed so much whereas out for a month with a quadriceps damage.
“It hurts when you’re not on the grass and you don’t have that timing with the quarterback and the other guys running a route with you,” Eberflus mentioned. “It’ll be a lot of work ahead of him to get that done. And I think he’ll be able to get it done.”
Pringle, who joined the Bears on a one-year, $4.125 million contract within the offseason, mentioned he injured his quad throughout particular person drills within the second week of camp and tried to follow by it for just a few days.
“It’s just that undrafted free agent mentality that I have, can’t get out when you’re injured,” he mentioned.
But an MRI formally sidelined him.
Pringle did his finest to concentrate to offensive coordinator Luke Getsy in conferences and to Fields’ communication on the sector. He studied the playbook and stayed in form with biking, leaping rope and, on his days off, boxing. He mentioned communication will probably be crucial as he will get his timing down with Fields.
He wouldn’t say whether or not he thinks he will probably be able to play Sunday, noting he was restricted Monday and an extended follow Wednesday would possibly assist decide his standing. But he does assume having expertise will assist him prepare faster.
“This is not my first season in the NFL,” Pringle mentioned. “I figure if it was like my rookie year, yeah, I probably wouldn’t be ready. I took care of things in the training room and outside the training room, just keeping my body in shape. As long as you’ve got the endurance and the cardio, you should be good.”
The Bears will launch their first damage report of the season Wednesday, so which may give a greater concept of the standing of Pringle and Jones, the third-round choose who missed quite a lot of time final month however a minimum of performed in a single preseason recreation towards the Seattle Seahawks.
Pringle and Jones have been amongst normal supervisor Ryan Poles’ greatest offseason additions on offense, together with N’Keal Harry, who’s on injured reserve after ankle surgical procedure and can miss a minimum of the primary 4 video games. So their absences have felt obvious the previous few weeks.
“Some of the guys have been a little dinged up, so it’s hard to see everything,” Poles mentioned when requested if he added sufficient expertise round Fields. “But when they get back, I’m excited about that. I’m excited about Velus coming in and making plays and being a factor that can do different things and bring speed.”
Meanwhile, Smith-Marsette has different challenges forward as he settles in with a brand new workforce.
The 2021 fifth-round choose mentioned he couldn’t sleep or eat after the Vikings waived him final week. Then he came upon the Bears had claimed him, and it felt like destiny.
Smith-Marsette’s lone begin as a rookie was in Week 18 towards the Bears in Minneapolis. He had three catches for 103 yards and a landing, an outing he referred to as a “confidence booster” and “a springboard into Year 2.”
“I torched them last year. So go figure,” Smith-Marsette mentioned. “It was just meant to be. They got me, and I’m happy to be here.”
Smith-Marsette, who additionally had 4 kickoff returns for 83 yards final season, mentioned he deliberate to satisfy with particular groups coordinator Richard Hightower and quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko, who was with the Vikings the final seven years, as he tries to navigate the brand new setting.
Eberflus referred to as Smith-Marsette “competition” for a bunch that additionally contains prime receiver Darnell Mooney, Equanimeous St. Brown and Dante Pettis. Smith-Marsette, who famous velocity is one in every of his prime attributes, believes he can seize the chance.
“I feel like I’ve got an opportunity to make an impact anywhere I go,” he mentioned. “That’s just the type of player I am. That’s my mindset. I feel like I can make a play on any team in this league. … I feel like I belong in this league.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com