AZ54

At the moment I'm pleased with where our team is at. That's against low expectations but I'd much rather have Fields' and his high ceiling than be saddled with Jones. The rest is just a wash except the coaching.

Seems more like they are beating themselves.

No way I care what these guys think. The players are almost all different, the scheme is entirely new. At best someone did a drive-by of training camp. We all know Braxton Jones is going to make some mental errors in his first few games. I always want to win every game but I'm not as interested in how we start as much as how we finish the season. I want these coaches to show me they can develop young talent and put players in the best position to succeed with good play calling.

That will be discussed no doubt. However, for a team that seems bound to focus on the running game all season I think having one of the NFL's best blocking WRs available to them is something they will want. I believe that was at the forefront for making the trade, call it the floor (we'll at least get this), and then seeing what they could get out of him as a WR. I watch a lot of the press conferences and one of the players (maybe it was Blasingame) mentioned that they run drills where 3 WRs on one side of the line all focus on run blocking. If you are willing to devote valuable padded practice snaps to that it's important to you. Harry should be capable of adding as much receiving as someone like Sharpe and he should be a better redzone target with his size. Worst case the redzone skills are a wash versus Sharpe. Last year Sharpe had 230yds and 0 TDs. Start from there and then who is more likely to help us get more rushing TDs?

Where did you see that? One report said high ankle sprain so figure 6 to 8 weeks

Very interesting to see on his first practice back he gets some reps at RG. As far as I know that's a first and even though it was just a few warmup reps it indicates that was a piece of the puzzle. If he is to be a backup he needs some versatility and from there who knows where it goes.

https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2022/8/7/23295765/chicago-bears-practice-participation-update-for-august-7 "The Chicago Bears canceled the public portion of today's training camp practice due to inclement weather, but they did hold a 90-minute practice inside Halas Hall with no pads. Here's a list of the Bears that did not practice. Note that Teven Jenkins did participate for a second consecutive day, and left tackle Braxton Jones was back (in full) after missing some time yesterday." With the coaches easing off the practice today (no pads) and a day off tomorrow I expect it'll be high intensity during the Tue Family Fest. Then they'll dial it back a bit as they head toward the Sat game against KC.

Santa's Sleigh is still one my favorite trick plays. One of a few good memories I can thank Nagy for.

I watched his press conference. I now think there was some type of injury but I also think the mental side of things got to him. Simply put, he looks sad. Not even mad or frustrated with the lost opportunity, just sad. He said he only talked with his agent and not the Bears about the trade rumors. So if trade talks have been ongoing it could really have been started from either side or perhaps even both in mutual agreement to at least see what was out there once he got demoted (Reiff signing). If it were me, or any of us, and my boss hired someone new to do my job I'd be asking where do I fit in? Are you really going to keep 4 OTs on the final roster? If not, just let me go now so I can find a spot elsewhere and compete for a starting job, don't make me wait until camps are over. Did Poles say ok we'll see what's out there but if we don't get the value we need it won't happen? Maybe all that just put Jenkins into a depression. For anyone who has ever fought through depression it saps your energy. This all happened after day 1, or even during the practice. I wouldn't put it past Eberflus and the team to have come up with the "day to day" stuff for injuries to help cover for Jenkins issue. You can't list everyone's injury and then say nothing on Jenkins. That's pure speculation, but if so, I'd respect them for doing that. We also know that Jenkins has been in meetings with the Oline and yet none has spoken a word about him. That indicates they have privately agreed to circle the wagons and take care of one of their own by keeping whatever is going on out of the media as best they can. Obviously there were no great deals on the table. At best I'd say Jenkins has resigned himself to stay here and try to compete. Maybe once he can get his hands on some defensive players and start moving them around it'll get his spirits up.

My guess is someone is injured and with Roquan out they need depth for the upcoming practices and preseason game Sat. https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2022/8/5/23289394/chicago-bears-sign-usfl-star-demarquis-gates-linebacker-roquan-smith-matt-adams-morrow-joe-thomas

I heard this from Mooney during his press conference that these coaches plan for the scramble drill and they actually practice it. It wasn't that way last year. https://www.si.com/nfl/bears/news/what-darnell-mooney-thinks-the-bears-no-longer-ignore What a damning statement about Nagy to have no plan for QB scrambles and what WRs should do. That happened over the timeframe when they had 2 mobile QBs who could scramble in Trubisky and then Fields. The attention to detail with this new staff is on another level, maybe even 2 floors up (from the basement?). They ran plays today against the scout team defense so they could prepare for teams running 3-4 fronts. That in itself might not be so surprising but they are doing it relatively early in camp when so many positions are still up in the air. Also the practice cadence is higher in all aspects even transitions from drill to drill. Within that they are simulating game scenarios with active substitutions "on the clock". I don't know if they are running shorter practices which could mean getting the same reps in less time, or if they are fitting in more reps in the same timeframe. Mooney also added that these coaches give them more time at night to relax so the long meeting schedules into the night are a thing of the past, maybe last scheduled activity ends at 6 or 6:30pm. That time was helping him to digest the new offense, review film or playbook and get prepared for the next day. Several players commented that Friday's practice was the most challenging practice they've ever been through. I'm sure they'll back off tomorrow for the private practice and then ramp up again on Sun when the fans return. Family Fest is Tue night so it will be interesting to see how they handle that and then Chiefs game at noon Sat.

Depth players to get through some preseason games?

That sounds like there's been some reconciliation lately? If their tough love approach can get him focused and working hard, and I don't care if it's at RT or RG, we could actually have a good Oline with some depth. That's a long wishful shot from where we are today.

I figured if he stuck around with the 1's into the backend of this week then this relationship was getting serious. Seems some others are starting to feel the same way. At this point they've given him the first 3 padded practices as starting LT. Those are very valuable reps against our Dline. I'm not seeing a lot of negative info on his play the last couple days, nothing much positive either but we kinda like our Oline not to get noticed.

LOL... that's going from throwing to a Ferrari to a Mustang. Against the scout team, Justin Fields connected with Velus Jones Jr. on a nice deep ball. Later, Fields slightly overthrew Equanimeous St. Brown on a similar play.

Yes I forgot TEs (it was late). I do like what I've seen from Kmet and I think our backups are solid enough to contribute in a run focused attack with an occasional reception. As for the WRs...there are just too many unknowns. I like what I'm hearing about ESB in redzone sets where he and Fields seem to be building a good connection. Harry too. Velus has had some drops but given the limited role I expect he'll have in the offense I think he'll be ok. Pringle has also had some drops. It's still early in camp but we definitely need someone else to start standing out more consistently besides Mooney. I agree with the sentiment that our RBs will be big contributors in the passing game especially early on. That might be something we don't see much of in preseason to keep teams guessing a bit early in the season.

Week 1 impressions: Defense: Rookies Gordon and Brisker appear to be good players for us and have shown potential to be better than that. EJack appears to be working to keep his job but I'll reserve any judgment until the real games start. Overall the secondary appears to capable of becoming a good unit. It might take a bit with 2 rookies being out there but by the 2nd half of the season we should see it. LBs. No Roquan but Adams and Morrow seem to be ok and making plays. Despite the transition to new scheme and players it feels like we'll be ok here once Roquan is back. Depth behind those 3 is a complete mystery and that could be a big problem if there's a long term injury to a starter. Dline. I hear of flashes from the edge rushers but with an inexperienced (or new) Oline I don't know the level of competition. Trevis Gipson appears to be ready for a bigger role, Quinn will be Quinn. AQM probably fits in around Gipson's style as hustle-type players. That's ok. Lots of noise about the rookie Dom but this is such a massive leap in competition and a still-new position, and the pads just came on, so he's still on the roster bubble IMO. Offense: QB: Fields has improved his mechanics but I really need to see if that holds up under real pressure in a game. Other than that he's still finding his way in this new offense. Among the ups and downs I have two takeways: First: He is slowly and steadily getting more comfortable with the offense. New installs (guessing here) seem to really mess things up as we hear things are getting better and then the next day there's a big dropoff. We need a really good running game for at least the first month of the season to carry this offense. Second: Fields makes a few legit NFL-Starting-QB throws everyday in practice. Not talking about how well he can throw but how well he's reading defenders and receiver and putting ball into tight windows for a completion. Most passes in a game don't require that but 2min drill to win the game do. Oline: I have no clue if the tough love approach for Jenkins will rescue his career in Chicago or if he should just keep his bags packed. I'm hopeful it will work but the odds are not in his favor right now. Reiff moving over to RT might just be the team helping him get comfortable in the scheme on both sides while at the same time they get to help Braxton Jones get better prepared to be the backup LT. Or they might be about to demote Borom who has had some struggles with the pads on. It's early but if Reiff keeps stacking practices on the right side to close to close out this week we're probably headed to having Borom as the backup swing OT. On the inside I think RG is still wide open. Schofield represents the floor IMO. Carter has shown some good reps with the 1s but I doubt he's ready for the full playbook. I'm not sure where Mustipher fits in but he's the likely backup RG or C IMO. RBs: This position might be really deep with Ebner already causing issues for the defense. Who we keep on the 53 could be one of the most interesting battles. You know Montgomery and Blasingame have a spot. I expect Herbert too. Do we keep Evans who has also looked good as a backup, or Ebner? Or both? WR: Mooney and the gang of Who Dats. ESB is starting to standout in the redzone as a Fields favorite. Harry I think makes it on run blocking alone (we must have a good running game) as long as he can provide occasional receptions. Pringle is likely #3WR but his limitations with his hands are revealing themselves. That's 4 WRs, who earns the 5th or 6th position is a mystery right now.

True but there were also games where it was obvious they were exhausted in the 4th quarter. They'd get off the field and then the offense would go 3 and out.

Agreed, and it's also good to get the short-notice list ready now in case there are more injuries.

Mitch just didn't put in the work to fix his throwing mechanics and couldn't or wouldn't learn how to read defenses. If he liked seeing that Josh Allen was allowed to freelance more than he was and mistook that as a reason to keep doing what he'd always done then he was sadly mistaken. So far in his career he's earned $36 million.

Maybe but 3,4, and 5 all seems like the same issue that just manifests into a different bad results. 1, 6 seem like similar issues with arm/hand use. Granted it's likely different for pass pro vs. run blocking but this is also a ZBS so I have to think engaging with defensive players on the move has some similarities even if the target area might be different. He has already admitted he's learned a ton about how much his arms can help him and every press conference he brings it up as something he's prioritizing. Doesn't guarantee a result but admitting or accepting what is wrong is the first step to fixing it. 2 could be a problem but during his private workouts with the team they were happy with his movement skills and his RAS score 8.44 indicates he has some decent athleticism. I think this is a correctable issue but at NFL game speed it could easily take him a full year to get acclimated. https://ras.football/ras-information/?PlayerID=21105. Reiff in contrast had a RAS of 5.91. Since I'm at the site FWIW Borom RAS 8.65 but as compared to OG. Jenkins a 9.73. 8 and 9 outside setting against pass rush could simply be how he was coached to play the position. Coaches/scouts should know that answer from his interview or workout sessions. 7 platform instability. could be fixed with strength training and coaching or it could be endemic to how he plays. For whatever reason some big men just never get it. My guess is the bold items are the biggest risks this year if we have to rely on him, followed by his hand usage. Building strength doesn't happen overnight especially for a rookie and all the life changes they go through with the draft process, moving to a new city, new job, etc. Learning to use leverage means getting rid of years of bad physical habits if it happens at all. OTs like Julien Davenport have been around for years but still play like they're wearing cement shoes.

I remember that during the draft process. Given the tight-lipped organization Poles and Eberflus have run so far I find it odd they would be leaking to NFL Network about trade talks. The leak could be from his agent but you'd think he/she would be smart enough to know you don't want to try to trade damaged goods (meaning keep your mouth shut). Or it could be other teams that are interested but wanted to reduce his trade value. You listen to Braxton Jones' press conference and all you hear is praise for the coaches. I think he's being sincere because he's learning, he knows how much more he has to learn, and most importantly he appreciates the opportunity in front of him. He mentioned the "things you hear" but deftly stayed away from directly talking about Jenkins' issue. At this point it seems Jenkins' injury is a bruised ego.

"I have been really impressed with this kid. For a 5th round pick, he seems like he is pretty well centered. Does this sound like a 5th round rookie:" I have been impressed by his maturity since his first press conference. We had to wait and see how that turns into performance on the field but it now appears he's a fast learner. He has a long way to go but the right mentality and approach to getting there.

Not everyone. I was good with drafting Jenkins, even pleasantly surprised by the move to replace Leno. I had no issue with holding Leno accountable for his poor performance in the same manner I did for Gould before he left. Gould at least admitted it after working to regain his form and then landing on his feet in SF. Pace went all-in to save his job and it didn't work. The bottom line for me is that Pace and Nagy had to fail for us to arrive where we are today. I'm sure some may still want to burn off some fuel about why they had to fail for so long. Regardless, keeping Leno around wasn't going to change anything even if we had a couple less sacks or a few more first downs. Now the new staff moves much quicker on accountability. They won't wait a year or two. It's easy to do when you're new and these aren't "your guys" so we'll see if that holds up in years 3 and 4.

As I said in the training camp thread: "Signs were already pointing toward Borom starting at RT but we'll see if that holds. Eberflus has already said he wants to keep 8 Oline so it's possible Jenkins ends up the odd man out at the end of camp and gets traded." I'd certainly like to see Jenkins fight for a job instead of pouting. I'd love to see his run blocking ability on the field but whatever is going on behind the scenes it just blew up. I was kinda discounting the whole maturity issues rumor but no longer. Oddly we're in the reverse situation of N'Keal Harry and the Patriots except Poles and Eberflus aren't going to wait nearly as long. Again, new sheriff in town and I guarantee this rumor has everyone's attention in the locker room. I'll add to the uneducated guesses based on my statement at the top. If we're only keeping 8 Oline and if Jenkins is headed toward being a backup that means he needs to demonstrate some versatility. He may have balked about taking snaps inside at RG, and also about being the "extra" lineman in limited packages. Reiff can play both sides. Jones is LT only. Borom can play both sides. What else are we gonna do with the 4th OT? Putting aside Jenkins issues, I still don't think the team would be shopping him if they really needed him even as a backup. I think this means they feel pretty good about Jones and Borom and likely two other Olineman. Reiff is the LT starter but gives added flexibility for RT, and then you have Schofield who can also slide out to RT if needed. They may also like what Mustipher and Carter are doing inside (guessing since Carter had some reps with the 1s). So then who are the top 8 Oline? 1. Reiff LT/RT 2. Schofield RG/RT 3. Whitehair LG/C 4. Patrick C/RG 5. Borom LT/RT 6. Mustipher RG/C backup each 7. Jones LT. 8. ????? (in terms of talent options are Jenkins, Carter, Shonn Coleman 5th yr, Zach Thomas, Pig Simmons, Eiselen, Kramer). I know Delance, and Davenport are out there too. I can't see them keeping a backup C who can't flex out to OG so Kramer is likely practice squad material. Watch how they line up tomorrow. In that list, besides Jenkins, there has to be a couple guys they like enough to be comfortable with them battling for the 8th spot. Otherwise keeping Jenkins necessitates having 9 Oline on the 53 but are you going to do that with a guy who isn't bought into your program? We're not going to be able to put Jenkins on the practice squad because someone would pick him up. The last 3 roster spots go to players who exude the culture and are willing to do whatever they can to help the team win, not to someone who needs a babysitter. What happens if we can't get decent value out of the trade? Either Jenkins has his teachable moment (nobody really values him) and decides to work hard (RT/RG) to earn a roster spot. Or we're SOL. I'd venture that Poles will keep him around as long as possible because there is always a team in need of OT help at cutdowns due to injuries. He'd likely get better value from someone who didn't want to take the risk of Jenkins becoming a FA. Deadlines bring clarity to your cost/benefit analysis especially if your GM or HC job is on the line. You'll pay more to try to keep your job. Like Harry did for the last year, if Jenkins first trade pitch doesn't work out he'd likely shut up and toe the line enough to help build his trade value during the preseason.