AZ54

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.

He needs to stack the DB and push further inside so there is more room for the over the shoulder throw. All things he can learn. On the other hand, Kyler Gordon was right there, kept Velus wide on the sideline as he should be doing, and forced that throw into a very tight window. These two rookies have been going at it early and often in camp so far and think these battles will only heat up.

Everybody mentions it at the start of camp each day. 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 don't think Jones is going anywhere and likely won't make it to the practice squad. Borom and Reiff, can play both LT/RT and Schofield can also backup RT. If everyone is healthy we don't need another backup OT. Jenkins has to either win the RT job or show he can move inside and perform well enough there to at least be a backup OG/OT. We're only 4 days into a 35 day process and we haven't even had 1 practice in pads.

The rookie Center is making the most of his opportunity. His size isn't an issue if he can use it to his advantage and play lower with leverage. Of course he's got to have the strength for that as well which is how Kreutz excelled. It'll be interesting to see what he does with this opportunity. Mustipher doesn't appear to have a lock on RG and now Schofield is getting reps with the 1s and so is Carter. With those changes Mustipher moved to C with the 2s. Kreutz has been promoting Mustipher at C all offseason but now with his son's friend taking the lead at C I wonder what Kreutz will say/do next. https://www.si.com/nfl/bears/news/doug-kramer-the-center-of-attention-at-bears-camp

Based on that poor highlight I don't want him. I realize there's more than that but still he's not exactly shifty enough to break free from the DB and can't accelerate past him either. We might as well see what we get with Harry and ESB for a much lower cost.

I'm talking about his 3rd year and even then Mitch was still being babied. I can't remember anyone coming out of camp saying anything positive about him, in fact it was all red flags which proved correct as soon as the season started.

I gave up trusting the national media and their football analysts a very long time ago. There are a few exceptions of course but overall I tend to learn more right here about the Bears and even the NFL. The one thing I sense right now from fan reports is that, comparatively speaking, Justin Fields in this training camp is way ahead of what Trubisky was doing at his last training camp. Typically at this point of camp I'm suffering through 2 (or more) weeks of "it's early and the defense is expected to be ahead of the offense". This year we get:

2 days in a row the rookie Kramer got to step in a C with the 1s. Mustipher got some snaps with the 1s at C later in practice. Long way to go in this battle and you'd expect the guy who can play 2 positions has the edge for the final roster.

The fact remains that isn’t leading from the front like he said he wants to do. I listened to his press conference he didn’t own up to loafing. Part of being a leader is admitting when you are wrong and taking ownership to make sure it doesn’t happen again. This will be his last year with us. When the coaches put him on punt returns on the first day that was a message to him that he isn’t that valuable.

When Patrick left the field injured it was interesting to see him replaced by the rookie Kramer. This doesn't mean Mustipher isn't an option at C if he makes the final roster but any sentiment (from Olin Kreutz) that Mustipher will slide over to be the starting C seems like wishful thinking. N'Keal Harry had a couple drops today. After catching marshmallows from Mac Jones for a year I can forgive him for a little bit while he adjusts to a ball with a lot more velocity on it. There's chatter about the nice catch from Fields to Mooney deep in the middle of the field. For me the best part of that play was Fields sensing the pressure coming from his right side and sliding left in the pocket to buy enough time to release that pass...and he released that pass without resetting his feet. That kind of movement around the pocket is not something I recall last year. It's still early and with no pads there isn't much of a pass rush per se.

We don't have any depth on this roster. Who do we have behind Kmet, Mooney, or any starting Olineman?