Bears report to training camp

[balta1701-A]

I'll start this season off for y'all with some quotes.

From Jeff Dickerson: Bears quarterback Jay Cutler admitted Thursday that the job status of head coach Lovie Smith is part of the motivation for the players this season. "Lovie is one of the best coaches I've been around," Cutler said, "and I know that everyone on this team has a great amount of respect for him, as he does for us. He treats us well. I know some of the guys that have been here longer than me definitely have a lot of ties to him, and we want to go out there for him and play well, because you never know what's going to happen this year if we don't go out and perform -- if Lovie gets to stay or not. That's definitely a question that I'm sure is in the back of everyone else's mind."

 

Seifert comment: I can't imagine Cutler saying anything different with a straight face. Of course he is going to profess loyalty to the head coach. But I do think it's notable that on the very first day of training camp, the starting quarterback was already admitting that the head coach could be fired after the season. All NFL coaches face win-now pressure, but you don't often see such a significant storyline playing out in July.

 

Also from Dickerson: Bears center Olin Kreutz, who's coming off Achilles surgery, expects to be on the field when the Bears open practice Friday afternoon. "Yeah, I'm ready to go," he said. "I should be out there for Day 1, if everything goes as planned. I'm ready to go, and hopefully the foot feels better."

 

Seifert comment: Kreutz's status fell below the radar on this blog for most of the offseason, but the surgery forced him to miss almost the entire slate of offseason workouts. He's been the Bears' best offensive linemen over the past decade, and you wince a bit when you read him saying that "hopefully the foot feels better." I'm guessing that Kreutz will just push through whatever pain he encounters.

 

By the way, Smith said that all players should be ready to participate in Friday's opening practice. That list includes new tight end Brandon Manumaleuna, who was sidelined for most of the offseason after having surgery to drain his knee.

[AZ54]

Cutler appears to be in much better shape than he was last year. It's not quite as relevant to the QB position as others but it does indicate a commitment on his part to have a better season.

 

Kreutz missed almost all of the practices but OTAs aren't exactly something a 13 yr vet needs. He was doing full workouts most of the summer and he's always been a workout warrior so I expect he's in good shape. He is a concern but far from the biggest issue we have on the Oline.

[nfoligno]

How has he been doing "full workouts" while recovering from surgury on his achillies? I am sure he has been lifting weights, but I would doubt he was able to do much running or similar cardio, which could mean he has quite a bit of conditioning to do once he gets to camp.

 

With that said, I agree it not as big of a deal when a 13 year vet missing the offseason stuff. It hurts here a bit as we are installing both a new offensive scheme and even blocking system, but Kreutz is not one you usually worry about picking such up. The bigger concerns for me are (a) is the foot truly healed and ( was his poor play over the last couple seasons really just due to the foot, or has he simply lost it?

 

Cutler appears to be in much better shape than he was last year. It's not quite as relevant to the QB position as others but it does indicate a commitment on his part to have a better season.

 

Kreutz missed almost all of the practices but OTAs aren't exactly something a 13 yr vet needs. He was doing full workouts most of the summer and he's always been a workout warrior so I expect he's in good shape. He is a concern but far from the biggest issue we have on the Oline.

 

[defiantgiant]

With that said, I agree it not as big of a deal when a 13 year vet missing the offseason stuff. It hurts here a bit as we are installing both a new offensive scheme and even blocking system, but Kreutz is not one you usually worry about picking such up. The bigger concerns for me are (a) is the foot truly healed and ( was his poor play over the last couple seasons really just due to the foot, or has he simply lost it?

 

Yeah, I hear you - we'll see this season how much he really has left in the tank. That said, I'm a little less worried about Kreutz, just because center is one of the few positions where Jerry and Lovie actually drafted and groomed a guy to replace the incumbent. If Kreutz is done, I'm pretty confident that Beekman can step in.

[balta1701-A]

Various TC notes.

Defensive tackle Tommie Harris routinely sat out selected practices in recent years to rest his aching knee. So it was worth noting that he participated fully in two practices Saturday, including the evening session in full pads, while several other veterans -- center Olin Kreutz and linebacker Brian Urlacher among them -- did not.

 

It's pretty clear that Tillman isn't thrilled with the move from left cornerback to right cornerback, which symbolically equates to a demotion from the No. 1 cornerback role to No. 2. Tillman said he had "no idea" why the change was made and said the adjustment to playing on the opposite side is not insignificant. But it was the right decision for the Bears. Bowman, the new "No. 1," is a ball hawk of the first degree.

 

As promised, defensive end Julius Peppers was working on both sides of the line during early practices. His matchups against right tackle Frank Omiyale were particularly entertaining. The excitement over Martz's offense took some of the spotlight off Peppers' arrival, but he knows how much the Bears are counting on him when the season begins. "I've been in that position my entire career," he said. "I know what that's like and I'm fine with it."

 

We've noted that Cutler favored receiver Johnny Knox during early practices, while Devin Hester, Earl Bennett and Devin Aromashodu played secondary roles. But the bigger surprise was how frequently -- and, probably, deliberately -- the Bears threw to their tight ends in the first practice of the summer. Backup tight end Desmond Clark caught at least eight passes during team drills, and of the first 29 passes Cutler threw in those drills, eight went toward tight ends. That might not sound like a high number, but keep in mind that no tight end has caught more than 38 passes over the course of a season in Martz's offense. "I have heard an awful lot about the tight end not being involved in our offense," Smith said. "... Well, you saw that the tight ends will be a big part of our offense."

[Pixote]

The guy from ESPN Is making a lot of harsh judgments based on the first couple of practices. It is kind of stupid to evaluate the first couple of non contact drills and the first practice in pads for the year. He even tries to twist Cutler's statements into readers thinking "oh my God this offense is just too hard to learn" when Cutler, from what I can tell in interviews, is learning it just fine and is comfortable with it.

 

 

[defiantgiant]

The guy from ESPN Is making a lot of harsh judgments based on the first couple of practices. It is kind of stupid to evaluate the first couple of non contact drills and the first practice in pads for the year. He even tries to twist Cutler's statements into readers thinking "oh my God this offense is just too hard to learn" when Cutler, from what I can tell in interviews, is learning it just fine and is comfortable with it.

If that's Kevin Seifert, he's a massive Vikings homer. The NFC North blog on ESPN is basically 70% Vikings, 30% split between the three other teams in the division.

[AZ54]

Things I like so far:

 

Bowman...continues grabbing INTs.

 

Major Wright...too early to know if he'll contribute at all this year but his athleticism and instincts at times already make him standout among our safeties.

 

Marcus Harrison is ....in shape? When was the last time the numbers on his jersey were hanging straight?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/footb...0,3160490.story

 

Mark Anderson looks like he's put in another solid offseason working out. He appears bigger and stronger, early reports indicate it might be paying off on the field. Still early and he's going against our Oline.

 

Tommie Harris doing a solid interview and sounding like a reasonable person?

http://www.chicagobears.com/index.html (check videos)

 

Julius Peppers is destroying our OTs. It's either good news or bad news depending on your point of view.

 

Cutler seems to be getting the timing of hte offense down quicker than I anticipated. Anxious for first preseason game.

 

DA is stepping up! Will he and Knox be starters on the outside with Hester in the slot? JA indicated today that might be a possibility.

 

Tice reaffirms the competition for 3 Oline spots...often.

 

 

 

[nfoligno]

Major Wright...too early to know if he'll contribute at all this year but his athleticism and instincts at times already make him standout among our safeties.

 

I don't know if he will start, but I remember when Steltz came in, much was expected but all reports had him looking lost in camp. Through OTAs and the very early bit of camp, I have not read about Wright looking lost. That little thing is big IMHO.

 

Marcus Harrison is ....in shape? When was the last time the numbers on his jersey were hanging straight?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/footb...0,3160490.story

 

I have read that he has been unable to finish a couple practices. Coaches said it was the heat, and he was dehydrated. Maybe, but others seem able to finish. Likely would not be much of a story or issue if not for last offseason. After the embarrassment of the last camp, and lack of production through the season, you would really think Harrison would take this offseason really serious. Maybe he isn't as out of shape as last year, but he doesn't seem to have dedicated himself in the offseason the way I think many were hoping.

 

Mark Anderson looks like he's put in another solid offseason working out. He appears bigger and stronger, early reports indicate it might be paying off on the field. Still early and he's going against our Oline.

 

I've been reading good things about him so far, which could go a long way for us this year.

 

Tommie Harris doing a solid interview and sounding like a reasonable person?

http://www.chicagobears.com/index.html (check videos)

 

Just checked outside. No Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies

I don't see Rivers and seas boiling!

I don't see dead rising from the grave.

Oh yea, and my cats still hate dogs.

 

Julius Peppers is destroying our OTs. It's either good news or bad news depending on your point of view.

 

I would write this up as good news for now. I mean, even if they were in top form, do you think Williams or Omiyale can stop Peppers 1 on 1? Peppers is elite and schools upper tier OTs, much less our guys. Further, our OL are still green in their roles and learning a new system and new snap counts. So I only this this as a positive for Peppers, and not really hitting negative on our OTs.

 

[balta1701-A]

I would write this up as good news for now. I mean, even if they were in top form, do you think Williams or Omiyale can stop Peppers 1 on 1? Peppers is elite and schools upper tier OTs, much less our guys. Further, our OL are still green in their roles and learning a new system and new snap counts. So I only this this as a positive for Peppers, and not really hitting negative on our OTs.

If he's actually 100% motivated, is there an OT in the league that can stop Peppers 1 on 1? If there is, there cant' be more than 1 or 2.

[defiantgiant]

I would write this up as good news for now. I mean, even if they were in top form, do you think Williams or Omiyale can stop Peppers 1 on 1? Peppers is elite and schools upper tier OTs, much less our guys. Further, our OL are still green in their roles and learning a new system and new snap counts. So I only this this as a positive for Peppers, and not really hitting negative on our OTs.

Furthermore, I liked that Williams sounded like he was learning from the experience. He talked about how, one-on-one, Peppers can capitalize on any little mistake he makes...that makes me think he's recognizing those mistakes and learning from them. I think going against Pep in practice is going to make Williams a much better player this season.

[Pixote]

I agree, when you practice against someone with the skill set that Peppers has, it has to make you a better player.

 

Furthermore, I liked that Williams sounded like he was learning from the experience. He talked about how, one-on-one, Peppers can capitalize on any little mistake he makes...that makes me think he's recognizing those mistakes and learning from them. I think going against Pep in practice is going to make Williams a much better player this season.

[nfoligno]

I take back what I said about Harrison. While he may still be a bust, it seems he has in fact committed himself in the offseason. Coaches are making a big deal about the weight he lost in the offseason, and the condition he is in. In fact, his diet is said to be one of the reasons he hasn't been hydrated enough and thus didn't finish practice. Still a lot to prove, but it does seem the light came on in the offseason and he got serious about getting in shape.

 

Major Wright...too early to know if he'll contribute at all this year but his athleticism and instincts at times already make him standout among our safeties.

 

I don't know if he will start, but I remember when Steltz came in, much was expected but all reports had him looking lost in camp. Through OTAs and the very early bit of camp, I have not read about Wright looking lost. That little thing is big IMHO.

 

Marcus Harrison is ....in shape? When was the last time the numbers on his jersey were hanging straight?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/footb...0,3160490.story

 

I have read that he has been unable to finish a couple practices. Coaches said it was the heat, and he was dehydrated. Maybe, but others seem able to finish. Likely would not be much of a story or issue if not for last offseason. After the embarrassment of the last camp, and lack of production through the season, you would really think Harrison would take this offseason really serious. Maybe he isn't as out of shape as last year, but he doesn't seem to have dedicated himself in the offseason the way I think many were hoping.

 

Mark Anderson looks like he's put in another solid offseason working out. He appears bigger and stronger, early reports indicate it might be paying off on the field. Still early and he's going against our Oline.

 

I've been reading good things about him so far, which could go a long way for us this year.

 

Tommie Harris doing a solid interview and sounding like a reasonable person?

http://www.chicagobears.com/index.html (check videos)

 

Just checked outside. No Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies

I don't see Rivers and seas boiling!

I don't see dead rising from the grave.

Oh yea, and my cats still hate dogs.

 

Julius Peppers is destroying our OTs. It's either good news or bad news depending on your point of view.

 

I would write this up as good news for now. I mean, even if they were in top form, do you think Williams or Omiyale can stop Peppers 1 on 1? Peppers is elite and schools upper tier OTs, much less our guys. Further, our OL are still green in their roles and learning a new system and new snap counts. So I only this this as a positive for Peppers, and not really hitting negative on our OTs.

 

[nfoligno]

Yea, that is one of the things different this year. In the past, there were times when our OL would look good in camp, only to be killed when they had to face better DL. I am not trying to bash Brown or Wale, but while both were solid, neither were much more than that.

 

 

 

I agree, when you practice against someone with the skill set that Peppers has, it has to make you a better player.

 

[madlithuanian]

So true!

 

I agree, when you practice against someone with the skill set that Peppers has, it has to make you a better player.