Day 2 of Chicago Bears training camp included the first practice of the phase. While they are still a ways away from putting on the pads and hitting one another, the sentiments about the season have already shifted from excitement to work.
Players are still looking forward to the upcoming campaign.
They have avoided the trap of falling into expectations, especially those cast so early in the process. But there is an expressed purpose of getting on the same page.
Continuity & Communication Lead Notes From Bears? 1st Training Camp Practice
Jaylon Johnson on Continuity & Kyler Gordon
Cornerback Jaylon Johnson inked a four-year, $76 million contract in the 2024 offseason, and said he still has more ?respect? to earn while specifically noting making First-Team All-Pro and a third contract.
One of the few remaining members from the Bears? last playoff team, Johnson has seen plenty of teammates come and go over the years.
This defense is returning nine starters and a 10th player who logged significant snaps in 2023.
?I think [the continuity]?s big, just being on the same page,? Johnson told Clocker Sports after the first practice on July 20. ?It’s funny, a lot of guys tease me in the room. I feel like, for example, me and Kyler [Gordon] have a good chemistry. A lot of times we don’t have to talk. I can kind of look at him and kind of knock on my head a certain way, or I can give him a certain sign without making it too obvious, and we can play off receivers.
?When you have that between all 11 guys so where we can communicate, we can look at each other and see this play coming and we can kind of give each other a heads up like, ?Hey, let’s watch out for this. Let’s do this.? Then we’re all playing on the same page, we’re all playing fast. We’re not really thinking and guessing on what the offense is doing.
?It?s just about us getting on the same page so we can go out there and play free and make plays. Because we got playmakers. It’s just being on the same page.?
Montez Sweat Looking to Build New Momentum in Bears Training Camp
The Bears acquired Montez Sweat from the Washington Commanders at the 2023 trade deadline. He made an immediate impact and finished the season leading the team in sacks, albeit with 6.0.
However, that gave Sweat a career-high 12.5 sacks. The Bears rewarded him with a four-year, $98 million contract. That was last season, though, and Sweat knows momentum does not carry over in that way.
?We just trying to get better every day. And not necessarily pick up where we left off, because it’s a new year,? Sweat told reporters. ?We got we’re bringing about a lot of guys back, but we also got some new guys. So just bringing the new guys that we got along and help learning the defense.?
The Bears ranked 25th against the pass on the season, but they finished 12th in total defense thanks to the league?s top-ranked run-stopping group. They also tied the San Francisco 49ers with 22 interceptions to lead the NFL in interceptions.
Interceptions (and turnovers in general) vary wildly and the Bears ranked 31st in sacks in 2023.
Keenan Allen Understands Significance of Caleb Williams? 1st Preseason
The defense will hope to get a boost from a retooled offense that added Keenan Allen and rookie Rome Odunze to incumbent star DJ Moore over the 2024 offseason.
Allen said Odunze was more polished than he was coming out of college.
That was in 2013, though. Heading into another training camp, Allen was asked if this upcoming preseason was more significant than most because of Williams? addition. The former Los Angeles Charger answered, ?Absolutely.?
?I think so,? Allend said after Saturday?s practice. ?Being able to play in those conditions where the intensity is high, the game speed is maxed out, and you’re not taking practice reps. Get in there the first game of the season, and you’re like, ?Oh, s***. That’s way faster than we thought,? you know what I’m saying? You want to get those in earlier than you can.?
Allen and Williams have a pre-existing relationship, which is part of why the former was brought in and why they could click earlier than any other connection Williams will make in 2024.
Matt Eberflus Touts Caleb Williams’ Progress to Bears Training Camp
Bears head coach Matt Eberflus spoke about mixing groups to see which ones mesh well. He also said the players had “leveled up” during the break. Asked what that meant for Caleb Williams specifically, Eberflus offered what has to be an encouraging assessment of where the rookie and No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft is.
Eberflus opened training camp citing the organization?s belief in Williams to explain the lack of a veteran addition at quarterback.
Williams has rewarded that faith, at least in the early going, in terms of ingesting everything.
?Just general operation,? Eberflus said after practice. ?First of all, we gave a lot during the spring, so. And then the summer, same thing. So formation, motion, understanding a concept, run kills ? killing it to run, kill it to pass ? alerts. All those things were a couple levels up and you could see it.
?How do you see it? You see it in the execution. They’re in and out of the huddle. I think we only had one today where they weren’t, and it was much better.?
Williams said on July 19 that he was looking to grow and learn from each day.
More Injuries Concerns
Bears general manager Ryan Poles announced that rookie third-round offensive lineman Kiran Amegadjie and undrafted free agent Jamree Kromah would be on the non-football injury and physically unable to perform lists to open camp.
They also placed tight end Geral Everett on the NFI list, marking a potentially notable absence in the early portions of camp.
The Bears did not provide any specifics or timelines.
Eberflus continued the injury-reporting trend on Saturday, announcing that left tackle Braxton Jones and linebacker T.J. Edwards are limited to start camp. Edwards, Jones, and Kromah were all present for the first practice, perhaps indicating a less-than-serious outlook for each.
Amegadjie was also present but was not able to participate as he continues his recovery from a quad injury suffered in college in 2023.
Odunze (excused) was the only player absent from the session.
