The Chicago Bears? second training camp practice is in the books.
It was another banner day for attendance, marked by notable displays of Caleb Williams? arm talent, the secondary?s ball-hawking nature, and D?Andre Swift?s speed even when not going full-throttle. Afterward, Offensive Coordinator Shane Waldron kicked off media availabilities for the day, which also included D?Andre Swift, Jaquan Brisker, and Kevin Byard.
Kevin Byard Leads Bears Training Camp Notes After Practice No. 2
Bears? Kevin Byard ?Excited? to See Will Levis, Titans in Week 1
Byard and Swift are both set to face their former teams in 2024, with the former?s old squad ? the Tennessee Titans ? visiting Soldier Field in Week 1.
A third-round pick in 2016 (No. 64 overall), Byard spent seven-plus seasons with the Tennesee Titans. He earned two trips to the Pro Bowl and two All-Pro selections during his tenure. The Titans traded Byard to the Philadelphia Eagles at the 2023 deadline.
Week 1 of the 2024 season will mark his first time facing his former team.
?I’m looking forward to it,? Byard said after Sunday?s practice. ?I’m looking forward to seeing some of the guys. It is going to be just another game, but I’ll be lying to say I’m not looking forward to it. I was just in Nashville training and then, obviously, seen some of the guys. We kind of go through the same gym. I’ve seen Will [Levis]. Seen a lot of guys during the offseason, so we’re all anticipating for sure.
?It’d be a little different if we was going to Tennessee, but the fact it’s going to be here? But no, man, I’m definitely excited. I’m excited to see the other guys. Excited to try to go get one against Will. It’ll be fun.?
Bears defensive lineman DeMarcus Walker, fullback Khari Blasingame, and offensive lineman Nate Davis are all former Titans, who also visited Soldier Field in 2023 during the preseason.
D?Andre Swift ?Not Thinking About Lions?
The Bears signed D?Andre Swift in free agency, bringing him back to the division that he spent three seasons in to start his career.
Swift was a second-round pick (No. 35 overall) by the Detroit Lions in 2020. Detroit traded Swift to the Eagles in April 2023 after drafting his replacement, Jahmyr Gibbs, in the first round. Swift and the Bears will visit his old stomping grounds in Week 13.
At least for now, though, he is not concerned with that.
?I’m anticipating for Game 1,? Swift said on Sunday. ?I’m anticipating for practice tomorrow. I ain’t really focused on Detroit at all.?
Swift set career highs with 229 carries and 1,049 yards in 2023. He adds a game-breaking gear that the other top backs on the roster ? Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson do not. The key will be keeping him healthy. That is where having the depth the Bears do could be especially useful.
Jaquan Brisker Explains Ballhawk Mindset
Byard tagged Brisker in a quoted post from the team featuring a clip that showed them going through interception drills. It was captioned ?ballhawks.? Brisker replied saying their time was ?now.?
Asked how he brings that mentality to the field in a way that, hopefully, permeates through the rest of the team, Brisker stuck to an early theme of training camp.
It is all about consistency and communication.
?Just be consistent,? Brisker said after Sunday?s session. ?Be consistent, take the ball away, be vocal, have communication out there. Things like that that’s important. And then we’ve played with each other for so long so, it’s about that time to take that next step.?
The Bears got a big boost by acquiring Montez Sweat from the Washington Commanders at the trade deadline in 2023.
But their turnaround also coincided with the secondary getting healthy.
Asked about the prospects of the defense as a whole having to carry an offense with a rookie at quarterback, Brisker took a business-as-usual approach and referred to an age-old sports adage.
?I feel like the defense always has to carry the team,? Brisker said. ?Defense wins championships, so that’s not really nothing new. But we like having that on our plate. That’s what we want this year, and we got the talent to do it. We got the stars to do it. Now it’s just time to put it all together.?
Shane Waldron Sets ?Realistic? Expectations for Caleb Williams in Bears Training Camp
Waldron largely echoed Head Coach Matt Eberflus’ sentiments in noting Williams? improved grasp of the offense since the spring session.
He was asked what he wanted to see next from the No. 1 pick.
?I think the realistic decision-making, knowing that it’s an unrealistic time of year without the pads and some of the things that we ask our guys to do to protect themselves in those different team settings,? Waldron said. ?There’s certain tempos where, ?Hey, we’re going at a moderated tempo right here, so it’s not going to play out realistically for this part of the play.
?You got to continue out and bank a real, full-speed rep. So I think the more times that he can adjust and adapt to the different tempos that occur at his time of year for these first couple practices and still get the full play so he has that live rep so that when we do go and put the pads on, we get to game time he started to accumulate as many full-speed mental and physical reps as he can get.?
Bears Get Good News on Personnel Front
The Bears had opened camp with back-to-back days of players either being declared limited in practice or going on the non-football injury list.
Tight end Gerald Everett broke that trend on Sunday.
#Bears TE Gerald Everett is being activated of the non-football injury list, per @BearsPR.
— Josh Buckhalter (@JoshGBuck) July 21, 2024
The Bears also brought back former linebacker and special teamer Javin White. An undrafted free agent who broke into the league with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020, White has also spent time with the New York Jets.
The Bears were White?s last team too. He spent 10 days with them during training camp in 2022.