Practice No. 4 of Chicago Bears training camp was the first of 2024 with fans in attendance. The Bears continue to boast strong attendance. The same can be said for participation with none of the players limited or sitting out team drills deemed anything more than precautionary to this point.
It was a day about the defense.
Three out of the four speakers on the day came from that side of the ball, including new Defensive Coordinator Eric Washington.
Bears Training Camp Notes: Gervon Dexter Sr.?s Stock is Rising
Gervon Dexter Sr.: Justin Jones ?Helped Me Grow Up? Faster
Washington commended second-year defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. He noted the former second-round pick?s focus in the classroom and on the field. That is notable praise coming from the detail-oriented Washington.
It is also an example of Dexter continuing what he started as a rookie behind Justin Jones.
Jones signed with the Arizona Cardinals in free agency. Dexter addressed what those lessons were and how he has tried to apply them this offseason and in training camp as he looks to take that next step.
?Justin ? was one of the guys that I think helped me grow up as a young D-tackle,? Dexter told Clocker Sports. So just seeing how he carried himself on and off the field, and how he prepared for games, how he prepared for practices, how he took care of his body. So, yeah, he definitely helped me grow up a little faster.?
Jones was a big advocate, not only for the prospect Dexter was but the player he could be.
?I feel like he?s gonna be really, really, really good player one day. And I mean like really good,? Jones told Clocker Sports in October. ?Career-wise I feel like he?s gonna have a really really good career, and I feel like he?s taking those strides to be an elite player at some point.?
Bears Youngster Sends Message Ahead of Potential Breakout Season
Dexter finished his rookie season with 2.5 sacks. But he got all of them in Weeks 14 through 17. Montez Sweat arrived halfway through the 2023 season, right around when Dexter took off.
Sweat spoke very highly of Dexter during the offseason.
?You gonna see,? Bears defensive end Montez Sweat told former NFL edge defender Chris Long on the ?Green Light Podcast? in April. ?You going to see, man. He?s pretty good. I feel like he was still just kind of unlocking himself, being himself. And I think that?s going to really flourish this year.?
Andrew Billings Talks Versatility, Zacch Pickens
With Jones gone, veteran Andrew Billings is sort of the big brother of the defensive tackle group. Billings is still embracing that role, but Dexter and fellow 2023 draft pick Zacch Pickens have essentially graduated.
?With [Jones] going, I think Dex is looking for a 3-technique,? Billings, a nose tackle, told Clocker Sports. ?I try to help him as much [as I can]. I’m playing 3-technique a little bit this year too, so I’m learning as I’m going. But we got new rookies, new guys that are hungry, so we got to keep up with them so Dex and Zacch, they’re kind of a little bit more on their own this year. But I think they have it where they can improve themselves. They don’t need me in their ear all the time.?
Dexter has rightfully garnered a lot of attention.
However, Billings was sure to note that Pickens could also primed for a big season. The Bears did not add much in the way of proven depth at the position in free agency.
?Zach is gonna be playing 3 and nose too, so you’ll get to see some of him,? Billings said. ?He has a good get off and I think you’re going get to see that coming from him too. He’s going to be real vertical this year. I think it’s going to be more of his play style this year for sure.?
Billings has always displayed quick feet, so he could capitalize on his snaps at 3-tech.
But if Pickens can take a step forward in his development as Dexter seemingly has, the Bears? defensive tackle spot would be in great shape going forward.
Eric Washington: Jacob Martin has ?Great Speed & Quickness? in Bears Training Camp
Washington also had plenty of nice things to say about former Indianapolis Colts pass rusher Jacob Martin. Martin signed with the Bears in free agency and has gotten significant opportunities in camp.
?Jacob, great speed,? Washington said. ?Great speed and quickness. Very athletic. He’s an excellent space player, but he’s really sturdy at the point of attack. And so those type of things you really need to have. So we can anticipate his role being as a three-down defender. So far as a right defensive end, he’s doing a nice job.?
Washington went on to praise Martin?s preparation, taking the field alone to get himself in the proper mental state before practice.
Martin is undersized at 6-foot-2 and 242 pounds (strikingly similar to Yannick Ngakoue).
Martin ? who turns 29 years old in December ? recorded 2.0 sacks with the Colts in 2023. A sixth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks, he has also spent time with the Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, and New York Jets. He has 18.0 career sacks, though he has never recorded more than 4.0 in a single season, which he did in 2021.
Martin has played at least half of his team?s defensive snaps once, per Pro Football Reference.
Darnell Wright Gets Honest About Nate Davis
Bears head coach Matt Eberflus was non-committal when asked about the starting right guard spot amid Nate Davis? absence from the offseason program.
The Bears signed Davis in free agency in 2023. However, he missed ample time due to injury and a death in his family. Seven of his 11 starts came toward the end of the season and the lack of continuity showed in how he and right tackle Darnell Wright worked together. Davis has been present and practicing during camp, which Wright says certainly matters.
?He’s always great,? Wright said on Tuesday. ?I think he’s looked good. We’ve been doing good. We communicating well, working some kinks out that we have. I think it’s great.?
Davis said he was appreciative of the support the Bears showed him.
?I?m very appreciative and, honestly, lucky to have a team that supports me as much as they do,? Davis told Clocker Sports in December. ?And not even just the team ? the players, coaching staff, everybody. [I?m] honestly blessed.?
The Bears can get out of Davis? three-year, $30 million contract and save $9 million in 2025, giving the former Tennessee Titan additional incentive to perform in 2024.
More importantly, the Bears need to keep Caleb Williams upright.
Having the guard and tackle positions locked in could be paramount with starting center the biggest question mark left for the offense outside of their rookie quarterback. Davis also posted three straight seasons grading at least a 69.2 before joining the Bears, per Pro Football Focus.
He earned a 52.9 grade for his 2023 campaign, the second-lowest mark of his career behind only a 46.6 mark as a rookie in 2019.
Center Still a Key Topic of Discussion at Bears Training Camp
Coleman Shelton and Ryan Bates have alternated days as the starting center. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron said Williams is comfortable with both. There is a difference between what the two linemen offer as starting options.
?We got two different body types,? Billings said on Tuesday. ?We got one quick guy, one really strong guy. That competition is going to come down to consistency. Just do what they do best and use that to be consistent. That’s all I can say.?
The Bears traded for Bates from the Buffalo Bills ? where Washington coached before coming to Chicago ? and signed Shelton in free agency from the Los Angeles Rams.
This is set to be a true training camp and preseason position battle.