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2019 Training Camp Thread


dll2000

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7 hours ago, WindyCity said:

The OL needs to be better.

They were not bad last season, but hardly difference making.

I am going to watch them closely in camp as they will be repping against the best front 7 in football.

How much of that is resultant from predictability on our part caused by our backfield personnel last year? Seems to me that running when your opponent knows you’re going to run the majority of the time would make it much more difficult on even the best OL. That shouldn’t be the case this year nearly as much. Not only should versatility in the backfield personnel make us less predictable breaking the huddle but also I would think should give Mitch much more viable check out options at the line when he can see that the called run play isn’t likely to succeed. This offense is all about creating favorable matchups. Now that everyone in the backfield has the skill set to do anything our ability to dictate these things based on pre-snap reads should go up tenfold. 

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1 minute ago, AZBearsFan said:

How much of that is resultant from predictability on our part caused by our backfield personnel last year? Seems to me that running when your opponent knows you’re going to run the majority of the time would make it much more difficult on even the best OL. That shouldn’t be the case this year nearly as much. Not only should versatility in the backfield personnel make us less predictable breaking the huddle but also I would think should give Mitch much more viable check out options at the line when he can see that the called run play isn’t likely to succeed. This offense is all about creating favorable matchups. Now that everyone in the backfield has the skill set to do anything our ability to dictate these things based on pre-snap reads should go up tenfold. 

This isn’t just from the standpoint of checking run to pass or vise versa either, but also from inside run to outside run as well. 

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I don't think either Long or Whitehair are lacking in "mean".  I like Whitehair at LG better now that we have a true OC with Daniels skills.  The key is really gonna be keeping that starting 5 healthy all through camp and preseason so they gel as well as throughout the season.

The interesting battles are gonna come for the 2-3 primary backup roles.

Assuming Sowell makes the conversion to TE we can probably also use him as an emergency OL if needed.  That tells me all we really need is a swing OT and a backup OG/OC.  Larsen may have an edge on that spot due to his experience and yeah, he's gotta real mean streak in him.

In addition I'll be pulling for Coward to take that next step as a backup OT and Barr as an OG.  Those are guys I can see making the cut.

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1 hour ago, dll2000 said:

Early word out of Broncos camp is Oline is a sieve, leaking everywhere.

Still its super early.  Good news for Bears as they are early opponent. 

And that does not bode well if Flacco is your QB.

But.....consider who that OL is going up against?

If anyone has a pair of Edge Rushers (Miller/Chubb) better than us it's Denver.

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2 hours ago, soulman said:

And that does not bode well if Flacco is your QB.

But.....consider who that OL is going up against?

If anyone has a pair of Edge Rushers (Miller/Chubb) better than us it's Denver.

I did consider that.  People are saying backups are killing them too.

It's very early and O line is always last thing to gel on a football team.  So I am not saying it is Gospel.

 

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I'd say our starting 5 OL if healthy it is above average as a unit.

Long health is obviously a perennial problem.  Massie and Leno have been remarkably healthy and were fairly consistent last year.  I am always concerned with Massie's slow feet, but he seems to have work arounds that keeps his name from being called in a bad way. 

Daniels is opposite.  He was a baby last year and is remarkably talented and athletic for the position, most talented OL on team at this point IMO.  I think starting next year, if he progresses like I think he will, Daniels becomes perennial pro bowler. 

Whitehair will be one of better guards in league, he is really good at blocking second level in space from guard position.  He is one of only OL I have ever seen that can reach play side LB on OZ.  

I think both Daniels and Whitehair are better suited for C and G respectively.  Should help this season in long run.  

Long being old Long somehow is the difference from having a hole to fill and being pretty good.  He is the key or the fulcrum that will make or break the line.

I am really concerned about depth if any of them go down.

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5 hours ago, dll2000 said:

I did consider that.  People are saying backups are killing them too.

It's very early and O line is always last thing to gel on a football team.  So I am not saying it is Gospel.

 

They aren't the Bronocos OL of old that's for sure.  Those guys are long gone and Fangio and his OC are gonna have to come up with some way to patch a starting five together that can protect.  Flacco is a pure statue back there just as Manning was.

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Caught this off Bleacher Reports news feed, apparently the Bears pointed out that Bray-QB can still be pushed to the practice squad again this season.  I remember it being a bit of a question where he stood as the #3 with potentially having to waste a roster slot because he might not be PS eligible.... but apparently he (somehow) still is, despite being 27.

 

 

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37 minutes ago, Epyon said:

Caught this off Bleacher Reports news feed, apparently the Bears pointed out that Bray-QB can still be pushed to the practice squad again this season.  I remember it being a bit of a question where he stood as the #3 with potentially having to waste a roster slot because he might not be PS eligible.... but apparently he (somehow) still is, despite being 27.

 

 

Realistically, he can’t play. There are enough bad backups in this league that if he was any good he’d be dressing on Sundays somewhere. I could see him being an assistant QB coach under Nagy or Reid in the very near future. Probably be a pay bump from the practice squad salary too. Once TC is over that’s essentially all he is. I’d rather see him on the staff with a player on the PS come September in whom some developmental opportunity exists. 

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5 hours ago, AZBearsFan said:

Realistically, he can’t play. There are enough bad backups in this league that if he was any good he’d be dressing on Sundays somewhere. I could see him being an assistant QB coach under Nagy or Reid in the very near future. Probably be a pay bump from the practice squad salary too. Once TC is over that’s essentially all he is. I’d rather see him on the staff with a player on the PS come September in whom some developmental opportunity exists. 

If Bray is not "that guy" who can replace Daniels as a #2 it would seem Pace and Nagy have some decisions to make for 2020 and thereafter since Daniels deal is up after this season.   How much can we afford to pay a backup each year and should we be drafting a young QB each year beginning in 2020 looking for a guy to develop and keep the pressure on Mitch?  It may be time for that approach.

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12 hours ago, Heinz D. said:

Dude. They're much better than "above average". How many lines are better than a healthy Bears line? Like...seven? If that? 

I'd certainly rate them as a top ten OL who could rank even higher now that OC and LG have been rearranged.  I really do feel that's gonna help Whitehair become more aggressive and more valuable as a pass blocker plus Daniels is a natural at OC and rising quickly.

Kyle Long's health is still a concern since the OL is much better with him than without him.  IMHO how well he can get through this season without injury may have a one or two game impact on our record.  The running game work much better when he can play at 100%.

Massie and Leno are unlikely to make anyone's All Pro team but both have become dependable and available.  Let's hope that continues because we have no proven depth at OT and badly need Coward or another to step into a dependable swing OT role.

So to me healthy is the key word.  The starters are all predictably good to excellent but our depth is questionable and that should be a focus for Harry H as far as getting some dependable depth developed during camp and preseason.  We need it.

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