Training Camp News

[WindyCity]

Apparently a rough day for the QBs and the offense..

If this offense sucks again, we have to seriously talk about major changes

[Danger]

On 8/22/2020 at 1:27 AM, WindyCity said:

I am just glad the Nick Foles propaganda is dying down.

Relatable.

[GOGRIESE]

1 hour ago, WindyCity said:

Apparently a rough day for the QBs and the offense..

If this offense sucks again, we have to seriously talk about major changes

Nick Foles is Nick Foles. The problem is Mitch is still making extremely dumb mistakes at this point which outshines the good he's doing in practices is what I gather. 

[Sugashane]

1 hour ago, WindyCity said:

Apparently a rough day for the QBs and the offense..

If this offense sucks again, we have to seriously talk about major changes

This is where I am at. Pace picked Tru, I'm under the assumption that Nagy wanted Foles. They both got "their" guy and this is the 3rd year for Nagy to have his offense installed. We've had a bunch of excuses like "it takes 3 years to master the system" to support these two - both have been in the Nagy/Reid/Pederson system for at least the 3rd year now. We have replaced the lame duck OL coach, added a top QB coach (that had Minshew playing well for his draft slot - if Tru and Foles can't outperform that...), added 2 new TEs, kept the OL in the same spots for 4 positions and added more talent to RG, etc. 

 

If they can't perform to an acceptable level then the MINIMUM that can be allowed is Nagy being stripped of playcalling duties. IDC if we would somehow win the Super Bowl, if the offense is bottom 10 then he should not be allowed to call a play. You can only ride your defense so long before the W/L record looks like you are a weak link to the record rather than the cause for the winning record. I like Nagy but he might need to just do the John Harbaugh deal of his offense sucks this year. If the team flops then Nagy is simply expendable. 

ATM I feel like the Bears are a good team with an offense that is going to be around the 20 mark, but if the defense is back to form then we should easily challenge for a playoff spot, even if I don't expect to win the NFCN. Missing them would be a major disappointment. 

[G08]

2 hours ago, GOGRIESE said:

The problem is Mitch is still making extremely dumb mistakes at this point which outshines the good he's doing in practices is what I gather. 

Aside from the 2 yard loss on the QB scramble, what other 'extremely dumb mistakes' has he made?

[soulman]

8 minutes ago, G08 said:

Aside from the 2 yard loss on the QB scramble, what other 'extremely dumb mistakes' has he made?

Wondering the same.  Like to see some documented comments from Nagy on this.

[soulman]

Chicago Bears Training Camp Stock Watch: 5 up, 5 down for Week 1

ByZack Pearson Aug 24, 5:44 PM

https://247sports.com/nfl/chicago-bears/ContentGallery/Chicago-Bears-Training-Camp-Stock-Watch-5-up-5-down-for-Week-1-150631458/#150631458_1

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Chicago Bears concluded Week 1 of training camp practices with a scrimmage on Saturday and then a walk-through on Sunday afternoon following a COVID-19 scare at Halas Hall. Head coach Matt Nagy received a call just after 2 a.m. on Sunday morning from head trainer Andre Tucker detailing about 9 positive COVID-19 tests from staff and players. 

While the media waited to get into Halas Hall for the 9:20 a.m., details would emerge later on that they were false positive tests and practice was later completed. 

After the first week of practices, some storylines have started to emerge for the team as they look to build on their 8-8 season and return to the playoffs. But there are also some concerns in some areas as the team has just under three weeks until kickoff. With 10 practices left until they go into regular season mode, there's still a lot to watch here in the coming weeks. Can Chicago's offense improve? Will either Mitch Trubisky or Nick Foles grab a hold of the lead in the quarterback battle? Can they avoid some major injuries and enter Week 1 vs. Detroit healthy? What have we learned so far?

As we continue to countdown the days, we decided to provide an update on our stock watch for the roster with three players who are trending upwards and three players who are going in the opposite direction. Now, this isn't a time to panic for those whose stock is going down, but they are certainly running out of time. The same can be said for the players whose stock is on the rise. Can they keep it up until Week 1? 

Here are our five players with their stock trending up and three players with their stock trending down as we head into Week 2 of practices for the Bears at Halas Hall. 

SLIDE 1 of 10

Stock Up: TE Jimmy Graham

(Photo: AP Photo, 247Sports)

The signing of veteran tight end Jimmy Graham was criticized due to the price Ryan Pace paid to land him. The Bears signed Graham to a two-year deal worth $16M with $9M of that money guaranteed.

But so far in training camp, Graham has been a standout and one of Chicago's best players on offense.

The 33-year-old Graham has been a go-to target for Bears' quarterbacks in drills during camp and has proved so far to be a safety blanket at the tight end position. He's also dominated one-on-one drills especially in the red zone with his 6-foot-7 frame.

"Yeah, I mean one-on-one in the red zone is always a fun time. There’s not much room. Man vs. man. I thought it was really good work today," Foles said last week. "I thought guys were being extremely competitive, practicing hard but being smart. And having a guy like Jimmy, I thought Jimmy had a great day of work today and really showed why he’s been such a great player in this league for so long."

The expectations aren't very high for Graham as he was one of three tight ends the Bears brought in to help revamp the position. But he's been a standout early in camp and if that translates to the regular season, the Bears may have their solution at the position.

I'm confident that Graham will continue to be impressive in training camp and will provide a much-needed target for the quarterbacks this year. 

SLIDE 2 of 10

Stock Down: Offensive line

(Photo: Kamil Krzaczynski , USA TODAY Sports)

Last year the Bears offensive line took a step backward as they struggled in pass protection and run blocking. The unit gave up 45 sacks in 16 games, the most by the team since the 2011 season, and it led to the firing of coach Harry Hiestand.

In steps veteran coach Juan Castillo who brings a new philosophy to the team. Castillo's scheme of zone running fits that of Nagy's and the hope is that the line can not only improve but be more physical up ront.

Now, the offensive line hasn't looked awful in camp just yet but they have yet to stand out to me outside of Cody Whitehair, who has had a nice week, and James Daniels. The defensive line is still finding ways to get pressure in the backfield and too many times have guys come in and got to the quarterback without much fight from the line here in camp.

Plus the Bears are dealing with a few injuries as swing tackle Jason Spriggs went down during Saturday's scrimmage and rookie Lachavious Simmons has also missed some practices with an injury. Those two aren't starters but are considered depth pieces going into the season, so the injuries do hurt in a way.

With a few more weeks left, the hope is that the offensive line can get it together which should help improve the run game and protect the quarterback. It's something I'll be keeping my eye on.

SLIDE 3 of 10

Stock Up: TE Cole Kmet

(Photo: Kamil Krzaczynski , USA TODAY Sports)

Two stock ups so far and two tight ends in that slot.

I wrote about the veteran Jimmy Graham having an impressive camp over the first week but rookie second-round pick Cole Kmet has also been a standout. The former Notre Dame tight end got off to a good start this offseason by impressing Matt Nagy in Zoom meetings and now he's impressing his teammates as well including Graham, a player that has been in the league a long time and has plenty of knowledge at the position.

“First, his intelligence. His football intelligence and his ability to soak in these plays and understand his assignments and to understand football and defenses is extremely impressive for a young kid," Graham said. "That’s been the most impressive thing that I can say I notice with him. Also, he’s every bit of 260. He reminds me a young me. He’s got big legs and the amount of potential that the kid has and the amount of talent that he has is truly unbelievable.”

Kmet has seen his fair share of reps in camp so far and he's made the most of them. The addition of Kmet, Graham, and Demetrius Harris should allow the Bears to go with more 12 personnel with Kmet serving as the hybrid tight end. His skill set is suited for more of a blocking tight end but he does have pass-catching abilities as well.

It's been only one week but it appears as if Kmet is on the right trail and could make more of an impact than we thought this season.

 

SLIDE 4 of 10

Stock Down: Both quarterbacks

(Photo: Dustin Bradford, Getty)

The quarterback competition is the biggest storyline in training camp right now for the Bears as Mitch Trubisky and Nick Foles are battling it out for the starting job. Through the first five practices, I have it charted down as 3-2 in favor of Trubisky in terms of how many days won.

After Foles won the first day, Trubisky rebounded to win the next three before Foles barley edged him out in the scrimmage on Saturday. But here's the thing.... neither of them look impressive and this might be worst-case scenario for the team.

I have to say, watching both of these quarterbacks right now isn't easy. Neither have really grabbed a hold of this competition through the first week which may cause some concerns about the competition as a whole. As it stands now, I don't feel very comfortable with either as the starter. I could be wrong and things could change but there haven't been many encouraging signs so far.

Following Saturday's practice, Nagy was impressed with both in terms of decision-making on the field but there is more that goes into it as he explains with coaches reviewing the film.

"Both of these quarterbacks right now are in the decision-making process of getting graded where they understand after each practice we get together and we discuss where they're at. It's decision-making, their accuracy and the way they handle special situations. And today there was a few throws that they both want back but I thought with Mitchell, again, that nice throw down the middle to Jesper and then Nick had a nice throw."

"That's how you evaluate. You evaluate off the tape. And there's feel involved," Nagy said. "We try not over-coach them in practice. It gets too choppy. That's why we have so much film is that we can get right back in here and get to the details of what did we see? There's a lot of times when we're out there watching a play and from our vantage point that we think we can see the right angle, or why did this guy do that? Or why did he run vs man or sit vs zone? And yesterday, we had one with Tarik Cohen. There was play that was kind of gray. It wasn't cut-dry, black and white. And we were able to watch it on tape and see OK, yeah the depth of that guy, he was a little deeper than we thought. I see what you're saying while you were running that play. You can't say that out there, so when we're seeing that just like ya'll are, we're evaluating everything off the tape."

The Bears aren't in a rush to make a decision yet, either. Nagy has stated a few different times that they are going to be patient with this battle and make their decision when needed.

Let's just hope one of these guys pulls away...

SLIDE 5 of 10

Stock Up: WR Darnell Mooney

(Photo: Jonathan Bachman, Getty)

Another rookie who is seeing his stock rise in training camp is fifth-round pick Darnell Mooney. The Bears had a need for speed on their offense this offseason and decided to address it by bringing in veteran free-agent Ted Ginn Jr. as well as drafting Mooney out of Tulane.

So far at camp, I've been impressed with Mooney as he's had the chance to earn some quality reps with both corners. What really stands out about the receiver is his speed and ability to turn it upfield. I've seen him do it a few times already, catching a short pass, getting his body balanced and feet pivoted to turn it upfield.

Mooney isn't expected to have a huge rule in his first season in the NFL, but with some questions in terms of depth behind Allen Robinson and Anthony Miller, he could find himself making an impact right away.

SLIDE 6 of 10

Stock Down: Reps

(Photo: Daniel Bartel, Getty)

This has been an unusual offseason, to say the least. First it was COVID-19 shutting down the building in March so no players could go in and workout. That continued through the Spring and Summer with OTA's and rookie minicamp all being cancelled forcing the Bears to hold them through Zoom meetings. Eventually the preseason was cancelled, making it a unique road for teams to open camp and play in regular season games shortly after.

While the Bears are on the field practicing, the reps are limited. The team has just about three weeks left before they take on the Detroit Lions in Week 1 and it's been a bit of a challenge for Nagy and his staff to find reps for players who might be fighting for roster spots as well as those on the first and second teams.

The Bears are essentially swapping players out on almost every snap, trying to get as many reps as possible in.

"I think the other thing we are battling is just time, I think we are battling time and with the practice restrictions and the lack of preseason games, I think to me is the biggest factor," said quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo. "Just getting these guys enough reps. I mean you guys were at practice the other day, we were subbing guys in sometimes every play just to make sure every guy gets an equal shot with the first group. But that's the thing to me."

This not only impacts the quarterback battle but some other battles on the roster as well. It's going to be interesting to see how the Bears can make the most of their reps with these position battles going on.

SLIDE 7 of 10

Stock Up: Bilal Nichols

(Photo: Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire, Getty)

The opt -out of the 2020 season from Eddie Goldman made headlines just before the Bears were set to report to camp. With a deep and talented front seven, the loss of Goldman at nose tackle up front is huge and Chicago will now look to replace that skill set with someone already on the roster.

Instead of bringing in a veteran like Snacks Harrison or even Mike Daniels, the Bears decided to give third-year lineman Bilal Nichols the opportunity. And so far, he's taken full advantage of it.

Nichols played a little nose tackle in college at Delaware, so the transition won't be too difficult for him and he did bulk up a bit in the offseason. From what I've seen out of Nichols, he looks comfortable playing it at camp and has found himself in the backfield a few times during team drills. I do like the depth the Bears have right now with Nichols and the veteran John Jenkins but having them both stay healthy will be key.

This is a good sign early on that Nichols can rebound from his sophomore slump season a year ago as he dealt with that hand injury. If he can take that next step in terms of development, the Bears may have a steal from the 2018 NFL Draft.

SLIDE 8 of 10

Stock Down: Tashaun Gipson

(Photo: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports, USA TODAY Sports)

A free-agent signing this offseason, veteran Tashaun Gipson joined the Bears in hopes of being the starting safety opposite of Eddie Jackson. But so far, Gipson finds himself behind Deon Bush in terms of reps and on the depth chart according to my numbers.

Gipson has spent most of his time with the second team in camp so far, earning a few reps with the first team throughout. But from what I've seen, it's fair to say he might be behind in the competition and trailing Bush for the starting job. The veteran, who spent last season with Houston, isn't practicing noticeably bad or anything like that. This is just a case where Bush might be having much better days in the coaches' eyes.

The good news for Gipson is that he is a veteran and has seasons under his belt and there is plenty of time to catch up. He just needs to make the most of his reps moving forward to win this job over the next few weeks.

SLIDE 9 of 10

Stock Up: Deon Bush

(Photo: Jeff Hanisch, USA TODAY Sports)

I mentioned that fellow safety Tashaun Gipson's stock was down on the previous slide and now it's time to check in on Deon Bush. The former fourth-round pick out of Miami has had one of the best camps so far and now finds himself as the favorite to win the starting safety job. Bush started a few games in his rookie season but since then has been down on the depth chart behind Eddie Jackson, Adrian Amos, and HaHa Clinton-Dix.

Going into this offseason I had a hard time seeing Bush as the starter, as did many. But now he might just be in the driver's seat to win the job as he has spent most of his time with the first team in camp. Bush isn't your traditional strong safety and may struggle in defending the run something that hurt the Bears with Clinton-Dix last season. However, Chuck Pagano might want to use the strategy of interchanging his safeties and having them both play in each spot at times.

Bush has earned the praise of Pagano and other coaches, putting him in good shape through the first few weeks. Gipson will challenge him here down the stretch and the response by Bush will tell us everything.

SLIDE 10 of 10

Stock Down: OLB depth

(Photo: Joe Robbins, Getty)

The Bears pass rush should be much improved in 2020 with Khalil Mack returning and the addition of veteran Robert Quinn who is coming off a big season in 2019 with the Dallas Cowboys. Those two will lead the charge for the Bears at the outside linebacker position. But behind them, the depth gets tricky.

Going into camp it was Isaiah Irving, Barkevious Mingo, James Vaughters, and rookie Trevis Gipson on the depth chart behind the duo. So far, none of those four I've mentioned have really stood out, causing some concern if Mack or Quinn get hurt.

8COMMENTS

Now, I'm not saying any of these guys will be 5+ sack guys in 2020 but the depth is worrisome. Say Mack or Quinn do have to miss time, should we feel comfortable about any of those four replacing them? I'm going to say no.

It's a big year for Irving after he's served as OLB4 for the past two seasons and he has the chance to break out and provide some depth. But early on in camp, he's not really shown anything to warrant that just yet. The same can be said for Mingo, although he will have a bigger impact on special teams. As for Gipson, he's still learning the NFL as a fifth-round pick and has a great opportunity to learn from two of the best in the league.

Let's keep an eye on this position as camp continues but early on, it's not looking promising behind Mack and Quinn.

[soulman]

The only two Stock Down that should be of immediate concern are OL and QB so let's focus on those.

OL:   I realize who these guys are up against in camp and that may be enough of a reason to cut them a little slack but not much.  If Massie and Leno don't begin to show up better and stronger than they did in 2019 any hope we might have of making a deep run in the playoffs ain't gonna happen and even getting to the playoffs to begin with may be a struggle.  We have to score more often and all of that starts with that OL and our depth is thin to non-existent.

I'm gonna trust so far that Castillo knows what he's doing but if the talent is truly lacking there's only so much he can do.  If we can at least get solid play from the interior linemen we can give the OTs some help on passing downs but we can't have another year where run blocking looks like a clown show.  I think it goes without saying that the OL and specifically OT should be Pace's next focus for a major rebuilding project.  Leno and Massie are capped out.

QB:   It's disheartening to hear an opinion that despite being under the gun Mitch still hasn't found a way to take charge of his offense.  He flat out came to camp with a major advantage over Foles as far as knowing the offense and having had an opportunity to work out with his receivers this spring.  To find them this close now with as little time as Foles has had to catch up doesn't sound like he's made that quantum leap in his game he needs to make.

The real problem with this if it continues is not just 2020 but also the fact that we'll be QB shopping in the draft again simultaneous to OT shopping but without a top ten pick to use on either making it difficult if not impossible to count on getting an immediate starter at either position.  It appears that both Castillo and DeFilippo have theri work cut out for them not only now but quite possibly in 2021 as well.  Without solid play from the OL and QB we're kinda stuck in place.

 

The only real positive I can come up with is the thought that every other team is also having to deal with this problematic offseason and preseason.

 

[G08]

Older article, apparently the OL looked good today

[topwop1]

Barring an injury Mitch will be the starter week 1. Book it.

This whole QB competition thing for the week 1 starter is a sham.

They will start Mitch and hope he runs with the job. If not then that's when you make the move to Foles.

Edited August 26, 2020 by topwop1

[WindyCity]

6 hours ago, G08 said:

Aside from the 2 yard loss on the QB scramble, what other 'extremely dumb mistakes' has he made?

I think the accuracy has been more of an issue based on today’s reports. He apparently was a bit of a mess today.

[WindyCity]

4 hours ago, G08 said:

Older article, apparently the OL looked good today

They need to be better. Neither of these QBs can afford suspect line play. We need to be able to run the ball and keep the pas attempts around 30.

[WindyCity]

30 minutes ago, topwop1 said:

Barring an injury Mitch will be the starter week 1. Book it.

This whole QB competition thing for the week 1 starter is a sham.

They will start Mitch and hope he runs with the job. If not then that's when you make the move to Foles.

And if they are both bad?

[topwop1]

22 minutes ago, WindyCity said:

And if they are both bad?

Then they will obviously need to make some organizational and personnel changes but my expectations are pretty low. 

Tho at this moment I'm not going to sit here and pretend to know what will happen this season based on negative training camp reports from Bears beat writers. Let's just see shall we?   

[JAF-N72EX]

1 hour ago, topwop1 said:

Barring an injury Mitch will be the starter week 1. Book it.

This whole QB competition thing for the week 1 starter is a sham.

They will start Mitch and hope he runs with the job. If not then that's when you make the move to Foles.

It was a sham from day 1 and the media bought into it.

I've been saying it all along,  Pace is not gonna give up on Mitch just yet. 

The signing of Foles was merely Pace warming up to the idea that he made a mistake.