soulman Posted July 28, 2021 Share Posted July 28, 2021 (edited) Training Camp Diary: Camp Begins Today, Opening the Definition of a Transitional Season Jeff Hughes | July 28th, 2021 And so, camp begins. Two nights ago I was sitting in my local and two guys, for no other reason than the Aaron Rodgers “thaw” news being broadcast on the televisions above us, asked me what I expected from the Bears this season. My answers were wishy washy, ineffectual, nebbish. The paragraphs were peppered with you knows and who knows and maybe, I guesses. Normally, as training camp begins, I have a pretty solid grasp on what is to come over the next 5-6 months from the Chicago Bears. (2019 being a signature exception, wherein I believed the quarterback was going to take a significant leap.) But this season, not only don’t I have that grasp, I don’t see their performance over these next 5-6 months as particularly important. Don’t get me wrong. I’ll be into every game. I am not one of these Bears fans that sees upside in losing. (You would think the events of the 2021 NFL Draft would put an end to that stupidity.) I’ve written many times that some of my favorite moments as a fan of this franchise were during forgettable campaigns. I want the Bears to win every single time they play football. But 2021 seems like the very definition of a transitional season. Look at the details: The quarterback of the future is on the roster but unlikely to see more than a half season of work. The quarterback manning the position is a solid veteran option but isn’t going to take the club, in all likelihood, beyond wildcard weekend. The team is littered with veterans, specifically on defense, who are unlikely to be on the roster in 2022. This includes the team’s entire pass rush. It is the defensive coordinator’s first season on the job. The cornerback position won’t be solidified until next spring. The left tackle isn’t a left tackle. I happen to believe he is going to be a terrific one in the future but as a rookie? History says no. None of this is to say the Bears can’t win a bunch of games this season. They can. But is it Andy Dalton winning those games? If yes, okay, that’s nice. But is it better for the 2022 Chicago Bears for Dalton to go 10-7 as a starter or Justin Fields to quarterback the last eight games to a 4-4 record while looking the part of frontline NFL starting QB? Of course the answer is the latter because there is 0% chance Dalton is starting for the Bears next year unless something goes terribly wrong. (Do you feel the nebbish here? I’m practically writing in Woody Allen’s voice.) And I’ve heard the “Matt Nagy needs a big season from the offense” arguments too. First, barring a disaster of a season, I don’t see Nagy being fired. What’s a disaster? The Bears find themselves completely incompetent on offense, lose far too many games, and when Fields gets on the field he’s lost. Second, like, so what if Nagy is fired? Nagy is a good football coach but there are plenty of those out there and no fan in Los Angeles/San Diego is less excited about the Justin Herbert-led Chargers because they changed head coaches after his brilliant rookie season. Sure, the best case scenario is for the offense to take significant strides under Nagy this season (specifically with Fields under center) and build momentum for 2022. But if it goes the other way, the Bears will survive, as long as Fields can play. This season is all about when Fields plays. Listen, I’ve got to produce content here. And I’m fascinated to see Darnell Mooney’s development; excited for the prospect of Teven Jenkins anchoring the left side for a decade; thrilled to see Roquan Smith continue the lineage of great inside linebackers for this franchise; desperate for Khalil Mack to mount a fifteen-sack season. That is all pertinent material when it comes to this franchise. But the only story that matters is Fields. Fields is the meat. The rest is gravy. Until he gets on the field, the championship timeline doesn’t start. Until he plays, that window can not be opened. Until Number 1 takes over the franchise, it’s hard to feel one way or another about them week-to-week and hard to see the nebbish going away. Because, you know, I guess. But if Fields starts the opener…? Edited August 2, 2021 by soulman 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heinz D. Posted July 30, 2021 Share Posted July 30, 2021 On 7/28/2021 at 8:28 AM, soulman said: But if Fields starts the opener…? Unless Dalton is hurt, if Fields starts the opener, we all should be pretty pumped. As I've stated tons of times (and am sticking with my notion)...when to start Fields is an incredibly easy call for Nagy, and he won't screw it up because of pressure from any direction. If Fields is out there Opening Day, we should be excited...regardless of the results from that particular game. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soulman Posted July 30, 2021 Author Share Posted July 30, 2021 (edited) Training Camp Diary: Quinn Hurt (Again), Practice Intensity, Players Meet Media Jeff Hughes | July 29th, 2021 Today, brief thoughts. Robert Quinn was limited for the first practice with back issues. There is, of course, no reason to overreact to a knock in July but Quinn has not had a single healthy day as a member of the Chicago Bears. The man is paid a fortune at one of the sport’s premier positions. The roster construction doesn’t work on defense if the team gets no production from him again in 2021. Nagy on Wednesday reiterated that practice will be of a higher intensity this summer and that players will see extended action in preseason games. The Bears lacked fire at times in 2020. This seems to be a cosmetic, if meaningful solution. (The easiest solution is just having a professional at the quarterback position.) Khalil Mack is not blaming injuries for his lack of sack production recently. (But injuries are 100% to blame for his lack of sack production recently.) Sadly, it seems Jake Butt has retired. His chances of making the Bears were greatly diminished by the arrival of “The Outlaw” Jesse James. Eddie Goldman is back. And he missed football, per this report from Adam Hoge. Edited July 30, 2021 by soulman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soulman Posted July 30, 2021 Author Share Posted July 30, 2021 (edited) Training Camp Diary: A Series of Summarizing Tweets! Jeff Hughes | July 30th, 2021 Adam Jahns @adamjahns Bears rookie left tackle Teven Jenkins will remain out of practice today with back tightness. 7:23 AM · Jul 29, 2021 My rule with injuries over the summer: none of them matter until mid-August. But Jenkins needs to get on the practice field. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- @LarryMayer Nagy on whether the #Bears roster is 85 percent vaccinated: "I can say we're either at or above that." 7:35 AM · Jul 29, 2021 Somehow, a vaccine became political. Because we’re a fundamentally stupid country. From a football standpoint, this is great news. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- @BradBiggs 7-on-7 starts at #Bears camp with Andy Dalton hooking up with Marquise Goodwin on a deep ball. 8:55 AM · Jul 29, 2021 Andy Dalton is not a great player. But he is a professional quarterback. And I just don’t see him pulling a Glennon or Nate Peterman and being so bad the organization is forced to play the young kid. Fields will play, and likely by midseason, but it won’t be because Dalton fails. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- @NicholasMoreano Nick Foles with a nice throw near the right sideline to Scooter Harrington. I refuse to believe Scooter Harrington is a football player and not a character on Happy Days. A few other thoughts: Robert Quinn was mentioned more today by folks on the scene than the entirety of last summer combined. The more he’s mentioned in the coming weeks, the more excited fans should get about the 2021 defense. Jaylon Johnson hobbled off briefly but returned to the field. The best corner on this roster has a serious injury history and the team can’t afford him to be off the field for any prolonged period of time. Scooter Harrington sounds like the nickname James Carville would give someone named Steve Higgins. Edited July 30, 2021 by soulman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soulman Posted July 30, 2021 Author Share Posted July 30, 2021 I do not like reading about these back issues at all, especially with Jenkins. IMHO Pace and his Pro Scouting Staff need to be on the lookout for someone whose started some games at LT for an NFL team before. I believe Jenkins has all kinds of potential but in the near term going with just him and Wilkinson as LT could be a huge mistake. Wilkinson's best spot should be RG. He's a heavy footed "road grader" type not a nimble edge blocker. The problem is no one who has decent LT depth is likely to be releasing their #2 guy and in addition we are as cap poor as a church mouse. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugashane Posted July 30, 2021 Share Posted July 30, 2021 I'm not going to worry about Jenkins yet. He's young and IIRC has not missed a game since he became a starter. Anything worse than a hangnail and you're getting medical attention at this point in the offseason. It would be interesting to see if they choose to help the LT with a TE chip or anything. You don't see it from the left side near as much, but even if Wilkinson is the guy playing for a length of time Nagy SHOULD be able to help somehow. As long as the run game is going well it should help the pass fame though, and looking at the OL that should be their strength. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soulman Posted July 30, 2021 Author Share Posted July 30, 2021 1 hour ago, Sugashane said: I'm not going to worry about Jenkins yet. He's young and IIRC has not missed a game since he became a starter. Anything worse than a hangnail and you're getting medical attention at this point in the offseason. It would be interesting to see if they choose to help the LT with a TE chip or anything. You don't see it from the left side near as much, but even if Wilkinson is the guy playing for a length of time Nagy SHOULD be able to help somehow. As long as the run game is going well it should help the pass fame though, and looking at the OL that should be their strength. I'm kinda hopin' for an era when we don't have to keep helping the OTs with chip blocks or keep a RB in because we know they're gonna get blown up by an edge rusher. I hope I'm wrong but IMHO what we have in Wilkinson as a LT is another Frank Ohmygod. As far as Jenkins and Quinn go all I can say is that in having chronic back issues of my own anytime I read something about a back injury or even just a "sore back" I'm immediately suspicious that we're not being told the truth. Back problems don't magically fix themselves. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soulman Posted August 2, 2021 Author Share Posted August 2, 2021 (edited) Training Camp Diary: Notes, Reflections, Thoughts from Friday and Saturday’s Practices Jeff Hughes | August 2nd, 2021 The following are thoughts on the practices Friday and Saturday, and just generally about the Bears to this point. There have been multiple reports about the defense playing with a renewed sense of energy and that’s essential for this group. They certainly lost their swagger in the Chuck Pagano years. Sean Desai’s primary task is restoring it. In the swagger department, Kevin Fishbain, in The Athletic, can tell you about “the takeaway bucket — a blue laundry bin that gets wheeled onto the field for a defensive player to dunk the ball in after he takes it away from the offense.” These things are goofy but players rally around them. Bilal Nichols was arguably the breakout star of the 2020 Chicago Bears but he might be the actual star of this group of the end of 2021. The best part of this for Desai is Nichols’ emergence should allow them to keep Akiem Hicks on a pitch count for most of the season. (His recent foot issues are just another in a series of injuries common for a declining superstar.) Sam Mustipher was asked what he did to put on weight this off-season. His answer? Lou Malnati’s. Sam Mustipher is a smart, smart man. (After the debacle of the last 18 months, Malnati’s will be rejoining DBB as a crucial partner this coming season. More details – and pizza giveaways – to come.) From inside Halas Hall there is serious optimism regarding Kindle Vildor. When I asked what that optimism means I was simply told (via text): “They’re not going to get too excited until they see it on the field. But they’re seeing it in practice.” Corner is going to be a weakness for this group. But if their pass rush delivers as it should, this group may be competent enough to hold up. The quarterback position has been a real strength in these early days. Andy Dalton has been the stable, veteran presence the Bears expected but he’s also had a ton of zip on the fastball. He’s smart enough to know that the only way he remains the starting quarterback is by playing Justin Fields onto the bench. Fields has all the talent in the world – everybody at these practices sees that – and his ascension is only a matter of time. One Tweet from Brad Biggs stood out to me. “Justin Fields to Jesse James is a thing that’s starting to happen more often for the #Bears.” In this offense, the tight ends are the QB’s best friends. Fields seems to be learning that quickly. I would have been shocked if Fields out-performed Dalton as this early stage. None of Fields’ athleticism is displayed in these practice sessions. When the pads go on, and Fields is on the move, that’s when Dalton will have to up his game. Cairo Santos has finally solidified the kicker position post-Robbie Gould. I don’t miss writing about kickers in July and August. The Nick Foles situation is a perplexing one. Matt Nagy says teams are interested in acquiring him. The Colts have been rumored. The Jets have been rumored. But what could possibly be holding this up if there was genuine interest? Do the Bears really intend to pay north of $6 million to a player that won’t even be active on Sundays? Lester Wiltfong over at WCG has a nice deep dive into the lack of energy, enthusiasm and turnout from fans in these early days of camp. Here’s a good paragraph that sums it up: “I have my doubts about the Bears actually wanting fans to watch them practice, but if they do, then the current system for tickets is horrible. Limiting tickets is a necessity due to space, but with no financial commitment from fans there’s nothing to hold them to their dates. Life happens, so being approved for a random date doesn’t always fit into our schedule.” This is something we learned in theatre a long time ago. You can give away tickets for free, but you have to ensure there is a penalty for those tickets going unused. The Bears could charge $10 per ticket and give everyone who attends a $10 concessions voucher when they arrived at the gate. Tarik Cohen health update: Joseph Herff @JosephHerffNFL The note a few days ago (don’t remember who it was from) that Cohen is walking gingerly is completely wrong. He’s doing farmer carries as we speak lol Quote Tweet Joseph Herff @JosephHerffNFL · Jul 31 Germain Ifedi, Tarik Cohen, and Eddie Jackson on the side today. Sidenote: Cohen is absolutely jacked. #Bears 7:59 AM · Jul 31, 2021·Twitter for iPhone (Side note: I have never communicated with Herff but he’s giving some solid updates from camp.) Teven Jenkins is expected to return to practice today, with pads going on tomorrow. Deon Bush made an interception in a training camp practice and suddenly his praises are being sung across social media. That interception has almost no football relevance; we know what Deon Bush is. It does, however, show just how hungry NFL fans are for ANY content this time of year. Why these practice are not available to stream is beyond me. Teams could charge for them. Fans would gladly pay. This is Robert Quinn’s sister: The returner positions still interesting to watch. Khalil Herbert will be given a chance to win the gig on kickoffs. But Byrd and Mooney will be joining him on punt returns, as the team waits on the health of Cohen and Dazz Newsome. Edited August 2, 2021 by soulman 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dll2000 Posted August 2, 2021 Share Posted August 2, 2021 4 hours ago, soulman said: Lester Wiltfong over at WCG has a nice deep dive into the lack of energy, enthusiasm and turnout from fans in these early days of camp. Here’s a good paragraph that sums it up: “I have my doubts about the Bears actually wanting fans to watch them practice, but if they do, then the current system for tickets is horrible. Limiting tickets is a necessity due to space, but with no financial commitment from fans there’s nothing to hold them to their dates. Life happens, so being approved for a random date doesn’t always fit into our schedule.” This is something we learned in theatre a long time ago. You can give away tickets for free, but you have to ensure there is a penalty for those tickets going unused. The Bears could charge $10 per ticket and give everyone who attends a $10 concessions voucher when they arrived at the gate. You can't charge for training camp tickets in NFL, if you do other teams can go watch (legally) so nobody does it. Stupid Bears just limited the crap out of tickets and then made those random for all dates which limited it even further. Thousands want to go and can't get tickets. The solution is simple. Just issue more tickets. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soulman Posted August 2, 2021 Author Share Posted August 2, 2021 13 minutes ago, dll2000 said: You can't charge for training camp tickets in NFL, if you do other teams can go watch (legally) so nobody does it. Stupid Bears just limited the crap out of tickets and then made those random for all dates which limited it even further. Thousands want to go and can't get tickets. The solution is simple. Just issue more tickets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heinz D. Posted August 2, 2021 Share Posted August 2, 2021 3 hours ago, dll2000 said: You can't charge for training camp tickets in NFL, if you do other teams can go watch (legally) so nobody does it. Stupid Bears just limited the crap out of tickets and then made those random for all dates which limited it even further. Thousands want to go and can't get tickets. The solution is simple. Just issue more tickets. It was so cool when it was at the earlier site, in Wisconsin. Was it Lake Platte? I forget...but my ex-wife and I went up there a couple of times, and it was just the coolest thing, and the greatest atmosphere, ever. Watched Steve McMichael kick field goals. Hung out in the local bars afterwards with tons of other excited Bears fans. Really neat stuff. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuskieBear Posted August 2, 2021 Share Posted August 2, 2021 3 hours ago, dll2000 said: You can't charge for training camp tickets in NFL, if you do other teams can go watch (legally) so nobody does it. Stupid Bears just limited the crap out of tickets and then made those random for all dates which limited it even further. Thousands want to go and can't get tickets. The solution is simple. Just issue more tickets. they. dont. have. enough. room. at. lake. forest. for. more. fans honestly dont know how y'all dont realize that 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soulman Posted August 2, 2021 Author Share Posted August 2, 2021 17 minutes ago, Heinz D. said: It was so cool when it was at the earlier site, in Wisconsin. Was it Lake Platte? I forget...but my ex-wife and I went up there a couple of times, and it was just the coolest thing, and the greatest atmosphere, ever. Watched Steve McMichael kick field goals. Hung out in the local bars afterwards with tons of other excited Bears fans. Really neat stuff. Platteville. It's down the the SW corner of the state. It's also a great small college town. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dll2000 Posted August 3, 2021 Share Posted August 3, 2021 24 minutes ago, Heinz D. said: It was so cool when it was at the earlier site, in Wisconsin. Was it Lake Platte? I forget...but my ex-wife and I went up there a couple of times, and it was just the coolest thing, and the greatest atmosphere, ever. Watched Steve McMichael kick field goals. Hung out in the local bars afterwards with tons of other excited Bears fans. Really neat stuff. Platteville 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heinz D. Posted August 3, 2021 Share Posted August 3, 2021 11 minutes ago, dll2000 said: Platteville Thanks. Didn't bother to look it up (obviously). It was a lot of fun. Stayed in Galena, then made the trek north. Sounds like the new site doesn't compare. 18 minutes ago, soulman said: Platteville. It's down the the SW corner of the state. It's also a great small college town. Yeah, the practices were on the college turf. It was pretty cool stuff. I was thinking we only did it twice, but looking back, I think it was three times. Very memorable. Except for the "Platteville" part, I guess. 🤪 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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