10 things we learned about the Bears this offseason
The Chicago Bears wrapped their offseason program following the conclusion of their three-day mandatory minicamp. Now, they have a six-week summer break before returning to Halas Hall for training camp in late July.
There were no shortage of storylines during the offseason program, which included some shakeups along the offensive line, the emergence of a number of rookies and a new culture set in place by head coach Matt Eberflus.
When looking at everything that transpired during the offseason program — between rookie minicamp, organized team activities and mandatory minicamp –there’s plenty of questions still lingering ahead of training camp.
Here are 10 things we learned about the Bears this offseason:
The team is far from a finished product
AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
With the Bears’ offseason program in the books, it’s clear that this team still has a long way to go before the 2022 regular season kicks off. Both the offense and defense are learning news schemes, but they’re not where they want to be right now. While the offense has been the main focus, Eberflus pointed out the fact that the entire team still has plenty of work to do.
“I would say that our whole football team needs to get better, right? We’re in OTAs, first year,” Eberflus said. “So we’re going into training camp, this is a building block. We built the foundation of what we want to be about, how we operate.”
The offense isn't ready yet, and that's fine
AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
The Bears are learning a new offense under Luke Getsy, which figures to be an upgrade over Matt Nagy’s. But learning a new scheme requires rhythm and timing, things that are still a work in progress for Chicago’s offense following the conclusion of the offseason program. Quarterback Justin Fields pointed out that the offense isn’t ready just yet, although he promised they will be when the regular season kicks off.
“I’m not ready for the season to start,’’ Fields said. “I’m the type of guy that would like to know I’m prepared. So, right now, I’m just being honest. We’re not ready to play a game right now. And when that time comes, we will be ready. So, right now, no — not ready to play a game.”
The offensive line is still a work in progress
(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
The offensive line remains a work in progress following the conclusion of the offseason program, which isn’t ideal considering the importance of a front-five needing to build chemistry. Eberflus said that they’d like to get the offensive line sorted out “the sooner the better,” but it’s something that will likely carry over into training camp when the pads finally come on.
The Bears have been experimenting with different offensive line combinations, which found former second-round pick Teven Jenkins working with the second-team offense at right tackle. Eberflus said “all combinations are open” on the offensive line, which could include a potential move to right guard for Jenkins or Larry Borom.
With that in mind, Braxton Jones is a legit contender to start at left tackle
AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall
Fifth-round rookie Braxton Jones has emerged as one of the surprise players to watch heading into training camp following an offseason that saw him promoted to the first-team offense for the final week of organized team activities and mandatory minicamp.
“I’ll be honest with you, yeah, I was definitely a little bit surprised,” Jones said. “I mean that surprise went away quick. It was thrown on me and it’s time to go. It was just something where you have to take a step forward, you have to progress more quickly and I think that’s good for me.”
Sure, a lot has been made about Jenkins’ demotion to second team. But enough hasn’t been made about Jones making a strong impression on this coaching staff to give him an opportunity with the starters. Now, it appears that Jones is a serious contender for the starting left tackle job.
Everyone's going to have to earn their starting jobs
AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
One thing that’s become clear during the offseason program is that every player — with the exception of maybe Justin Fields — is going to have to earn their starting job. It’s part of the standard Eberflus has brought with him, where players will have to earn their spots.
We’ve seen examples of this during the offseason, where cornerback Jaylon Johnson started with the second team after missing the beginning of the offseason program and Jenkins working with the second-team offense. It’s about bringing out competition to bring out the best in his squad. But the real test comes in training camp.
“That’s your true evaluation when you get pads on,” Eberflus said. “I’ve seen guys, man, they look great all the way through this part of the year, and then the pads come on and they stay on, [and] it’s like [practice] No. 4 or 5 in training camp, and all of the sudden you see a guy slide.
“It’s because of the physicality of the game. Some guys are really suited for that, and those are the guys that succeed in the NFL. The guys that are not suited to that, they have a harder time.”
Justin Fields and Darnell Mooney have the potential to light it up
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Justin Fields and Darnell Mooney have been virtually inseparable this offseason — pretty much since the day after the 2021 regular season finale, where they immediately started training for the new year. That continued into the offseason program and will continue during this six-week summer break. It’s clear that Fields and Mooney have developed a strong connection, something that has a chance to develop into something special on the field.
“He wants to take over the league,” Mooney said of Fields. “He’s already Justin Fields. He wants to be the best quarterback in the league. He’s taken the stride to be there. I’ve got unbelievable faith that he will be there.”
There’s no doubt Mooney is Fields’ top option, especially in an otherwise unproven wide receiver room that does feature some intriguing names in Velus Jones Jr. and Byron Pringle.
Chicago's rookies have been impressing
General manager Ryan Poles turned five draft picks into 11 selections, which includes plenty of players who have the potential to contribute immediately as rookies. And so far, Chicago’s rookie class has been impressing during the offseason program. That starts with top draft picks cornerback Kyler Gordon and safety Jaquan Brisker, who already have a nose for the football.
“(The rookies) do a good job of finding the football, punching it out, getting it out, they’re on the game plan, they’re in the right spots,” said linebacker Nicholas Morrow. “And they’ll just get better, man.”
Third-round wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. is also showcasing his speed and run-after-the-catch ability, which has teammate Darnell Mooney singing his praises.
“Velus, man — when he gets the ball, y’all are going to see. He can fly,” Mooney said. “He can be a playmaker for sure for us.”
While Chicago’s top rookies have made strong impressions, there are some underrated rookies who are also standing out. That includes fifth-round left tackle Braxton Jones, who has a strong chance to earn the starting job after getting reps with the first team over the last couple of weeks. Fifth-round edge rusher Dominique Robinson has been seeing starting reps alongside Trevis Gipson with Robert Quinn and Al-Quadin Muhammad skipping the offseason program. Running back Trestan Ebner has been impressing with his versatility, and even Zachary Thomas and Doug Kramer have seen opportunities to work with the starting offensive line at one point.
Matt Eberflus has already changed the culture
Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
The entire offseason program has been a learning experience in itself. But Eberflus was asked about the most encouraging thing during the offseason, and he immediately pointed to the culture and team unity that they’ve developed.
“You have to have that as a team,” he said, “because you have to be close that way. Because you’re going to have adversity, and you gotta be honest with each other and look at it and step forward to the next step and keep taking the next step.”
Following the Matt Nagy era, this Bears team needed a culture makeover, and Eberflus has already done a good job in establishing that. Whether it’s setting standards for his team or making it clear that everyone needs to prove themselves. Trevis Gipson also pointed to the accountability that comes from Eberflus as a change that he’s loved, and it seems like the entire team has rallied around Eberflus.
Robert Quinn's future in Chicago is uncertain
AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski
Star pass rusher Robert Quinn was absent for the entirety of the Bears’ offseason program, including their three-day mandatory minicamp. Quinn is reportedly training on his own, but his absence has raised concerns about his future in Chicago.
“I don’t have emotion with that either way,” Eberflus said. “When Robert is here, I’ll talk to him. He and I will sit down and visit man-to-man, and we’ll go from there.”
There have been reports that Quinn wants out of Chicago and that teams have showed an interest in him dating back to the NFL draft process, but the Bears have made it clear they’re not trading him. Could that change? Especially given his trade value will never be higher than it is right now? It certainly feels like a real chance at this point.
The Bears aren't afraid to embrace their youth
AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
It was apparent at times last season that Matt Nagy had no desire to give younger players an opportunity to get valuable reps, especially when the season was all but over. But Eberflus has a completely different mindset, as he’s made it clear that promising players are going to get an opportunity to prove themselves. And it’s certainly refreshing.
“[If] I have Player A that I think is on the rise, I’ll say, ‘OK, let’s put him against our best guy so I can see it,’ ” Eberflus said. “So he’s playing against a pro player, a really good starter. Now I can see what he can do. And we’ll match those up all the time.
“It’s not just roll the ball out there — ones vs. ones; twos vs. twos. No — lets’ match these players up so we can see them, because a lot of times what happens is if you have a rookie that was playing with the twos . . . he doesn’t get that exposure. He really needs to get that exposure and see where he’s at, and in the end it’ll [improve] his game and make it better by going against better talent. We’ll do that all the way through [the roster].”
Eberflus also pointed to the history of young players thriving in his defense, as there are opportunities to do so with fundamentals and techniques in place.
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