Bears notebook: What we learned from Day 3 of training camp
Halas Hall was buzzing on Friday as fans eagerly arrived for Chicago Bears training camp. It was the second practice with fans in attendance and the third overall as the team gears up for what should be an entertaining 2023 season.
The Bears are still ramping up activity without pads on and went through a lighter practice in the grueling heat and humidity. But there was still plenty to see, experience, and learn about the team as they inch closer to their Week 1 date at Soldier Field with the Green Bay Packers.
As someone who was in attendance for Friday’s practice, here are some of my notes and observations from the hot practice fields at Halas Hall.
Matt Eberflus got his country music wish
As fans arrived at the far practice fields for Friday’s practice, a different vibe was already in the air. For the first time that I can remember, the music blasting over the loud speakers was exclusively country. Head coach Matt Eberflus detailed his love of the genre with Adam Jahns of The Athletic and said there may be a country music day at practice. That very well may have just happened and it was certainly a different feel than the hip-hop playlist that’s usually blaring.
The practice was toned down by design
Before diving into practice, it’s important to note this was a dialed-down day of camp. The Bears made a conscious effort to only go full speed for a short period of time. The rest was more of a walkthrough, in part likely due to the stifling heat and humidity that has persisted in the Chicagoland area the last few days. It was a bit surprising to see things dialed back but defensive coordinator Alan Williams provided further explanation via Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune.
Alan Williams with the rundown… pic.twitter.com/u6X141Dmft
— Dan Wiederer (@danwiederer) July 28, 2023
Justin Fields had a hot start
When the stretching period and individual workouts concluded, it was time for one-on-one matchups and quarterback Justin Fields was sharp right out of the gate. Fields fired a strike down the middle to his new favorite weapon D.J. Moore, who had tight coverage from cornerback Jaylon Johnson. The two connected with ease and Fields followed it up with an excellent pass to Cole Kmet, who ran a flag route with safety Jaquan Brisker trailing him. Those two plays really got the crowd going as fans were thrilled to see Fields connect with two of his top weapons.
The connection between Fields and Moore is strong
Though we didn’t get to see as much as we would have liked, it’s clear the connection between Fields and Moore is as strong as advertised. Fields looks more comfortable overall (albeit in a practice without pads) but has little hesitancy throwing to Moore. In 11 on 11s during one of the rare times it was full speed, Fields easily found Moore for a good gain despite having three defenders in the area. It’s those tight-window throws Fields needs to continue making and he has no problem when Moore is on the receiving end.
Chase Claypool is lethal on comeback routes
There weren’t many highlights from wide receiver Chase Claypool last year, but my favorite one had to have been his comebacker catch against the Green Bay Packers in Week 10. Claypool stopped on a dime and left the defensive back in the dust for a first down. He did something similar in one-on-ones, breaking off his route and settling near the sideline for a completion against rookie Tyrique Stevenson. His big body gives him a nice target for the quarterback in front of the defender and it’s a route that seems to work for him. Overall, Claypool had a nice day.
Bears are teasing Khari Blasingame in the offense
Khari Blasingame can be more than just a fullback who blocks and the Bears keep teasing his abilities. Last year in camp, Blasingame was catching passes out of the backfield but that didn’t translate to the regular season. This year, we’re seeing it again and more. Blasingame caught a nice pass from the backfield before he turned up field. Then later on, he took a handoff as well and made a couple cuts to get into the second level of the defense. The fullback can move and it sure would be fun to see the Bears unleash that in an actual game.
Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon had solid showings
The Bears receivers won the one-on-one matchups early, but some of the defensive backs rebounded later on. Johnson and Kyler Gordon both showed excellent coverage skills, each batting away balls and sticking with their receivers. Gordon especially looks more active than he was in Year 1. Granted, he was still learning the defense and missed time in camp due to injury last year. Now in Year 2 playing the nickel position, Gordon looks poised to take a step while Johnson should once again be a solid cover corner on the boundary.
Khalil Herbert looks ready to be RB1
On Thursday, Khalil Herbert spoke about his expectations on becoming the team’s starting running back. If Friday’s practice was any indication, he’s well on his way. Herbert took the most snaps with the first team in practice and showed the same burst and vision we’ve come to expect in games. He has a different gear than someone like D’Onta Foreman and while it’s difficult to judge his pass blocking abilities at this stage, the third-year back looks poised to be the starter come Week 1.
The biggest surprise at running back, however, has to be the lack of plays from rookie Roschon Johnson. I don’t remember seeing much of him in team drills. Even Trestan Ebner had a few moments. As of now, Johnson seems to be well behind the two veterans, though it’s early in camp.
P.J. Walker has a big arm
When P.J. Walker dropped back to pass in the pocket, I wasn’t expecting him to look like Jay Cutler. The new backup quarterback for the Bears has a big arm with a quick release. That was especially evident on a strike he threw to Tyler Scott in team drills that flew out of his hand. Though the ball was dropped by Scott, Walker’s arm stood out more than anything. You pray that Fields doesn’t have to miss any time but if he does, Walker would be a fun watch at the very least.
Bears speedsters will be interesting to watch going forward
Velus Jones, Tyler Scott, and Aron Cruickshank didn’t have the highlights on Friday like they did the last couple of days. Seeing them run drills together, however, has me thinking that a battle for the return specialist/final receiver spot could be on the horizon. We saw Jones’ speed last season, but Scott and Cruickshank are rookies with similar skillsets. Their speed and burst are on full display when they get the ball in their hands.
While nothing significant happened on Friday, they need to be watched going forward. Especially Cruickshank. He’s someone who can make things happen in space and could be a standout in a preseason game.
Darnell Wright is still getting acclimated to the pros
Evaluating the the offensive and defensive lines in training camp is challenging. It’s even more challenging when they aren’t wearing pads. That being said, it wasn’t the best day for rookie tackle Darnell Wright. When Fields dropped back, he had defenders in his lap a few times, mostly coming off the right side. On one particular play, Wright allowed defensive end Terrell Lewis past him while Fields was in the end zone, which would have likely ended in a sack but resulted in an interception instead. These are rookie growing pains though and Wright is still learning to play at a new weight. The test will come when the pads come on and preseason games get underway.
T.J. Edwards had the play of the day
That interception I referenced earlier? Turns out it was the play of the day made by linebacker T.J. Edwards. Fields was allowed to throw the ball after the would-be sack and it was picked off by Edwards with one hand, who took it the other way for what would have been a score. He stayed with Fields and made him pay as he was looking to unload the ball. It’s good to see one of the prized free agent acquisitions showing up in highlights during camp.
The offense looks competent so far
When NFL training camps begin, the old saying goes that the defense is always ahead of the offense to start things out. We’ve seen that with previous Bears teams as well, with plenty of mistakes occurring on the offensive side of the ball. That doesn’t seem to be the case with this Bears team. While there weren’t many explosive plays on Friday, there weren’t many mistakes either. Fields had the one interception and tight end Chase Allen had a ball punched out. Defensive backs showed tight coverage, but Fields looked decisive with his passing and decision making. He was accurate for the most part and the offense as a whole seemed to gel in a way that you don’t normally see early in camp. Or anytime in camp in some years.
Again, much of the practice wasn’t at full speed so take this with a grain of salt but it looks and feels as if Fields, the offensive line, and the skill players are more comfortable in Luke Getsy’s offense. Hearing it is one thing, seeing it is another. That bodes well for the rest of camp and the regular season.
