Some Gained Upper Hand at Bears Rookie Camp
For every action there is a reaction in an NFL season.
One scenario leads to another, and it's no different in the offseason even when players are wearing helmets and shorts without pads.
The weekend's Bears rookie minicamp had those who benefited and those who didn't, just like training camp, preseason games and regular-season games do. They didn't have to be part of it to be helped or hurt. Veterans are affected by rookie performances.
Here are the winners and losers from Bears rookie minicamp.
Winners
Day Three Diamonds: The Bears are hoping their late-round draft of 2022 produces some hidden gems, and all but one of them is a winner from rookie camp because all of them except one already signed his rookie contract. Tackle Braxton Jones, defensive end Dominique Robinson, running back Trestan Ebner, safety Elijah Hicks, guard Ja'Tyre Carter, punter Trenton Gill and center Doug Kramer all are in the fold. If sixth-round pick Zachary Thomas didn't sign yet because he's simply waiting to see what someone ahead of him gets the his agent should explain how slotted these later picks actually are. The Day 2 guys will take a bit more to bring in the fold but one of the advantages of not having a first-round pick is there should be no question about every draft being signed long before the start of training camp.
If you're wondering whatthey got for being later picks, for all of them it's a $705,000 first-year salary but signing bonuses were: for Gill and Hicks $19,252; for Carter $27,327 bonus; for Kramer $39,452 bonus; for Ebner it a bonus of $41,483; for Robinson it was a $68,289 bonus; and for Braxton Jones it was a $74,888 bonus. Thomas is slotted at $47,997 bonus money. All figures were via Spotrac.com.
The Signed Six: Obviously the six undrafted free agent players who had tryouts and were signed to deals are winners. They have employment, at least until first roster cuts or if the team decideds there's someone available they'd rather sign and bring on the roster instead. Those six were Ball State linebacker Christian Albright, Charlotte safety Jon Alexander, TCU long snapper Antonio Ortiz, Northern Arizona defensive end Carson Taylor, Western Michigan linebacker/safety A.J. Thomas and Ohio running back De'Montre Tuggle. All came in without roster spots and all emerged with deals for $705,000 this season, provided they make the final 53-man roster.
Velus Jones: They expected a playmaker and he definitely looked the part in 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 work they had without pads. A frequent target who showed good speed, hands and cutting ability, the only thing Jones didn't put on display was how he is supposed to be able to run through tackles in Deebo Samuel fashion. It's difficult to display without tackle football. It didn't hurt his chances of making immediate impressions when starting X-receiver Byron Pringle was getting in trouble off the field just before rookie minicamp.
Dakota Dozier: If you're the former Vikings guard, he has to like his chances of winning a starting spot despite the fact he's only been starter for one out of the seven NFL seasons he played. That's because the Bears didn't draft anyone earlier than Round 6 who will be playing guard. Dozier, himself, was fourth-rounder when he came into the league. Can Carter or Thomas move from tackle in college to pro guard and take a starting spot from a veteran NFL player? The rookie minicamp doesn't say they will, but practices in shorts and helmets rarely do. Anything can happen here but Dozier appears to have the pole position.
Larry Ogunjobi: Not that you usually find diamonds that big in that big a clump of rough but there were three interior defensive line players participating on a tryout basis at the rookie minicamp. Josh Black, Ralph Holley and Kainoa Fuiava did not get contracts and there are a still a few open roster spots. The only undrafted interior defensive line signing was Micah Dew-Treadway from Minnesota. It's still all right there for Ogunjobi if he wants to be a Bears three technique and can get his foot healthy.
Allie Green IV: The former Missouri cornerback was undrafted and signed with the Bears after he had some very unflattering figures in testing, with a 4.7 in the 40 and 32-inch vertical. However, he looked the part of an NFL cornerback in rookie minicamp, and used his great length well. He is 6-foot-3, 206 and played at Tulsa before he was at Missouri. Coach Matt Eberflus admitted Green caught his eye, and that's never a bad thing even at rookie minicamp.
Cairo Santos: Michigan State kicker Matt Coghlin didn't show enough to be retained after a three-day tryout, so apparently Santos will go into camp without competition. That might not be ideal for him considering it means more work and he is a kicker who has a history that included a nagging groin injury. But a walkover instead of camp competition is always appreciated.
CB Tavon Young: At rookie minicamp, defensive coordinator Alan Williams announced second-round pick Kyler Gordon is going to be used on the outside. If the plan had been slot cornerback, Young's chances of being on the field or possibly even the roster would have been greatly diminished.
The Losers
LS Pat Scales: The last thing a 33-year-old long snapper should want is training camp competition during rebuild, but he's got it after Ortiz was signed following a tryout. If a team is going to disrupt the snap-hold-kick operation or the snap on punts, the first year of a rebuild is the time to do it.
Veteran Backup Linebackers: One young veteran already got cut, Ledarius Mack, and several others will likely be challenged at camp after linebackers Jack Sanborn, C.J. Avery and Christian Albright showed enough at the rookie minicamp to be retained for the 90-man roster. Players like Noah Dawkins and Joe Thomas can't feel too comfortable with roster spots with some of the speed and production these three young linebackers had. Albright looks like a very interesting player, after 34 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, two interceptions, 11 pass breakups and nine forced fumbles in his career at Ball State.
WR Dazz Newsome: Not that he ever cemented anything with just two catches after spending much of the year on the practice squad, but the Bears brought in players like Kevin Shaa, Chris Finke and Henry Litwin, who could be after his roster spot as slot receivers. Both Finke and Shaa looked like real challengers at camp. Litwin had one practice with too many drops but was fine, otherwise.
CB Kindle Vildor: Kyler Gordon looked every bit like a smooth, veteran operator at right cornerback, which means two second-round cornerbacks starting because Jaylon Johnson isn't coming out of the lineup. So Vildor would be headed for the bench again. Who's to say some of these hungry veteran backups won't be after his backup job, as well.
LT Larry Borom: This year's fifth-round left tackle, Braxton Jones from Southern Utah, appears more ideally suited in body type to left tackle than last year's fifth-round left tackle, Borom. Jones is 6-5, 310, long-armed and looked every bit as fast as his outstanding 40 time of 4.97 seconds. Borom is 333 pounds and long-armed but not the type who seems capable of getting to the right side in the wide zone scheme the way Jones might. Borom's 40 time was 5.15 seconds and not bad for someone his size at all, but not close to Jones' time.
C Sam Mustipher: Not only did sixth-round center Doug Kramer from Illinois know how to run the wide zone at rookie minicamp but they also still have Dieter Eiselen as a practice squad type and position versatility with left guard Cody Whitehair capable of playing center if Lucas Patrick can't. Mustipher may need to show he has position versatility to handle guard if he wants to keep a roster spot.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
