It's Non-Contact Not Non-Competitive

Organized team activity work for the Bears ramps up with the start of non-contact scrimmaging this week at Halas Hall and all eyes are on the passing game.

The Bears are back practicing on a field without pads, and as much as some players love the idea of hitting they can definitely benefit from organized team activities without it.

Coach Matt Eberflus said during the team's rookie camp there would be perhaps a greater emphasis in this year's offseason practices on Justin Fields and the passing game than last year.

"Just the rhythm and timing of it, of the pass game," Eberflus said. "Obviously the passing game is the priority, we ran the ball very well, but we all know we've got to improve in the passing game.

"Part of that is rhythm and timing. That's the footwork with Justin. He's been working on that really, really good. In terms of the quick pass, dropback pass, movement pass, and he's really made some big strides in that area coming in so far on his own, and now coming in to the Phase 2 (OTAs), that first week."

The Bears are one of 20 teams beginning OTAs on Monday and after that they have OTA practices Tuesday, Friday, May 30, 31 and June 1, 5, 6, 7 and 8. They allow media in to check out what's happening on Wednesday, then on May 31 and June 7. Here's what to watch for at these workouts, which all lead up to the three-day mandatory minicamp June 13-15, before a break of about six weeks prior to training camp.

Here's what to watch for with OTAs.

1. Attendance

The first order of business is always who shows up for non-mandatory work. Will players who have contract extensions due show up? Last year Roquan Smith came and practiced despite needing an extension. The Bears have Darnell Mooney, Jaylon Johnson, Cole Kmet, Chase Claypool, Trevis Gipson and a ton more players who are in contract years. It's probably not the wisest decision to stay away in when you're hoping to negotiate and the competition for jobs is tougher. But it's a way some players choose to avoid a big injury prior to a bigger pay day. Some may not show up even if they have contracts beyond this season, like Robert Quinn last year.

2. How They Line Up

There could be players used in ways not anticipated until now. Coaches like to keep these things on the down-low even though it all eventually comes out when players are on the field. A player like offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood didn't have an impact last year and has been both a guard and tackle in the past. Now it will become more apparent where they actually expect him to play. If a receiver like rookie Tyler Scott is to be in the slot in the NFL, it will now become obvious. Scott has the speed and athletic ability of an outside receiver and he played there at Cincinnati but he seems to lack the size for regular play on the outside in the NFL. Whether veteran free agent end Rasheem Green lines up on the left side or right side and even who the punt returner competitors for returning veteran receiver Dante Pettis are might become more obvious.

3. Camp Battles Begin

It's a lower level of job competition when they're not in pads, but many of the actual practices at training camp occur without pads, too. So in that way the offseason work should be treated as a real chance to compete and leave an impression on coaches. Best starting battles are expected to be: starting left cornerback between Kindle Vildor and rookie Tyrique Stevenson; at running back between Khalil Herbert, D'Onta Herbert and rookie Roschon Johnson; and at strong side linebacker between Jack Sanborn, Dylan Cole and rookie Noah Sewell.

Even at other spots there should be naturally higher levels of competition because the talent levels are higher than last year when they had only three draft picks before Round 5 and had brought in mostly lower-level free agents on one-year deals because they couldn't afford higher-priced additions.

"So when you start to increase your talent on your roster, the competition gets better and gets more," Eberflus said. "And I think it's a healthy thing, you know? The NFL is all about competition."

4. The Rookie Mix

It's a chance for coaches to see rookies mixed in with veterans for the first time, going against each other. Who rises to the challenge? 

"They are a little bit behind, because they don’t have the information," Eberflus said about the rookies. "The older guys have the schemes, they understand how we want things done. they've been through it before. So they have the experience piece. So (rookies) do have to catch up. But we also understand that going in that when we evaluate."

5. Who's Healthy

The 2022 season ended over five months ago so most of the injuries from last year are ancient history, but not all of them.

Those injuries that shouldn't be issues at this point are:

• The left shoulder damage suffered by Fields against Atlanta as well as the minor hip injury he had against Detroit in Week 17

• Jaylon Johnson's season-ending broken finger and an oblique situation that bothered him through late season.

• The ankle sprain against Philadelphia that ended Sanborn's season three weeks early.

• Center Lucas Patrick's season-ending toe injury that required surgery. It happened in Week 7 against New England so he's had plenty of time to recover.

• The ankle sprain Vildor had that sent him to IR in Week 16.

• Center Doug Kramer's season-ending Lisfranc injury. He injured the foot in training camp so he essentially becomes a rookie all over again after watching throughout his first NFL season.

The three injury situations to watch closest are:

• Safety Eddie Jackson's Lisfranc injury. He didn't have surgery on it but still missed the last five games when he seemed on course to earn a Pro Bowl berth. He said the foot felt fine in March when he received the team's Ed Block Courage Award, but the actual proof will be when they're working on the field.

• Wide receiver Darnell Mooney's ankle injury. Last week in a podcast interview he said he had a "tightrope" procedure done to help strengthen the ankle and that he had screws inserted related to the ankle surgery. With everything put into the ankle, he joked he was feeling "robotic." Mooney also said last week he is running and cutting now but it's possible they may want him to run and cut away from the field itself for a while until they're certain he's ready.

• Guard Teven Jenkins' neck injury. There's no reason to think he wouldn't have healed by now but he did leave the field against Philadelphia on a stretcher, tried to come back, then two weeks late aggravated it against Detroit in his first action since he hurt it. The other reason there would be some anxiety over this is Jenkins' history of injuries. He had back surgery in 2021 training camp and then last year missed time in camp due to injury before the neck situation during the season.

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