What Bears Face as Camp Starts
An NFL training camp is best compared to a three-ring circus.
For GM Ryan Poles it's already begun with second-round rookie Jaquan Brisker holding out past the reporting date for rookies and the report Roquan Smith will not take part because of disgust with the contract extension process.
When practices start, it can be just as chaotic.
Something is going on all the time at various points and it's difficult to focus on any one aspect of preparation for the season.
Perhaps it was even wilder when training camp was held in Bourbonnais, away from the grounds of Halas Hall. Being at home tends to restore a bit of order.
The circus begins for coach Matt Eberflus and Bears players on reporting day Tuesday, and here's a primer.
The Schedule
According to the Bears, all tickets are gone for the 11 practices being held at Halas Hall.
The Bears practice starting Wednesday, July 27 at 10 a.m. Their practices are open to the public July 28-30, Aug. 2 and 3, Aug. 5, Aug. 7, Aug. 10, 11, 15 and 20. Although the Bears report at Chicagobears.com/camp that all tickets are sold out, fans should check there in case more tickets are made available. On Aug. 9 they hold a Meijer Bears Family Fest practice at Soldier Field and tickets are available at Chicagobears.com/FamilyFest for $10 each.
The first preseason game is Aug. 13 at Soldier Field against Kansas City (noon). It's their only home preseason game. The regular season begins Sept. 11 at noon against San Francisco at Soldier Field.
The Bears are not allowed to wear full pads in practices until Aug. 1 by NFL rule.
The Camp MVP: Justin Fields
Who else could it be? Training camps usually have little full contact, so it's difficult for a defensive player or lineman to stand out, although easier than during offseason work when no contact is allowed. Fields is going to be the center of attention for teammates, coaches, fans and media. Every touchdown pass and big completion will be overblown, just as his interceptions and bad practices will be celebrated far too much. In the end, he'll need to emerge as the one leading them into the regular season. A full offseason and training camp as the No. 1 rather than being a backup like last year could help immensely. Much of the early attention at camp will focus on his passing mechanics and how coaches worked with his delivery to get the ball out of his hand faster. It can't hurt after he was sacked 36 times and had 12 fumbles last year.
Training Camp Surprises
Some players who haven't been thought about much or who have veterans ahead of them always seem to emerge at camp. Here's who will be the surprises, although, if they're called surprises ahead of time can they actually be considered a surprise?
Rookies
1. LT Braxton Jones
The rookie fifth-round left tackle got a taste of first-team work in the final two weeks of offseason work without being promised anything. Anticipate Jones will win the starting left tackle spot because he has a longer reach, is quicker and with good footwork, and has been an excellent pass blocker in college. It will mean Larry Borom or Teven Jenkins can start at right tackle. This will all be a gamble because of the inexperience factor at tackle.
2. TE Chase Allen
An undrafted tight end who was known for his ability to run-block, he also displayed good hands in the short and medium range game at OTAs. When practices begin with pads, the tight ends can display the full extrent of their talent and Allen should make strides. A tight end who blocks well can quickly win the heart of an offensive coordinator.
3. LB Christian Albright
The Ball State rookie linebacker has athletic ability to be a 3-4 edge and also to play one of the linebacker spots in the Bears 4-3. A linebacker with a 33-1/2-inch vertical and 4.6 speed at 240 pounds to go with an 80- 1/2-inch wingspan, he could emerge as a potential key backup on defense and special teams contributor.
Veterans
1. RB Khalil Herbert
He showed he could be a contributor as backup last year but expect in this camp and preseason he will win the confidence of coaches to play even more than last year. He can provide David Montgomery with bigger stints out of the lineup to rest. Herbert has a style of running very conducive to success in the wide zone blocking scheme.
2. WR Tajae Sharpe
With 92 receptions for his first three seasons and eight TDs, Sharpe showed at Tennessee what he can do in an offense based on the run and play-action. He is 6-foot-2, a little taller than your usual slot receiver, and has been around now since 2016 so little will surprise him.
3. CB Thomas Graham Jr.
He made four pass breakups in limited playing time at season's end and seems an ideal fit for the slot cornerback role, although he's going to need to steal away playing time from veteran Tavon Young. His high energy will have the defense fired up all camp.
Best Camp Battles
Offense
The wide receiver position fight after the top four is going to be a constant attempt by Equanimeous St. Brown, Sharpe, David Moore, Dante Pettis and several younger players to impress coaches as they compete for two or three roster spots.
Defense
Backup/strong side linebacker will be a free-or-all, both for the third starting spot in the base 4-3 and just or a job with the team. Matthew Adams is the strong side they used in OTAs but he hasn't been a real starter in the league and then getting arrested didn't help. He'll have to fight off veteran Joe Thomas, Caleb Johnson, Noah Dawkins and a handful of undrafted rookies like C.J. Avery, Christian Albright and Jack Sanborn to hang onto that third linebacker spot.
Potential Pitfalls and Procedure
- The Roquan Smith situation. If it isn't resolved quickly, what chance the Bears had of fielding a defense capable of taking away the ball will vanish. Smith is a big play waiting to happen on defense and the kind of player this defense cannot function without.
- The current contract holdout by second-round safety Jaquan Brisker could keep them from having their potential starter ready for the opener.
- Defensive end Robert Quinn could decide not to show up because he wants to be traded. He never came for offseason voluntary and mandatory practices.
- It's possible their offensive line doesn't have the starting right guard or left tackle on the roster. The longer into camp before they sign one or trade for one to get him in place, the longer it will take to get the line rolling in the regular season.
- Injuries. When Lovie Smith took over in 2004 and put in a similar defensive style to the Tampa-2 base the Bears will use under Eberflus, he demanded players do a lot of running they normally hadn't done. The result was an outbreak of hamstring and groin strains. Eberflus said to come with their track shoes because they'll run. They've addressed potential soft tissue injuries with extensive stretching all offseason and will continue but the extra running will impact those not entirely in shape. Beyond those, there are no specific injury situations to watch, but a few players who were nursing unspecified offseason injuries were rookies Kyler Gordon and Elijah Hicks.
- A contract extension for running back David Montgomery. With about $19 million under the cap before signing offensive lineman Brian Schofield remaining, according to Spotrac.com, the Bears could use some to help in bonuses for future years with either Montgomery or Smith. Both are free agents in March without a deal. These are the two players team board chairman George McCaskey lauded for their efforts after last season when he was firing the coaching staff and GM, and blasting his defensive backs for being unable to touch down a ball carrier on the turf. It's time for McCaskey to put up the cash now since he was such a big fan then.
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