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Press Taylor Sees Need for Rookie Bears Duo to Earn Coaches' Trust

What the Bears are expecting from rookie wide receiver Zavion Thomas and center Logan Jones might sound discouraging to those hoping for a big immediate impact.
Gene Chamberlain|
Bears wide receiver Zavion Thomas warms up during training camp.
Bears wide receiver Zavion Thomas warms up during training camp. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Chicago Bears

Suggestions the Bears could reap a quick, huge benefit from several rookies in this class the same way they did last year might be premature.

Of course Dillon Thieneman is being counted on as a first-round pick and starting replacement for veteran Kevin Byard. However, seeing a few of the other rookies make an impact might require time. Last year it took until just before the midpoint when Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III took off.

Bears offensive coordinator Press Taylor warned on Day 2 of practices against expecting too much right away from second-round rookie center Logan Jones and third-round rookie wide receiver Zavion Thomas. Trust is earned for rookles.

With Thomas, the thought was they might have a package of plays in to utilize his 4.28-second 40-yard speed. This way they have used him in two practices so far says this is the case, but he hasn't exactly excelled. He has been making rookie mistakes. On Thursday he fumbled on an end-around, and in the opening practice he jumped the gun in drills on a simulated snap.

Slow and easy for Zavion Thomas

"There's always a fine line to that," Taylor said. "I think just one year in, we've kind of operated in just the fire hose method of let's throw a ton at him and see what he can handle and see how they bounce back from, you know, maybe mistakes, whether it's mental errors or physical errors throughout the day, how they're going to bounce back the next day and what they can handle because we're OK with guys failing through practice.

"Like that's a big part of this thing. We have plenty of reps. We have plenty of walkthroughs throughout the course of it that we'll get it corrected, and then you'll get your opportunity at the next go-around to see if you've responded from it, learned from it, what you can handle. And again, nobody's going to be a finished product by the end of training camp."

Taylor pointed at his two receivers who made impacts last year and a few others as examples.

"We expect these guys — just, you look at Colston, Luther, some of the rookies, Ozzy (Trapilo), the rookies that contributed to us last year, and it didn't take off Week 1," Taylor said. "It didn't take off necessarily Week 7. Then, by the end of the year, you see where these guys are at. So we're going to give all these guys an opportunity to grow."

Not everything has been a struggle for Thomas. He made a downfield in the final scrimmage session on Thursday. When he did, though, it was another rookie, cornerback Malik Muhammad, who was being lectured by coaches afterward for technique trouble.

Breaking in Logan Jones

With Jones, much speculation had him taking the center job from veteran free agent acquisition Garrett Bradbury but the role looks awfully big for a rookie, especially there is an adequate veteran filling the role. So far after two practices, Jones has worked entirely with backups. Particularly in the running game, the center's role is huge for the Bears under Ben Johnson. Trusting it to a rookie would say an awfully lot about such a player.

"You know, obviously, the change at center, getting Garrett up to speed with the expectation, the communication, which so far has been very good from him, getting Logan in there as well, working those guys into it because they're kind of the ones driving the ship. They're responsible for setting the initial point," Taylor said. "And then we go from there based on what the defense does or what the play calls for. So that's a big part of it."

Taylor clearly anticipates a learning period with Jones and even threw out check points.

"I think that really the only expectation we have for Logan is that he gets better every single day and we'll see where that takes us," Taylor said. "By the time Week 1 rolls around, by the time Week 10 rolls around, we'll see where we're at.

"But every single day we expect Logan and every rookie we have in this building to get better and to just continue to grow in their process and the operation and the understanding of NFL football and our schemes, as well."

With both of those rookies, the presence of other players who are being counted on will tend to limit their chances to make statements. It's the same with third-round tight end Sam Roush and also even sixth-round pick Jordan van den Berg at defensive tackle. Eventually it can happen for them, and Burden, Loveland and Trapilo are good examples.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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