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Bears Training Camp Notes: Practice 15

14th August 2012 by under Bears News     

BOURBONNAIS, IL- The Chicago Bears host the Washington Redskins in preseason game number two on Saturday night.

Last night they practiced on a wet field in Bourbonnais on family night. A good crowd showed up for the last night practice of camp.

The Bears practice today and again Thursday before breaking camp on Friday.

Here are some of my observations from Monday night’s practice:

The left tackle battle was on a hiatus as J’Marcus Webb took all the first team reps at the position. RT Gabe Carimi was steady for most of the night minus a couple of whiffs where DE Israel Idonije flew by him.

The offensive line will have a big test on Saturday against defensive ends Brian Orakpo and Adam Carriker.

Backup quarterback Jason Campbell has a very strong arm. He led the offense down the field in a two-minute drill with confidence. The only mistake he made was holding on to the ball too long which forced him to throw it away multiple times.

K Robbie Gould greeted the fans and told them he thought they were crazy to be here. The weather was in the 60′s with overcast for most of the night.

Rookie cornerback Isaiah Frey has made some nice plays lately. He broke up a Josh McCown pass intended for 6’5″ WR Chris Summers during the first part of practice. He definitely has the attributes to earn a roster spot this season.

WR Dane Sanzenbacher made a nice grab during the two-minute drill. He was blindsided by CB Tim Jennings, who started to walk away after hitting him. Sanzenbacher proceeded to get up and shove Jennings. Nothing escalated after that, but players are instructed by cocaches not to tackle opposing players in practice.

“We want to try to stay away from that stuff, but it’s football and things are going to happen,” quarterback Jay Cutler said this to the media following practice. “I think the guys are kind of tired of seeing each other and hitting each other and going through camp. It’s going to be good to wrap this camp up, get out of here and play a preseason game and then go to a regular game week as we prepare for the Giants.”

RB Kahil Bell got into a little scuffle after a tough hit in redzone drills with the second team. The scuffle was broken up by fellow teammates. You don’t want anyway to get hurt, but its nice to see that the intensity is there. These players all know what’s on a line, a roster spot for an NFL team.

GM Phil Emery was at practice taking it all in. He was often standing on the sideline alone. He seemed to be really concentrating on the team drills.

Undrafted rookie QB Matt Blanchard and third string QB Josh McCown stayed after practice with undrafted rookie wide outs Brittan Golden, Joe Anderson and Terriun Crump. They were just throwing around, but it just shows how much they want to get better.

Tight end Kyle Adams stood out with the first team making a couple of nice catches in traffic during the two-minute drills. He has a real chance to see the field this season. He reminds me a lot of Greg Olsen.

Recently signed LB Xavier Adibi (No. 45) was in uniform, but still isn’t allowed to practice according to NFL rules.

WR Earl Bennett was absent from practice due to the birth of his child. Rookie WR Alshon Jeffery saw more time with the first team because of it, especially in red zone packages.

Also, CB D.J. Moore (quad contusion) didn’t practice.

More news to come out of Bourbonnais.

 

Jake Perper is the owner and head writer for Bearsbacker.com. Follow him on Twitter, @Bearsbacker and on Facebook for up to the minute news about the Bears.

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Bears Training Camp Notes: Practice 14

13th August 2012 by under Bears News     

BOURBONNAIS, IL- With camp winding down the battles have heated up.  Sunday afternoon’s practice saw the Bears defense have a dominate showing, but as usual Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall continued to shine.

Here are a few of my observations from Sunday’s practice:

The biggest news coming out of Sunday’s practice was Brian Urlacher telling the media he will be ready for the opener:

“Sept. 9, I’ll be ready to play for sure, that’s really all that matters to me. Preseason games, all these practices … I’d love to be out there, but I’m not going to put myself in jeopardy of missing the first game”

Urlacher spent his day patrolling the sidelines with his new trademark look; a big floppy white safari hat.

The next biggest story after Urlacher was the injury to defensive tackle Stephen Paea.  Paea sat out practice and was wearing a walking boot on his left ankle. Paea says he’ll be out for 1-2 weeks with the injury.  The Bears are already thin at the defensive tackle position and they moved Israel Idonije inside on occasion with Shea McClellin taking over at left defensive end.

One of the loudest crowd reactions today came during the running back/defensive back blocking drill. Craig Steltz, Major Wright, and Trevor Coston all were getting the best of their counterparts during the blitzing drill.  Steltz was the ring leader, cheering on and chest pumping his fellow defensive backs after each big play.

With Nick Roach playing the middle linebacker position because of Urlacher’s injury and Geno Hayes sitting out because of an illness, second year player J.T. Thomas got most of the starting snaps at strongside linebacker.  Even though the Bears are confident that Urlacher will be back, Thomas was able to get some valuable time with the first team.

Chris Williams saw the majority of snaps at left tackle for the second day in a row keeping the left tackle position battle wide open.  Cory Brandon saw a lot of time today with the second team at right tackle and even filled in at times for Gabe Carimi with the first team.  The Bears are searching for a backup at the right tackle position and seem to be giving Brandon the chance to take it.

The connection between Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall is unmistakable.  Marshall is nearly always Cutler’s first read but Cutler did struggle a bit with the long ball today.  Alshon Jeffery is still catching everything in sight and continues to build off his productive game Thursday night.

Kelvin Hayden saw time with the first team nickel package after D.J. Moore went down and performed well.  Hayden spent time last year at the nickelback spot with the Atlanta Falcons and gives the Bears someone with experience playing both inside and out.

Interceptions were the highlight for the defense.  Charles Tillman, Tim Jennings, and Major Wright all came down with their own interceptions and the defensive backs did a nice job all day being aggressive with the wide receivers.

Matt Eurich is a contributor to Bearsbacker.com. Follow Bears Backer on Facebook and Twitter for up to the minute news about the Bears. Also, check out Matt’s work on Bleacherreport.com and follow him on Twitter @MattEurich.

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He’s a Father: Cutler Welcomes Baby Boy Camden

8th August 2012 by under Bears News     

Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and fiancée Kristin Cavallari welcomed baby boy Camden Jack Cutler this afternoon.

Cavallari tweeted this Wednesday afternoon.

We are thrilled to welcome Camden Jack Cutler into the world, @Cavallari. He was born this morning weighing 7 lbs 9 oz. Everyone is great!

It will be interesting to see if Cutler plays Thursday night against the Broncos in the first preseason game at Soldier Field.

Look out for the game preview tomorrow afternoon before Week one of the preseason.

 

Jake Perperis the owner and head writer for Bearsbacker.com. Follow him on Twitter, @Bearsbacker and on Facebook for up to the minute news about the Bears.

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Former Bears OC Mike Martz Will Announce Games for NFL on FOX

7th August 2012 by under Bears News     

Fox announced today that former Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz will spend this season as an analyst on the network.

Martz will team up with Ron Pitts will Ron Pitts as the No. 7 pair of announcers on NFL on FOX, according to ESPN.com’s ranking.

It should be interesting to see if Fox allows Martz to announce Bears games.

He worked with NFL Network in 2009, which was a year before he landed in the windy city.

He spent 2010 and 2011 with the Bears where his offense proved to be a little to complex.

He wasn’t brought back this off-season as the Bears opted to promote offensive line coach Mike Tice to the offensive coordinator position.

Not sure if Martz will provide us with good announcing this upcoming season. He isn’t the most entertaining guy to listen to that’s for sure.

Fox isn’t known for having the most entertaining announcers. That’s something fans have likely noticed over the years.

 

Jake Perper is the owner and head writer for Bearsbacker.com. Follow him on Twitter, @Bearsbacker and on Facebook for up to the minute news about the Bears.

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Welcome Back: Bears Add WR Rashied Davis To The Mix

6th August 2012 by under Bears News     

A familiar face has found his way back to the windy city. WR Rashied Davis, who signed with NFC North rival Detroit last off-season has reportedly signed with the Chicago Bears today.

Chicago Tribune reporter Vaughn McClure first reported the move Monday afternoon.

He was let go last off-season after the Bears opted to sign WR Sam Hurd. That turned out to be a big mistake after what happened to Hurd last season.

Davis was always a likable player for the Bears. He helped on special teams in any way he could as a blocker as well as a returner. He was always a dependable receiver as well, making big catches when the team needed him most.

In six seasons in Chicago, the 33-year old appeared in 92 games making 15 starts. He reeled in 88 balls for 1,032 yards and five touchdowns.

He will battle second-year receiver Dane Sanzenbacher, who has yet to prove his worth on special teams for what looks to be the sixth receiver spot.

Glad to see a familiar face back in Chicago. He should be one of the better sixth receivers in the league if he is able to secure a roster spot.

Welcome back Rashied Davis.

 

Jake Perper is the owner and head writer for Bearsbacker.com. Follow him on Twitter, @Bearsbacker and on Facebook for up to the minute news about the Bears.

 

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Bears Training Camp Notes: Day 6

1st August 2012 by under Bears News     

Special contribution from Matt Eurich.

After the pads went on Saturday night in Bourbonnais, the real football started.  No longer are the players just walking through practice, but are expected to get to participate at near full strength in order to improve themselves and the team.

Here are my observations from Tuesday afternoon’s practice:

-The connection between Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall continues to be the lead story at camp.  Marshall made an impressive end zone catch on a fade route during goal line drills as well as making a few one-handed grabs throughout practice.  Whenever they weren’t on the field during drills it appeared that Marshall and Cutler were typically near each other and quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates spent a lot of time talking with them during special teams drills.

-It appeared that J’Marcus Webb took all first time snaps today with Chris Williams taking second team reps.  The Bears have been adamant in their stance that it is an open competition and wouldn’t be surprised if Williams takes most if not all first team reps tomorrow.

-While watching defensive back drills, Brandon Hardin has continued to stand out to me.  He is taller than most safeties and is built well.  Hardin played the free safety with the 2′s and even though in my opinion he is more of a strong safety, he looks rather comfortable playing the free safety position.

-Veteran defensive ends Corey Wootton and Chauncey Davis were with the second team with Shea McClellin jumping in occasionally replacing one or the other.  It appears that the Bears are willing to be patient with McClellin and let him ease himself into the position.  During one on one drills against the offensive line, McClellin struggled mightily against Chris WIlliams.  It is still far too early to panic about McClellin, the Bears are going to need to start seeing some improvement out of him quickly.

-Recently acquired Bear, Brian Price, had some difficulties in the one on one drills, with Edwin Williams completely dominating him.  It eventually resulted in a shove from Price and the two had to be separated, but it was nothing more than a little frustration from Price. He doesn’t appear to be in the best shape yet and hasn’t quite gotten his legs under him, but given how thin the defensive tackle position is he will likely get a chance to hang on for a while.

-The interior of the offensive line looks like it will be a strong suit. Backups Chilo Rachal and Edwin Williams both looked great during one-on-one drills as did starters Lance Louis and Chris Spencer.

-Cornerback Tim Jennings had a productive day, tipped a few balls as well as making an interception on an attempted pass to Marshall running the slant.  The big knock on Jennings was his inability to grab the interceptions last year, but so far in camp he has been able to do that.

-Rookie wide receiver Alshon Jeffrey continues to catch everything in sight and boasts another big target for Jay Cutler to find with ease.  Jeffrey swapped in and out between the one’s and two’s but he played well whether it was Cutler or Jason Campbell throwing him the ball.

-Unless an injury occurs, undrafted rookie Matt Blanchard stands almost no chance of making the Bears 53-man roster but I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets picked for the practice squad.  Blanchard throws a nice ball and looked pretty smooth rolling out of the pocket during drills.  He could be a development project moving forward but shouldn’t be considered anything more than a practice squad body for now.

Don’t forget to check out Matt’s work on Bleacherreport.com and follow him on Twitter @MattEurich.

 

Jake Perper is the owner and head writer for Bearsbacker.com. Follow him on Twitter, @Bearsbacker and on Facebook for up to the minute news about the Bears.

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Training Camp Thoughts Day 5: Rodriguez, Wootton, Smith and McClellin

29th July 2012 by under Bears News     

The Bears selected tight end Evan Rodriguez in the fourth-round out of Temple. He has shown his athleticism already by lining up at WR, TE, FB and H-back so far in training camp. He could earn playing time in some packages dialed up by Mike Tice this season.

I was pretty confident out there, Rodriguez said via ESPNChicago.com. I’ve been doing this since I was a baby. But minicamp pretty much set the bar for me. It basically got me in tune. I knew the expectations coming into training camp from minicamp.

DE Corey Wootton has only appeared in 13 games making nine tackles in one sack in two seasons with the Bears. He needs to perform at a high level in training camp to earn a spot in the rotation at defensive end.

I feel good, I feel like I definitely have my burst back, Wootton said via ESPNChicago.com. Last season was tough for me coming of out training camp feeling good then unfortunately the knee injury slowed me down and I didn’t get that burst back that I had in training camp. I feel like I have it back.

Head coach Lovie Smith talked briefly about some of third and fourth stringers getting a chance today at practice.

There’s a lot of different positions you’re trying to get a look at, Smith said via Chicagotribune.com. And for us, we have an idea about what the top part of our roster will look like. But you want to be able to see some of the down-the-line guys. A lot of times, you have to wait until an actual preseason game. So, (it was a chance to) get little bit of live work for some of the younger players to get an opportunity to prove what they can do.

Rookie defensive end Shea McClellin had a very good day in the pads on Saturday, but today was a different story. He reportedly struggled beating off tackles Chris Williams, J’Marcus Webb, James Brown and tight end Matt Spaeth.

Today my pass rushing wasn’t very good, so I was kind of disappointed, McClellin said via CSNChicago.com. I’m pretty hard on myself, so I’ve got to do better than that.

The Bears returned to the practice field in Bourbannais on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m, while tomorrow will be a day off for the team.

Here is the complete schedule for Bears’ training camp.

 

Jake Perper is the owner and head writer for Bearsbacker.com. Follow him on Twitter, @Bearsbacker and on Facebook for up to the minute news about the Bears.

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Training Camp Thoughts Day 4: Smith, McClellin, Price, Jeffery

29th July 2012 by under Bears News     

WR Brandon Marshall reportedly flashed his skills all night long in front of 10,000 Bears fans in Bourbonnais.

He was helped off the field after landing “awkwardly” on the ground. But he quickly returned to the field and continued to make plays.

He’s going against a good football player most of the night in Charles Tillman, head coach Lovie Smith said via CSNChicago.com. But you know when you’re a good receiver and you have a good quarterback who can get the ball there, it’s just a one-on-one game.

 

Brandon’s going to win most of those battles.

Rookie DE Shea McClellin put on the pads for the first time as a Bear and coaches and fans were excited to see what he could do. McClellin talked about the goal of training camp and what needs to be done for him to be ready for the first week of the season.

That’s what I want to do is show my speed and I think I did that, McClellin said via ESPNChicago.com. But like I said, this is just a starting point and I have to get better every day from here on out. This is the first day in pads so I pretty much know where I’m at. I just need to keep learning from these older guys and coach [Rod] Marinelli.

Newly acquired defensive tackle Brian Price can’t take part in practice until Tuesday because of NFL rules. But he was in Bourbonnais last night and he seems ready to compete for some playing time here in the windy city.

I’m here with this team and I’m feeling great, Price said via Chicagotribune.com. Just my mental (state) a couple of months ago was nowhere near where I am now. Just from being here, I feel so much better, like the weight of the world just lifted off my shoulders.

Rookie wide receivers don’t always make splashes right away. Johnny Knox had success as a fifth-round pick with five touchdown receptions in 2009, but Earl Bennett struggled to even appear in a single game as a rookie in 2008.

Alshon Jeffery is just trying to gain knowledge from the rest of the Bears receivers. It will be interesting to see how much he contributes early in the season.

The speed of the game tells me I’m in the NFL, Jeffery said via Chicagotribune.com. It’s a lot more faster.

 

Gotta go out and play, Jeffery said. I mean, just make plays. Just gotta get open.

CB depth added: Jeremy Ware was signed Saturday. He was a seventh-round pick in 2010 by the Oakland Raiders and he reeled in one interception last season. The Bears waived K David Teggart to make this move.

 

Jake Perper is the owner and head writer for Bearsbacker.com. Follow him on Twitter, @Bearsbacker and on Facebook for up to the minute news about the Bears.

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Training Camp Thoughts Day 3: Briggs, Bush, Hardin and Drake

27th July 2012 by under Bears News     

Today was the second day of practice in Bourbannais. Tomorrow night the first padded practice will take place at 7:00 p.m.

Lance Briggs had some funny things to say about meetings during training camp. Specifically with linebackers coach Bob Babich.

I’m just excited about everything, going into long, boring meetings going over the same stuff, covering a lot of the same materials and listening to Bob Babich talk for two hours straight, Briggs said via CSNChicago.com. That’s the highlight of my day.

First-year Bear Michael Bush figures to be in for a short-yardage role.

He knows he needs to embrace whatever role the Bears are going to give him this season.

That’s the role I’ve been stuck with because of my size, he said via Chicagotribune.com. But if that’s what I have to do, that’s what I have to do.

Rookie safety Brandon Hardin has the size at 6’3″ to be a real athlete in the Bears’ secondary for years to come. He is learning to make the same transition that Chris Conte made last season from cornerback to safety.

I’m making the adjustment [to safety] well so far, Hardin said via Chicagosuntimes.com. Learning more and more every day, and that’s the key for me — getting my head in the playbook and learning all I can.

Wide receivers coach Daryl Drake has to be excited about his group this season. He talked about Brandon Marshall’s abilities and was pretty honest about it.

I don’t think you can catch 100 balls per year and not have good hands, Drake said via Chicagotribune.com. Does he have Steve Largent hands? No. Cris Carter hands? No. But he has good-enough hands.

When Brandon drops the football, it’s because he’s trying to make something happen before he catches it, Drake said. We’ve addressed that. We are working on it.

Here is the complete schedule for Bears’ training camp.

 

Jake Perper is the owner and head writer for Bearsbacker.com. Follow him on Twitter, @Bearsbacker and on Facebook for up to the minute news about the Bears.

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Training Camp Thoughts Day 2: C. Williams, Tice, Marshall and Tillman

26th July 2012 by under Bears News     

Today was the first day of practice for the Chicago Bears in Bourbonnais.

The first padded practice will take place on Saturday night at 7:00 p.m.

Offensive lineman Chris Williams is competing with J’Marcus Webb for the starting gig at left tackle.

He doesn’t seemed to worried about the battle with Webb.

You just come in and keep working hard like I always do, and let that stuff sort itself out, Williams said via ESPNChicago.com Thursday. There’s always pressure.

The competition will take care of itself. I’m not really changing my approach at all.

Offensive coordinator Mike Tice wasn’t too pleased about Thursday’s practice.

The offense performed well at the minicamp’s and OTA’s this off-season, so he figured they would pick up right where they left off. I guess he was wrong.

You can’t put the ball on the ground, Tice said via Chicagotribune.com. You cannot put the ball on the ground. And you can’t jump off-sides. I know it was the first day and we’re working a lot of things on the line of scrimmage, but we’re also coming off of an offseason with a bunch of practices and a bunch of times that we did it, we did it right. We can’t come out the first day and look like we never did it before. We’re not going to put up with that.

Brandon Marshall didn’t have a great first day of practice according to wide receivers coach Daryl Drake. But he certainly seemed happy prior to practice about the reunion with QB Jay Cutler.

I’m just happy to be here with Jay, Marshall said via Chicagotribune.com. He’s a great leader and I’m looking forward to working with him. You can put a good quarterback and a good receiver together, but it’s not always going to mesh because sometimes you don’t see the field the same way or see things off the field the same way.  Jay and I, I don’t know why, but we see things the same way, and I’m excited to be under him and under his leadership.

Lastly, cornerback Charles “Peanut” Tillman isn’t slowing down and that is a great thing for the Chicago Bears defense. He admitted he doesn’t feel his age one bit.

I don’t feel like it’s my tenth year, Tillman said via ESPNChicago.com. My body doesn’t feel like it, my mind doesn’t feel like it. I feel good mentally, physically and spiritually. It’s mainly more what I hear about from you all.

My expectations are high. I’m just looking forward to going out there and playing again and working towards winning a Super Bowl.

Here is the complete schedule for Bears’ training camp. Tomorrow’s practice starts at 2:30 p.m.

Jake Perper is the owner and head writer for Bearsbacker.com. Follow him on Twitter, @Bearsbacker and on Facebook for up to the minute news about the Bears.

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