LAKE FOREST
https://www.thebearsfanshop.com , Ill. (AP) — Linebacker Roquan Smith, safety Eddie Jackson and other Chicago Bears defensive players felt ready to begin hitting last week when organized team activities ended.A weekend around the likes of Dick Butkus, Doug Plank, Richard Dent and other Bears greats at the franchise’s 100th anniversary celebration hardly doused those flames.They’ll have to wait six weeks, but the Bears started wrapping up offseason work on Tuesday with mandatory minicamp by saying they’re already prepared to begin making up for the way last season ended.“That first-round game, that’s just fuel to our fire,” Jackson said after the first of three minicamp practices. “We came up short. We’re just ready to get back at it.“You could tell everyone was here 100 percent for OTAs. So that just shows you that everyone is on board and we’re just ready to chase greatness.”Everyone, perhaps, except the kicking candidates.Elliott Fry, Chris Blewitt and Eddy Pineiro each missed in succession from 42 yards during Tuesday’s practice, a yard shorter than Cody Parkey missed from to end the Bears’ playoff loss to the Eagles.“For today, we can’t have that,” coach Matt Nagy said. “We are going to figure this thing out. But 0-for-3 today, no good.”A positive going forward is their team’s overall health. Almost every Bears player is back for the minicamp, which ends Thursday.Injured receiver Anthony Miller (shoulder), tight end Trey Burton (hernia surgery) and rookie Emanuel Hall (hernia surgery) are out, but are all expected back for training camp.Jackson returned after he missed time last week when someone stepped on his heel, and tackle Bobby Massie returned earlier after missing time in OTAs with a neck injury.The defense continues to try to get down different terminology under new defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano.“I will say we’re certainly at that point right now where our guys are ready
Chicago Bears Customized Jerseys ,” Nagy said. “They’re ready to put the pads on.“They’re sick and tired of me saying, ‘don’t you get close to that quarterback, don’t tip the ball, don’t grab jerseys, don’t do that.”Tuesday’s practice came with more Bears alumni around. A group of 20 watched current players who were a bit in awe of them last weekend.Defensive players expressed everything from gratification to shock to inspiration after visiting with past Bears greats.“You want to kind of mimic that,” cornerback Kyle Fuller said.Smith spent time taking tips from Butkus and linebacker Otis Wilson.“Pretty much Butkus was like, ‘Just be violent. By all means be violent.’ That was his main thing,” Smith said. “And pretty much Otis, from the ’85 team, it was more saying the same thing: ‘get the quarterback, knock him out,’ stuff like that. It was very similar.”Jackson was on a panel with safeties Plank, Gary Fencik and Mike Brown, and couldn’t believe it when he heard Plank once tackled a woman who at a public appearance wanted to challenge him.“The story about him tackling the woman — that was like one of the craziest things I ever heard,” Jackson said. “We thought he, like, either gave a love tap, but we heard he really tackled her. I couldn’t believe it. And everybody vouched for the story.”Pass rusher Khalil Mack appreciated listening to franchise sacks leader Richard Dent offer advice on how to use his hands differently against blockers.“It definitely gives you a confidence boost
Chicago Bears T-Shirts ,” Mack said. “But just being a player and being a leader on the team, you understand that we could talk all day. It’s ultimately about going out and showing our actions and balling as one unit, as one team and as one family.”The lesson Nagy said they all took from the convention and former players was unity.“It was a brotherhood, it was a family, it was a bond,” Nagy said. “It’s not about being better than any other team that was here, it’s about just carrying on that tradition.” The Bears clinched their first non-losing season since 2013 with their Thanksgiving win in Detroit.Even in a tough spot, on the road, and a short week, this Bears team just keeps on surprising. I know it’s been tough for me to truly believe that these Bears are winning in these spots, when last season they had almost no chance to do so.But Chicago showed up and gutted out a big win with some clutch plays from their defense, yet again.So which players stood out to me most and which need to step up?Stock upChase Daniel, QB - When was the last time that Chicago Bears fans both loved the play of their back up quarterback but also were happy for him to go back to the bench? While there might be one more week of Daniel, it’s good to know that the financial investment they made in him, as well as the faith the coaches had in him to execute the offense, paid off. Daniel wasn’t always pretty, but he was efficient and he delivered when the team needed it.Roquan Smith, LB - Smith’s worst play came when he was mismatched against Kenny Golladay in pass coverage and he still managed to eventually run the speedy wide out down. Smith was everywhere
https://www.thebearsfanshop.com/hats , racking up 11 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack and 1 QB hit.Tarik Cohen, RB - Cohen managed 10 touches for 59 yards and a touchdown Thursday, which doesn’t seem that great, but then you realize he played only 38 percent of the snaps (22 of 58) and you see how effective he was. He managed to get the ball on nearly half of his snaps — he was targeted an eighth time, and was open, but Daniel missed him — and was highly effective with those touches. He truly is a special player.Stock DownTrey Burton, TE - The Bears TE probably wants a Thanksgiving do-over. Burton had just four receptions for 28 yards on seven targets. He lost a fumble and was called for a couple of penalties, which negated big plays. Tough day at the office.Charles Leno Jr., LT - Leno allowed a sack early and then just seemed to struggle throughout the game with Ezekiel Ansah and others. Not his best week.Jordan Howard, RB - It’s tough not be piling on the guy, because we all know he’s better than this. I’m not sure what needs to change to spur the Bears’ running game, but it doesn’t seem like what they have going is working. Howard managed a long run of just four yards and had seven carries for 13 yards and one catch for two yards. He played 60 percent of the snaps (35 of 58), meaning his yards per snap was 0.43, while Cohen’s was 2.43.
