Bears fans have been patient, awaiting the Bears first practice. A day that seemed like would never get here.
But when it finally happened, the wait seemed worth it as the Bears returned to the fields of Bourbonnais with a new chip on their shoulder that was evident from the get-go.
When I first arrived to the field, I saw that players were on the field over a half hour earlier than the scheduled start time. Later, I found out that they did this out of their own free will. This is the kind of work ethic that has been absent from the Bears for quite awhile. Fellow fans in the stands took notice of this, and random cheers echoed from around the field.
I for one gained a new respect for this Bears team as a result.
One thing that was instantly noticeable was the atmosphere. It felt different than in years past.
All of the Bears seemed to be having fun! It was a something that I haven’t seen out of this team in a while. Players were cheering on their fellow teammates, motivating one another along the way. All the way from the bleachers, you could hear players yell out,
“Let’s go baby! Let’s go to work.”
Coach Fox’s drastically different approach was one that I took notice of right away. During warmups, he went up to a large number of players and even though I don’t know exactly what he said, what I can tell you is that the players enjoy his company as you could see their radiant smiles from all the way in the stands.
The Bears are having fun.
On a less than positive note (as you have probably heard), Kevin White is starting training camp on the PUP list. There has been some speculation as to how serious his shin injury is, and even though I don’t have the privilege to ask the team about it, I could tell that White walked with a slight limp.
That’s something to keep an eye on moving forward.
Without White, Eddie Royal lined up on the outside opposite of Alshon Jeffery and at times, it seemed like he and Cutler haven’t skipped a beat from their days at Denver.
Speaking of Jay, at times he looked good… but there were some easy passes that he overthrew. It’s only day one, but this is not what Bears fans want to hear about their quarterback. I suspect it’s just first day jitters and he will get sharper as camp progresses.
However, backup Jimmy Clausen did well. He threw the ball with zip and accuracy throughout the majority of practice making some really nice passes.
Staying with the offense, Will Montgomery was today’s starting center and although I can’t say for certain, it appeared as if Jeremy Langford got the most touches as the number two running back. The rookie didn’t look out of place whatsoever.
On the defensive side of the football…
I have to confess, I knew Eddie Goldman was a big man, but seeing him in person I realize he is a BIG man.
The first two players to line up at inside linebacker were Shea McClellin and Christian Jones. While the first pair of safeties consisted of Brock Vereen and Antrel Rolle with Ryan Mundy playing with the second string.
These are two position battles to keep an eye on.
Final Thought
It’s hard to tell just how well players are performing without pads. However, I felt like the entire team played well overall. The practice was upbeat, there was music playing (with Kyle Long bobbing his head to the beat) and everyone really seemed to enjoy it.
I know I did.
For those who followed our Twitter account during practice, I hope you all enjoyed the updates as much as I enjoyed posting them.
I’ll have to return to camp next week to give Bears fans another inside scoop! 🙂
Did I mention I met George Halas McCaskey?
I asked him if he had anything to say to all the Bears fans worldwide who follow us. He replied, “Tell them all hello, and Bear Down!”
It looks like everyone within the franchise is having fun, so Bears fans should be too!
Until next time,
Will
Leave a Reply