Bears Training Camp (1 Viewer)

[amphibianbri]

I was there yesterday and wanted to make note of a few things on the offensive side of the ball:

There were a ton of 4 wide and 2 TE sets. Benson lined up wide with AP / Wolfe in the backfield, Wolfe lined up as a wideout and had a LB on him once.....burned him of course. Wolfe is so quick and can block that I would be shocked not to see him on 3rd down a lot and also as a kickoff returner with Hester.

Olsen looked great as he beat safeties twice and showed terrific hands.

Benson couldn't catch for squat. He had a LB beat but couldn't adjust to a ball over the shoulder. He flat dropped two other screen passes.

Hester got lined up at WR as well (once had an empty backfield with Peterson in motion, Berrian, Muhammad, Hester, Bradley and Hester got matched up with a safety and caught a nice pass for about 15-20 yards......the WR screen will be there). There was talk of lining Hester up at RB, but I never saw that.

Grossman was really sharp throwing BB's down the field 15-20 yards and threading the needle. He looked to have worked on his mechanics in that he was following through and not throwing off of his back foot. We'll see if that changes if he gets some pressure on him though.

 

[gman8343]

Great work, thanks.

How'd Bradley look?

 

[Sweetness_34]

Grossman will be a top 10 qb with all these extra weapons this year - Hester, Wolfe, Olsen and a healthy Bradley.....

 

[The Kansas Comet]

Thanks for the info - looking forward to seeing how things develop for the Bears this preseason. Glad to hear good things about Wolfe - it will be nice to have a 3rd down back.

 

[jeter23]

Thanks for the Bears info!

 

[Keith Lewis]

Thanks for the updates.

Does it sound like RBBC for Chicago to anyone else?

 

[Brutis]

Thanks for the updates. Does it sound like RBBC for Chicago to anyone else?

No, but if you'd like you can think it.

 

[Tyrion]

Thanks for the updates. Does it sound like RBBC for Chicago to anyone else?

How did Berrian look?

 

[flapgreen]

Thanks bro. I'm excited. Not shocked about Benson.

 

[Keith Lewis]

Thanks for the updates. Does it sound like RBBC for Chicago to anyone else?

No, but if you'd like you can think it.

I have no investment, I don't own any Bear RBs, none are on my waiver wire. I was just asking a question for the Bears homer and didn't request a smart-alec response. Why pee in the pool?

 

[Brutis]

Thanks for the updates. Does it sound like RBBC for Chicago to anyone else?

No, but if you'd like you can think it.

I have no investment, I don't own any Bear RBs, none are on my waiver wire. I was just asking a question for the Bears homer and didn't request a smart-alec response. Why pee in the pool?

I didnt think it was a smart-alec response. You asked a question and i responded truthfully.

 

[amphibianbri]

BRadley did look sharp.....I forgot to mention. I just always get scared that he may get hurt again. As far as a silver lining for him getting hurt last year, it allowed Berrian to see the field and become a legit WR. I really don't see a RBBC, but like I said I do think that you will see plenty of situations with Wolfe or Peterson in at RB simply because they can catch the ball and be another threat. Even as a mainly first and second down back, I think Benson can put up numbers worthy of a #2 RB because he will get goalline carries I believe. I can't get back down there this week, but I think some friends will be down there. I'll see if I can get some info from them.

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

thanks for the post. Chicago seems to have a plan for Wolfe...

 

[Houston turmOiler]

Looks like the Bears just picked up Darwin Walker from the Bills for a 5th....

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/transactions.aspx?sport=NFL

 

[nygiants56]

Thanks for the updates. Does it sound like RBBC for Chicago to anyone else?

No, but if you'd like you can think it.

no chance of RBBC.Adrian Peterson will lead this team in rushing in 2007.

 

[imeimex]

Looks like the Bears just picked up Darwin Walker from the Bills for a 5th....

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/transactions.aspx?sport=NFL

This could be a very nice pickup. I would think he is better than Tank ever was, and might free up Tommie Harris for less double teams. They were looking real thin at DT, especially with Garay already hurting. It allows Dvoracek more time to get adjusted. A rotation of Harris, Walker, Dvoracek, and Adams makes this a very strong unit again.

 

[The Kansas Comet]

Looks like the Bears just picked up Darwin Walker from the Bills for a 5th....

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/transactions.aspx?sport=NFL

This could be a very nice pickup. I would think he is better than Tank ever was, and might free up Tommie Harris for less double teams. They were looking real thin at DT, especially with Garay already hurting. It allows Dvoracek more time to get adjusted. A rotation of Harris, Walker, Dvoracek, and Adams makes this a very strong unit again.

Seems like a good move. From the responses I've seen from Philly fans on other boards, it sounds like Walker is a better pass rusher than run stuffer, and those skills should work fine for the Bears as I doubt they are counting on him to be a starter. He'll provide good depth on the d-line, better than Tank certainly.

 

[switz]

Grossman will be a top 10 qb with all these extra weapons this year - Hester, Wolfe, Olsen and a healthy Bradley.....

Are they getting his schzophrenia medicated? If not he'll still forget which team to throw to too often.

 

[Warpig]

Thanks for the updates. Does it sound like RBBC for Chicago to anyone else?

No, but if you'd like you can think it.

I have no investment, I don't own any Bear RBs, none are on my waiver wire. I was just asking a question for the Bears homer and didn't request a smart-alec response. Why pee in the pool?

I didnt think it was a smart-alec response. You asked a question and i responded truthfully. :(

After I read it it I immediately knew you are a Benson owner. Hope you're not hanging your hopes on him.

 

[moleculo]

 

[ericttspikes]

Grossman will be a top 10 qb with all these extra weapons this year - Hester, Wolfe, Olsen and a healthy Bradley.....

I agree. There is so much hate for the guy, you can get him as a 3rd QB and he will probably out perform the other two. He will be a steal in most fantasy drafts. The O is already the talk of camp.

 

[hephner]

Thanks for the updates. Does it sound like RBBC for Chicago to anyone else?

The Bears have never really employed a RBBC. What makes you think they would now? Here's a breakdown of the top two backs in each of the last 5 years for the Bears, which shows that, in general, they prefer a 1 back system:| Name | G | RSH YARD AVG TD | REC YARD AVG TD |2006| Cedric Benson | 15 | 157 647 4.1 6 | 8 54 6.8 0 || Thomas Jones | 16 | 296 1210 4.1 6 | 36 154 4.3 0 2005| Thomas Jones | 15 | 314 1335 4.3 9 | 26 143 5.5 0 || Adrian Peterson | 16 | 76 391 5.1 2 | 7 48 6.9 0 |2004| Thomas Jones | 14 | 240 948 4.0 7 | 56 427 7.6 0 || Anthony Thomas | 12 | 122 404 3.3 2 | 17 132 7.8 0 |2003| Brock Forsey | 9 | 50 191 3.8 2 | 3 37 12.3 0 || Anthony Thomas | 13 | 244 1024 4.2 6 | 9 36 4.0 0 |2002| Leon Johnson | 16 | 104 329 3.2 1 | 16 125 7.8 0 || Anthony Thomas | 12 | 214 721 3.4 6 | 24 163 6.8 0 |The last three years are the most relevant since that's the Lovie Smith era (although Ron Turner has been the offensive coordinator for the last two years). In each year here, one back received at least 240 carries (except in '02) and at a ratio of around 2:1 or more in carries vs the next back. Last year was probably the closest thing to a committee approach at times, but that was only because of the emergence of Benson late in the season. They leaned on him more and more, because he was finally fully healthy and beginning to show why they drafted him so high. They wanted to see what they had since they envisioned him as their back of the future.There's a big difference between using RBBC vs. using a guy as a 3rd down back. Benson will still get 250-300 carries, provided he stays healthy. With how good their defense is, he'll get grind out a lot of yards in the 4th quarter while they're leading. Wolfe will be a third down back in passing situations, and Peterson is a very capable backup, but make no mistake, Benson is the unchallenged starting RB in Chicago.

 

[sholditch]

 

[amphibianbri]

Talked with someone at camp yesterday (Sunday) and he was shocked at Hester. The guy catches everything......down the middle, fly patterns, screens, etc. He might get on the field even more than I thought he might at first. The Walker trade does give the Bears some extra depth at DT as they have their round 2 pick Baduzin, Dvoracek, and Walker to pair with Harris. That weakness doesn't look to be anymore. Depth in the secondary as well means this D should stay fresh and be able to keep bringing it all season long.

I'm not calling Grossman the next great thing, but having this much talent around him does make it easier as he may not have to thread the needle as much with guys being open. Could this team be better than last year's?

 

[PsychoMan]

Talked with someone at camp yesterday (Sunday) and he was shocked at Hester. The guy catches everything......down the middle, fly patterns, screens, etc. He might get on the field even more than I thought he might at first. The Walker trade does give the Bears some extra depth at DT as they have their round 2 pick Baduzin, Dvoracek, and Walker to pair with Harris. That weakness doesn't look to be anymore. Depth in the secondary as well means this D should stay fresh and be able to keep bringing it all season long.

I'm not calling Grossman the next great thing, but having this much talent around him does make it easier as he may not have to thread the needle as much with guys being open. Could this team be better than last year's?

I honestly think the team is better, but I'm not sure they'll win as many games. I think the other teams in the NFC norrus have also improved (even if just slightly because they can't get much worse), and I think their non-division schedule is quite a bit tougher.

 

[switz]

Thanks for the updates. Does it sound like RBBC for Chicago to anyone else?

No, but if you'd like you can think it.

I have no investment, I don't own any Bear RBs, none are on my waiver wire. I was just asking a question for the Bears homer and didn't request a smart-alec response. Why pee in the pool?

I didnt think it was a smart-alec response. You asked a question and i responded truthfully.

After I read it it I immediately knew you are a Benson owner. Hope you're not hanging your hopes on him.

I really think no one at this time knows how the RBs will be used, except that Benson will be the first string RB. Howevr, since he can't catch, and I don't know about his blocking, there is obviously potential he gets pulled on 3rd down and in obvious passing situations.

 

[mbuehner]

I agree, this offense is going to be tough to peg. They have the personel to run a spread offense ala New England- except short one HOF quarterback. They are also built to pound the ball on the ground. They've got some multitalented guys that can give you some razzle dazzle as well.

I think we're going to see something similar to the Steelers offense of a few years back- lot of running the ball, high percentage passing game (Mohammed makes a poor mans Ward), and some unexpected trickery keeping defenses honest with your Hester's and Wolfes.

This offense doesnt need to score a ton of points. It needs to stay on the field. They have a lot of options to do that, so we shall see. Everything really hinges on Grossman, but the Bears have smartly assembled a lot of guys that can make things happen without Grossman being called on to make the big throw. If you can get Bradley or Berrian the ball in space they can make big things happen. Wolfe and Peterson are looking to be pretty darn good threats out of the backfield, they have 2 pass catching tightends, and Mohammed is still pretty good. Not to mention the big time running back they drafted two years ago- if the Bears can spread the defense, Benson will absolutely romp between the tackles.

Good in theory, lets see the execution.

 

[sholditch]

Thanks for the updates. Does it sound like RBBC for Chicago to anyone else?

No, but if you'd like you can think it.

I have no investment, I don't own any Bear RBs, none are on my waiver wire. I was just asking a question for the Bears homer and didn't request a smart-alec response. Why pee in the pool?

I didnt think it was a smart-alec response. You asked a question and i responded truthfully.

After I read it it I immediately knew you are a Benson owner. Hope you're not hanging your hopes on him.

I really think no one at this time knows how the RBs will be used, except that Benson will be the first string RB. Howevr, since he can't catch, and I don't know about his blocking, there is obviously potential he gets pulled on 3rd down and in obvious passing situations.

I wouldn't totally count Benson out as a pass-catching RB. He looked extremely fluid catching the ball at times in the postseason last year. He caught the ball well in college too, and I read somewhere he had been impressing at OTAs in the department. Just cause he showed some rust at camp doesn't mean he is useless on passing downs.

 

[mbuehner]

My problem is that Benson reminds me a lot of Anthony Thomas (during his rookie year). They both have similar speed, though Benson is more prototypcal RB build (Thomas was taller and ran higher). Nobody ever confused the two in college, but i really need to see some explosiveness and a second gear in Benson before I consider him anything worthy of #1 RB. He should have all the opportunity in the world, but todays NFL is all about speed and i just havent felt it in Benson to date.

 

[sholditch]

SA isn't lightning in a bottle either

 

[Warpig]

Thanks for the updates. Does it sound like RBBC for Chicago to anyone else?

No, but if you'd like you can think it.

I have no investment, I don't own any Bear RBs, none are on my waiver wire. I was just asking a question for the Bears homer and didn't request a smart-alec response. Why pee in the pool?

I didnt think it was a smart-alec response. You asked a question and i responded truthfully.

After I read it it I immediately knew you are a Benson owner. Hope you're not hanging your hopes on him.

I really think no one at this time knows how the RBs will be used, except that Benson will be the first string RB. Howevr, since he can't catch, and I don't know about his blocking, there is obviously potential he gets pulled on 3rd down and in obvious passing situations.

I wouldn't totally count Benson out as a pass-catching RB. He looked extremely fluid catching the ball at times in the postseason last year. He caught the ball well in college too, and I read somewhere he had been impressing at OTAs in the department. Just cause he showed some rust at camp doesn't mean he is useless on passing downs.

I wasn't really considering the fact that he's not a pass catching RB (though I've heard in an article somewhere that he was atrocious catching balls so far in camp...conflicting stories). I just don't think the team likes him that much. I'm sure it leads to an uncomfortable feeling in the clubhouse. I'm not saying he won't be the starter, but Julius Jones is the "starter" on Dallas and DeShaun Foster is the "starter" in Carolina. Now would you rather have MBIII and DeAngelo Williams, or JJ and Foster?

 

[pizzatyme]

Guys, who is the leading pass-catching TE for the Bears this season?

 

[RudiStein]

Guys, who is the leading pass-catching TE for the Bears this season?

The season hasn't started yet so I don't know.

 

[pizzatyme]

Guys, who is the leading pass-catching TE for the Bears this season?

The season hasn't started yet so I don't know.

Thanks for the hard-hitting FF knowledge there! :(

 

[hephner]

Guys, who is the leading pass-catching TE for the Bears this season?

The season hasn't started yet so I don't know.

Thanks for the hard-hitting FF knowledge there! :(

I've gotta agree with RudiStein on this one. Right now, they're all tied.But I'm going to predict that Olsen will lead the way on the season. Clark looked great last year, and they're sure to utilize him quite a bit, but he is aging, and probably doesn't have a lot left in the tank. Olsen's speed will create a lot of mismatches, so I wouldn't be surprised to see him edge out Clark in catches this year. However, the key factor is whether or not Olsen can develop into a serviceable blocker at the NFL level quickly or not. If not, then expect the Bears to bring him along a bit more slowly and lean on Clark for one more season at the TE position.

 

[Sweetness_34]

Some interesting tibits from an article by Bears beat writer David Haugh

The more natural Devin Hester looks catching the ball in stride with his hands and not his body, the more you wonder why the Bears wasted any time at all lining him up at cornerback last season. ... Cornerback Trumain McBride, a seventh-round pick from Ole Miss, has stood out with plays such as the strip he made during a full-team drill Monday. ... Judging by the zip and accuracy of his passes so far, nobody reported to camp more serious about improving than Rex Grossman. Some of his throws make ones thrown by Brian Griese or Kyle Orton look and sound like Triple-A fastballs in comparison.

===============

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sp...-home-headlines

 

[Sweetness_34]

Veteran observer

Former Bears quarterback Jim Miller was along the sidelines at camp, part of a 12-camp circuit Miller is making as part of his show "The Afternoon Blitz" from 2-6 p.m. on Sirius Satellite radio. Miller was in Bourbonnais last year and noticed a big difference in quarterback Rex Grossman.

"He looks a lot better than last year," said Miller, who led the Bears to a 13-3 mark and the playoffs in 2001. "He's got both hands on the ball, is making better decisions and just looks better all around fundamentally. You can see the improvement."

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sp...-home-headlines

 

[mbuehner]

Grossman is always looking better and on the cusp of greatness. Then the blitz comes.

 

[pizzatyme]

Grossman is always looking better and on the cusp of greatness. Then the blitz comes.

 

[PsychoMan]

Grossman is always looking better and on the cusp of greatness. Then the blitz comes.

oh man i actually laughed out loud at that one .. got a couple looks too

 

[Tick]

Any updates from Bears homers?

 

[jetsavage]

Any updates from Bears homers?

I went to the Family Night practice at Soldier Field last night. Here are a few small things that I noticed. Grossman did look very crisp with his passes. He seemed at ease and confident. Cedric Benson looked to me to be in excellent condition and they were passing to him a lot out of the backfield in the flat. Hester and the Special Teams looked dominant. I am sure this has been noted somewhere already, but Muhsin Muhhammad was not in pads. Overall, I thought a high majority of the players looked to be in top physical condition. The humidity was brutal and the players never seemed to slow down. That's my two cents.A couple of other notes: When the players were introduced, Grossman was the only one who received some boos. Devin Hester was treated like the King of Chicago.

 

[GrossmanToHester]

Any updates from Bears homers?

A couple of other notes: When the players were introduced, Grossman was the only one who received some boos. Devin Hester was treated like the King of Chicago.

 

[flapgreen]

Any updates from Bears homers?

A couple of other notes: When the players were introduced, Grossman was the only one who received some boos. Devin Hester was treated like the King of Chicago.

My man.