Chicago Bears: What We've Learned Through Week 2 of Training Camp
The Chicago Bears wrapped up their second week of training camp on Tuesday and are set to take on the Miami Dolphins on Thursday night in their first preseason game of the year.
Head coach John Fox knows preseason games are important, but he believes there is still a lot of work that needs to be done during training camp. Fox said about the preseason, per ChicagoFootball.com's Kevin Fishbain:
"Obviously you’re trying to put your guys in position to have some success. But we’re not in full-blown game mode right now. We’re still in training camp, still installing, be it a new staff, putting in new offense, new defense, as well as special teams. We just want to be able to let them line up with things that they can execute and we can evaluate and pick our best 53.
"
The Bears are set to hold two more training camp practices at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois, on August 15 and 16 before resuming practices at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, Illinois, next week.
What have we learned through Week 2 of Chicago's training camp?
WR Kevin White Is Progressing Slowly
1 of 5
First-round pick Kevin White has been the talk of training camp because he has been unable to practice due to a shin injury, but he increased his workload earlier this week.
"We've got a plan for him and he's making progress," said Fox on Monday, per Larry Mayer of ChicagoBears.com. "He's been running, but it's been in water, [doing] some various types of exercises that don't take pounding on the legs. From what I've gathered so far, he had a good day today."
White participated in Chicago's rookie minicamp and OTAs earlier this offseason, but he was unable to practice during the team's mandatory minicamp in June and has been on the sidelines since the start of training camp.
Chicago selected White with the seventh overall pick in this year's draft, and the fact that he has been unable to practice has been frustrating for fans, the coaching staff and White.
"He's a tough young man," Fox said, per Mayer. "He's [champing] at the bit ready to go, [but] we've got to be smart enough to ease him back into it. He hasn't played football in seven-and-a-half or eight weeks, so it would be crazy for us just to throw him back out there."
The Bears have been very cautious with White this offseason and have done their best not to rush him back too soon. Since he has been unable to practice, he has taken a lot of mental reps.
"Mentally, I think Kevin's doing an outstanding job," said wide receivers coach Mike Groh, per Mayer. "He's done everything that we've asked and more, certainly made sacrifices in his personal time to get out in front of the playbook and understand everything that we're trying to do and everything we're installing."
White was a first-round pick largely because of his ability to stretch the field with his speed, and if the Bears were to rush him back too quickly, he would be at risk of reinjuring himself. It may be frustrating for all involved to see him progressing slowly, but it makes sense to ease him back instead of rushing him onto the field.
The Bears would love to get him on the field in the preseason, but that might not be possible.
"Sure, we'd love to have him play in a preseason game," Groh said, per the Chicago Tribune's Dan Wiederer. "Obviously, the more he can get out here with Jay [Cutler] and the rest of the offense, the better. But that's probably not going to be the case."
White's injury has been frustrating this offseason, but the Bears are taking the right approach by allowing the young receiver to ease back into playing.
John Fox Is Committed to Running the Football
2 of 5
Under former head coach Marc Trestman last season, the Bears got away from running the football and put a bigger emphasis on the passing game. Chicago struggled with turnovers on offense last year, and Trestman was shown the door following a disappointing 5-11 season.
Fox found success in both Carolina and Denver running the football, and he wants to emphasize the running game in Chicago this season.
"He's not scared to run the ball," said running back Matt Forte about Fox, according to the Chicago Tribune's Rich Campbell. "They've got good passing-game concepts and all that stuff, but we will be running the ball a lot more."
The Bears finished last season with the third-fewest rushing attempts in the NFL with 319, while Fox's Broncos finished with the 12th-most rushing attempts with 482. Even though Fox had future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning under center, he understood the importance of the running game.
"It keeps people honest," Pro Bowl guard Kyle Long said, per Campbell. "And with a guy like Jay and the receivers that we have, we should be able to utilize the run game and then throw a couple changeups in there every once in a while. You've got to keep [defenses] on their toes."
The Bears have one of the most consistent running backs in the league on their roster in Forte, and he will once again be the team's top back in 2015. To help improve the depth behind Forte, the Bears added veterans Jacquizz Rodgers and Daniel Thomas in free agency and drafted Michigan State's Jeremy Langford in the fourth round of this year's draft.
Forte will still get the majority of carries this season, but Fox said earlier this offseason he is willing to use a rotation at the position to keep Forte fresh, according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com:
"We've always been believers in kind of a one-two punch and rolling guys through there whether it's the defensive line; a wave of those guys to stay fresh. I've always had the approach the same thing with running backs. But as I tell guys they pick the team -- how they perform -- and it will be no different at running back, who that guy is and how dependable he is and if he earns that number of reps to get in. We're early in the process and hopefully somebody kind of sets themselves out.
"
Putting a bigger emphasis on the running game this season will help take some of the pressure off quarterback Jay Cutler, and it will help keep Chicago's defense on the sideline longer.
QB Jay Cutler Has Yet to Throw an Interception in Training Camp
3 of 5
Quarterback Jay Cutler threw 18 interceptions last season—the most since he threw 26 in his first season with the Bears in 2009—but he has not thrown an interception in seven-on-seven drills so far in training camp, according to Fishbain.
"I think it’s a combination of everything," Cutler explained, per Fishbain. "I think [coordinator] Adam [Gase] does an incredible job scheme-wise and putting quarterbacks in the right position. But a lot of it goes on the offensive line, the way they’ve played throughout camp, and the receivers getting open."
The fact that Cutler has not thrown an interception in training camp does not mean much, and the veteran quarterback knows that.
"Camp’s camp," he said, per Fishbain. "We’re not getting hit. These aren’t live bullets. So we’ll see what happens when we start going."
Cutler will likely not play much on Thursday night against the Dolphins, but he did say the offense will put an emphasis on eliminating mistakes and turnovers.
"We want to get in and out of the huddle," Cutler said, per Fishbain. "We want to limit our mistakes, our mental errors. We want to get some first downs and move the ball and just kind of attack just like we have been trying to do throughout camp."
Training camp is a controlled environment, and since Cutler cannot be hit during practice, he does not have to force throws down the field. One of Cutler's biggest issues in the passing game is trying to make throws that are not there. When the pocket collapses around him, Cutler struggles with his mechanics and tries to force throws to his receivers in traffic.
The Bears have been trying to eliminate Cutler's mistakes this offseason, and he has done a nice job of that in training camp. But the real test will come in Week 1 when the team squares off against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
LT Jermon Bushrod Is Ready to Put Last Season Behind Him
4 of 5
The Bears signed veteran left tackle Jermon Bushrod to a five-year, $35.96 million deal in 2013, and the former New Orleans Saint struggled at times in his first year with the team.
According to Pro Football Focus, Bushrod allowed four sacks, nine quarterback hits and 42 quarterback hurries in 1,070 snaps in 2013. He missed two starts last season due to ankle and knee injuries, and he allowed five sacks, nine quarterback hits and 31 quarterback hurries in 947 snaps.
The veteran tackle has worked hard this offseason to improve his game and get stronger, and he thinks that will pay off in the regular season, per ChicagoFootball.com's Arthur Arkush:
"My strength is going to be there. … It’s not about trying to kill it in the weight room. It’s about working on the smaller muscles, working on the stabilizing muscles, working on everything you can to try and have a stronger core, and then as an offensive lineman, you can be better.
Honestly I feel like it’s been paying off. I feel a little stronger this year.
"
Bushrod struggled mightily in pass protection in 2013, and even though he did allow more sacks last season than in 2013, he improved in pass protection near the end of last season. According to Pro Football Focus, he registered a minus-5.7 run-block grade last season, and he will have to improve in that area this season with the Bears wanting to place a bigger emphasis on the running game.
Despite his struggles over the last two seasons, Cutler has confidence in his left tackle.
"You know exactly what you're going to get out of [Bushrod]," Cutler said, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. "He's a professional and hopefully we can get him through camp and ease him into the first game healthy."
If Bushrod can come back healthy and put his struggles from the last two seasons behind him, the Bears offensive line has a chance to be one of the league's best units this season with Bushrod and Jordan Mills at the two starting tackle positions, Kyle Long and Matt Slauson at the two guard spots and Will Montgomery at center.
No Major Surprises on Chicago's Unofficial Depth Chart
5 of 5
Just ahead of Chicago's preseason opener against the Dolphins, the team released its first unofficial depth chart of the offseason. Any depth chart released before the start of the regular season means little, but it does help give an idea of how the roster is shaping up.
Offensively, there are no surprises with the first team. Wide receiver Eddie Royal, Montgomery and tight end Dante Rosario are the only new starters on offense in comparison to last season. The Bears are not utilizing a fullback this season, and they list Rosario as a tight end/fullback with the first team.
On the defensive side of the ball, Jeremiah Ratliff is listed as the team's starter at nose tackle, with Jarvis Jenkins and Ego Ferguson listed as starters at defensive end. Shea McClellin and Christian Jones are listed as starters at inside linebacker, while Pernell McPhee and Jared Allen are the team's starters at outside linebacker.
Tim Jennings and Kyle Fuller are listed as the starters at cornerback, with Antrel Rolle as the starter at free safety and second-year man Brock Vereen at strong safety.
The biggest surprise on defense is Vereen listed as the starter at strong safety. Chicago used veteran Ryan Mundy at strong safety last season, and he led the team with 103 tackles and recorded a career-high four interceptions. Vereen was used primarily as a free safety last season, but the Bears appear to like him at strong safety.
Robbie Gould will be the team's kicker this season, and Pat O'Donnell will be the team's punter, but Thomas Gafford and Rick Lovato are competing to be the team's long snapper. Gafford is currently listed ahead of Lovato on the depth chart.
Veteran return man Marc Mariani is listed as the team's top option at kick returner and punt returner. Levi Norwood is listed as the No. 2 kick returner, while Royal is listed as the No. 2 punt returner.
Chicago's first depth chart of the offseason helps give fans an idea of what the team currently looks like, but a lot can change between now and the start of the regular season.
Statistical information and measurables courtesy of NFL.com unless otherwise noted. Contract information courtesy of Spotrac.
Matt Eurich is a Chicago Bears featured columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
