Chicago Bears Minicamp Report: Rookies, No-Names, What the Coaches Are Saying

I’m never one to buy into all the hype surrounding the rookie minicamp.

There are plenty of comments about all the great plays that some new guy none of us have heard of is making or how this rookie is learning a lot.

It can get pretty monotonous and cause a reader to envision a bunch of “sponges” in Bears jerseys running around the field (I swear, the phrase “is like a sponge,” when referring to a player learning about his position, needs to be put to rest).

Through all of the many articles that will gush about some rookie to come, it is important to not buy into them wholeheartedly.

However, what the coaches are saying is something worth following—especially since sometimes what the coaches don’t say is just as important as what they do.

I, for one, am starting to warm up to this Mike Martz guy. I like the way he talks about the players he is dealing with. He just recently came out and said that he “loves” the receivers he is working with and knows that they will be the strength of the offense. He gives the receiving corps a lot of confidence, and he likes that they are a young group.

This is very good because there was a rumor spreading that the Bears were pursuing Mike Furrey. That could be another article within itself explaining how horrible that move would be.

Martz is big on his receivers, but the only time he talks about his tight ends (which there are plenty of) is when he must defend his offensive system and how it does not use them in the passing game.

I’m not saying he won’t use them—in fact, I’m confident Greg Olsen will have a solid season—but it does raise some suspicion. Why does Martz not rave about all the tight ends he has, and how he can do so many different things with them as much as his receivers?

Another coach’s comments I’ve been trying to filter out are those of Mike Tice and his offensive line. I was all for finally moving Chris Williams to LT and Frank Omiyale to RT, but I don’t know what to think about Tice considering Kevin Shaffer at LG.

Shaffer isn’t young, and I feel it would take time away from a younger player that will be around after next season. However, if Shaffer can win the LG spot, maybe the Bears could have a decent line for a year.

The thing that does worry me is how Tice doesn’t talk much about any players on the team stepping up to compete. Guys like James Marten, Lance Louis, and Johan Asiata have yet to make a blip on the radar ever since they made the team. There is more talk of J’Marcus Webb being a huge man than these guys combined. This makes me feel uneasy about the O-line situation in Chicago.

Maybe Tice can pull off a miracle and put together a dominant offensive line. We can all hope.

It will be a while before I start to drink any rookie Kool-Aid, but I am eager to see what is in store for Chicago. Maybe a surprise player will make an impact. I want to know where everyone is going to be playing and if anyone new is going to start. All I can do is try to read between the lines and make my own predictions until the official depth chart comes out.

The wait for the regular season continues to drag on...