While we’re still fairly early into training camp, there have been rave reviews for new Chicago Bears tight end Jimmy Graham. Graham has brought an intensity and passion to the practice field, along with some impressive catches, that has excited his teammates and coach Matt Nagy. And he’s already getting under the skin of some Bears defensive backs, including safety Deon Bush.
Take it from someone that’s going against Graham regularly in practice. Cornerback Kevin Toliver was asked how Graham has looked so far, and Toliver hinted that he’s been giving the defensive backs fits. Which is in line with what the media has noticed about Graham in the first padded practices.
“Like The Terminator,” Toliver said. “He looks like him, he walks like him and everything.”
Kevin Tolliver was asked how Jimmy Graham looks. His answer:
"Like The Terminator … he looks like him, he walks like him and everything."
— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) August 20, 2020
While the entire tight end group has been solid, Graham has stood out in the early padded practices, including with 1-on-1 opportunities.
“But for one day – even in August – it was notable to see that the Bears’ defense was searching for an answer to what the offense was doing,” Adam Jahns wrote about Tuesday’s practice on The Athletic. “Graham couldn’t be stopped — and that was in all drills. It reached a point where Pro Bowl safety Eddie Jackson had enough and stepped in during 1-on-1s.
“Jackson’s coverage resulted in an incompletion against Graham in the end zone, but Graham finished the day by beating veteran safety Tashaun Gipson on a fade for a touchdown from Trubisky later in team drills.”
There’s something to be said about the fact that it’s practice. But following a season where Bears tight ends were among the worst in the NFL, these are the kinds of things that are encouraging to hear. Especially when they weren’t heard from camp practices last year.
Now, the important question is whether or not that production in practice will translate to the field on game day.
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