Tag: bears otas

Bears highlights from first week of OTAs

Here are some highlights from the first week of Bears OTAs, featuring the Justin Fields to DJ Moore connection.

The Chicago Bears kicked off Organized Team Activities this week at Halas Hall. That included the first open session during Tuesday’s practice, where the media got a glimpse of the offseason action.

There were plenty of takeaways from the first open practice of voluntary OTAs, including the budding connection between quarterback Justin Fields and wide receiver DJ Moore. Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds also impressed on the defensive side of the ball.

Here are some quick highlights from the first week of Bears OTAs:

Bears’ Justin Fields, DJ Moore building chemistry in OTAs

Justin Fields and DJ Moore continue to build their chemistry during the Bears’ offseason workouts.

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The Bears are hoping that Justin Fields and DJ Moore become the NFL’s next great quarterback-receiver duo.

All eyes will be on Fields and Moore throughout the summer, where they’re looking to build that chemistry heading into the 2023 season. Offseason workouts and training camp practices will help strengthen their connection.

That growing chemistry was evident during Tuesday’s Organized Team Activities (OTAs) practice, where Fields and Moore had the play of the day. Fields connected with Moore deep down the right sideline, where Moore beat Kindle Vildor and made a diving catch.

Sure, it’s one play during an unpadded practice. But it’s a glimpse of what’s to come once they really start to jell.

“It’s still a work in progress,” Moore said Tuesday. “Today was a good day to jump start us.”

Moore expects to be in a good position with Fields when it comes to chemistry after OTAs and veteran minicamp.

“I want to say probably to the end of OTA and through minicamp and then starting back up, you know you got that break, and then you gotta start it all over again,” Moore said. “Going into training camp, probably about two to three days to get back on track where we ended in OTAs.”

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Bears QB Justin Fields: ‘I’m not worried about contracts, I’m worried about wins’

Bears QB Justin Fields knows a big pay day could be awaiting him. But that’s not on his mind heading into the 2023 season.

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Bears quarterback Justin Fields is entering a pivotal third season where he’s expected to take the next step forward in his development.

But he’ll also be eligible for a contract extension after this season, meaning an impressive season could equal a big pay day and Chicago finally landing its franchise quarterback.

While Fields is aware of that, he made it clear that he’s not busying himself with thoughts about a second contract when there’s work to be done.

“I’m not worried about contracts, I’m worried about wins. I could care less,” Fields said Tuesday.

“Every year’s a big year. Yeah. I don’t really have anything to expand on that. For me, every year’s a big year and I’m excited to show it.”

After his emergence last season as a dynamic runner, the focus shifts to bettering himself as a passer. Luckily for Fields, Chicago has assembled a solid supporting cast and improved the offensive line to help him.

“It’s a great feeling,” Fields said. “The coaches trust me, I trust them. Everybody in the building knows the kind of leader and person I am. I’m just excited to be able to lead this team and to be able to reach new heights.”

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Bears WR Chase Claypool drawing rave reviews from Justin Fields and Matt Eberflus

Justin Fields and Matt Eberflus both shared how impressed they are with Chase Claypool during Bears OTAs.

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When the Chicago Bears acquired wide receiver Chase Claypool during last year’s trade deadline, it was a whirlwind for both parties. Claypool had fallen out of favor with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who wound up trading him to the Bears for a second-round pick, and had to get on the fast track to learning a new offense. For the Bears, they needed to find ways to work Claypool into the offense which proved difficult for a variety of reasons. But now with an offseason to reset and get fully integrated, things are looking up for the talented receiver.

The Bears held their second day of voluntary organized team activities (OTAs) and Claypool was present and accounted for as he looks to build chemistry with quarterback Justin Fields and the offense. It appears he’s well on his way based on the comments coming out of Halas Hall.

Fields and head coach Matt Eberflus spoke with the media on Tuesday and each praised Claypool for how well he’s fitting in the offense at this juncture of the offseason. First, Eberflus was asked by NBC Sports Chicago’s Josh Schrock if he sees any change in Claypool’s comfort level with the team. “I do, this is the second time going around,” Eberflus explained. “He knows the formations, the motions, and the route disciplines, he’s learning that as we go. You can certainly see him getting more comfortable with Justin too.”

Coincidentally, Fields showed how comfortable he’s getting with Claypool when he spoke with the media. He brought his teammate up unprompted during a question from ESPN’s Courtney Cronin about his focus at OTAs that turned into a genuine show of praise for Claypool. “Chase has improved tremendously, just from the end of last year to now,” Fields said. “That’s one thing I’m truly proud to say, just seeing his work ethic, his attitude change, you can just see he’s taken another step. Definitely excited for that.”

Fields mentioned Claypool’s change in attitude, something that could have expedited his departure from the Steelers last year. After back-to-back seasons with essentially 60 receptions for 860 yards to begin his career, Claypool struggled to find a consistent role on Pittsburgh’s offense in 2022. He suddenly found himself on his way to Chicago in the middle of the season to join a struggling Bears team while learning the offense on the fly. His production was a shell of what he put together his first couple of years, totaling 46 receptions and 451 yards with one score between the Steelers and the Bears.

But now that he’s acclimated to his teammates and the offense, Claypool appears to have fully moved on and embraced his role on the Bears. Seeing as how he has the belief of his coach and especially his quarterback, Claypool could be a pleasant surprise this upcoming season.

Is Bears CB Jaylon Johnson’s OTA absence cause for concern?

Jaylon Johnson was a notable absence at Bears OTAs this week. But with Johnson in a contract year, is it time to start worrying?

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There were several notable Bears players not present during Tuesday’s voluntary organized team activities practice, including safety Eddie Jackson, wide receiver Darnell Mooney and offensive guard Nate Davis. But it’s cornerback Jaylon Johnson’s absence that looms the largest for the Bears.

While Jackson and Mooney are both rehabbing injuries from the previous season, that doesn’t appear to be the case for Johnson.

Bears coach Matt Eberflus confirmed that Johnson’s broken finger and ribs are “good to go,” which indicates his absence isn’t injury-related.

It’s worth noting that Johnson is entering a contract year, where he’s made it clear that he’d prefer to have a contract extension in place before the start of the 2023 season. That could explain his decision to forgo voluntary workouts.

Last year, when general manager Ryan Poles and Eberflus were brought in, Johnson skipped the voluntary minicamp the Bears held in April. When he showed up for OTAs, he started with the second-team defense and worked his way up.

The first concern is this situation spiraling out of control like Roquan Smith’s contract holdout last summer. After all, injury or contract disputes tend to be the reasons why a player skips voluntary OTAs.

But Eberflus doesn’t seem concerned that Johnson’s OTA absence will grow into something more serious.

“I don’t see it that way,” he said.

As for whether Johnson will be in attendance at mandatory minicamp in June, Eberflus wouldn’t say.

“Ask him when you see him,” Eberflus said.

While Johnson’s absence at OTAs isn’t a major concern — yet — it’s definitely something worth monitoring as the offseason progresses.

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7 takeaways from Day 2 of Bears’ 2023 OTAs

The Bears conducted their second practice of OTAs on Tuesday. Here’s what we learned:

The Chicago Bears started the next phase of their offseason program with organized team activities (OTAs) at Halas Hall.

Chicago conducted their second voluntary OTA practice on Tuesday, which was the first open session to media. So there was plenty to glimpse from the first week of practice.

There were some impressive highlights on offense and defense, as well as some notable absences from Tuesday’s practice. There were also some quick videos and a slew of photos from Tuesday’s action.

Following the Bears’ second practice of OTAs, here’s what we learned:

Bears’ starting offensive line on Day 2 of 2023 OTAs

The Bears conducted their second practice of OTAs. Here’s what the starting offensive line looked like:

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The Chicago Bears conducted their second practice of voluntary organized team activities on Tuesday, which was a session open to the media.

While there are plenty of questions facing the Bears ahead of the 2023 season, that doesn’t appear to include the starting offensive line.

Tuesday’s practice gave the media a first-look at the new starting combination, which will feature a couple of new faces. There were no surprises with Braxton Jones at left tackle, Teven Jenkins at left guard, center Cody Whitehair at center and rookie Darnell Wright at right tackle.

But with Nate Davis not in attendance, Ja’Tyre Carter got the nod at right guard in his place, which allow for some valuable reps for the second-year pro.

It’s easy to overreact to offseason workouts, but the starting offensive line seems all but set heading into the 2023 season. Although, it’ll be interesting to see how the rest of the depth chart pans out.

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WATCH: Videos from Day 2 of Bears OTAs, featuring Justin Fields to DJ Moore

Here are some quick videos from Tuesday’s voluntary OTA practice, featuring Bears QB Justin Fields and WR DJ Moore.

The Chicago Bears have started the next phase of their offseason program with organized team activities (OTAs) at Halas Hall. They conducted their second workout on Tuesday, which was the first open session of OTAs.

Bears media members in attendance have been sharing snippets from Tuesday’s practice, including a look at quarterback Justin Fields and wide receiver DJ Moore.

Fields and Moore stole the show on Day 2 with the day’s biggest highlight. Fields connected with Moore on a deep pass down the right sideline, where Moore beat cornerback Kindle Vildor on the play.

Hopefully that Fields-Moore highlight will be shared by the Bears’ social media team at some point.

But, for now, here are some quick videos from Tuesday’s practice (will be updated as more are shared):

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Photos from second day of Bears 2023 OTAs

The Bears conducted their second OTA practice on Tuesday. Take a look at the action:

The Chicago Bears kicked off the next phase of their offseason program with organized team activities at Halas Hall.

Chicago conducted their second practice of OTAs on Tuesday, which was open to the media and allowed some glimpses at some returning favorites (Justin Fields) and newcomers (DJ Moore).

Here’s a look at some photos from Tuesday’s practice:

Bears OTAs: Attendance update from Tuesday’s voluntary practice

There were four Bears players absent from Tuesday’s voluntary OTA practice, including Eddie Jackson and Darnell Mooney.

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The Chicago Bears have kicked off the next phase of their offseason program with organized team activities (OTAs) at Halas Hall.

The Bears conducted their second voluntary workout on Tuesday, where media were in attendance and got to take in some of the action. That includes a look at which players were present, as OTAs are voluntary.

According to NBC Sports Chicago’s Josh Schrock, there were four players who weren’t present on Tuesday: safety Eddie Jackson, wide receiver Darnell Mooney, cornerback Jaylon Johnson and offensive guard Nate Davis.

Schrock also noted that running back Travis Homer and linebacker Jack Sanborn were in attendance, but they were not practicing.

It wasn’t a surprise that Jackson and Mooney were absent, given they’re still rehabbing after suffering injuries. Jackson suffered a Lisfranc injury to his foot while Mooney fractured his ankle.

Although, it was a surprise that Johnson (who said his finger is 100 percent) and newcomer Davis weren’t present. But these workouts are voluntary.

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