Tag: JUAN CASTILLO

Bears will be without OL coach Juan Castillo after close contact involving COVID-19

The Bears will be without OL coach Juan Castillo, who’s isolating after being in close contact with someone that tested positive for COVID.

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The Chicago Bears made it through the first quarter of the season without any COVID-19 scares. But over the last week, there have been a couple of concerns.

Practice squad offensive lineman Badara Traore was the first — and only, to this point — Bears player to test positive for COVID-19 on Saturday. The Bears had played on Thursday night — without practice squad players on the sideline — so there was limited exposure.

On Wednesday, Bears head coach Matt Nagy announced that the team would be without offensive line coach Juan Castillo, who is self-quarantining after being in close contact with someone that had tested positive for COVID. That person was not Traore, Nagy said. Castillo will not be at Halas Hall this week nor will he travel to Carolina for Sunday’s game against the Panthers.

“We’re just trying to be overly cautious to quarantine [Castillo] through Sunday through the guidance of the NFL and our medical experts,” said coach Matt Nagy. “And to his credit, it was self-reported, which, obviously, in these times is a selfless act.”

Assistant offensive line coach Donovan Raiola will fill in for Castillo on Sunday, who’s already had a hand in installs at practice this week.

“He’ll be down on the field and interacting with those guys,” Nagy said. “On gameday, it’s next-man-up mentality on the coaching side, and so this is an opportunity for him to grow. He did a hell of a job today in installs and I just thought it was fun to watch that happen. The guys have trust in him, and now for us as a coaching staff, we’ve got to be able to help him out to help those players out.”

From the start, the Bears have gotten ahead of these COVID protocols, and there were some recent changes to continue to exercise caution and keep these players, coaches and staff as safe as possible.

The Bears have limited opportunities for close contact, which includes distributing lunch in takeout containers rather than gathering in the lunch room and switched meetings from in-person to Zoom calls and limited the number of players allowed in the weight room at once.

“That, to us, is where we’re at right now, to try to do everything we can to help not just the Bears, but the NFL,” Nagy said. “We don’t want to be one of those 32 teams that can take this and make this go the other direction because of COVID.

“Whether that means taking two planes to an away game or having 12 buses go to a stadium, that’s what we’re doing right now. That’s a credit to our organization for allowing us to go above and beyond.”

 

 

Bears place LG James Daniels on IR, promote OL Sam Mustipher to active roster

Former second-round pick James Daniels’ season is done after he suffered a torn pec in last Thursday’s win.

The Chicago Bears have officially placed left guard James Daniels on injured reserve after he injured his pectoral muscle in last Thursday night’s 20-19 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Bears promoted offensive lineman Sam Mustipher from the practice squad to the active roster in his place.

When addressing the media, head coach Matt Nagy said he doesn’t anticipate Daniels will return from injured reserve late in the season, even in the postseason. Which means the former second-round pick’s season is done.

“It’s heartbreaking,” offensive line coach Juan Castillo said. “I could see it in his eyes. It’s sad because this is a young man who’s been working hard, playing better. He’s got a big heart, [he’s a] hard worker, everybody likes him in the room. It hurts to see something like that happen.

“The positive thing is he’s going to get back at full strength. He’s 23 years old, so he has a great future ahead of him. Those are things you have to look at when you have a setback like that, look at the positive things. That’s what we’re trying to do with him and talking to him.”

Mustipher signed with the Bears as an undrafted rookie out of Notre Dame last season, where he spent his rookie season and the first five games of this season on the practice squad.

 

 

The Bears offense isn’t the worst in the NFL in new ranking by The Athletic

The Athletic recently ranked all 32 NFL offenses and the Bears, who shockingly weren’t among bottom five in the league, landed at No. 24.

There’s a reason the Chicago Bears have been known for their dominant defenses over their storied 100-year history. When it comes down to it, the Bears historically haven’t been good on offense.

Look no further than last season, where Chicago’s offense appeared poised to take a step forward in Year 2 under Matt Nagy and instead regressed to one of the worst offenses in the entire NFL.

And, in case you were wondering, yes, they were that bad in 2019. They averaged 17.5 points per game (29th in the NFL), 296.8 yards per game (29th) and 4.7 yards per play (31st). It was equal part struggles in the passing game (5.3 net yards per attempt, which was 32nd) and run game (3.7 yards per rush, which was 30th.)

The Athletic recently ranked all 32 NFL offenses and the Bears, who shockingly weren’t among bottom five in the league, landed at No. 24.

24. Chicago Bears
Last year: 25th

Matt Nagy made changes to his coaching staff, and the Bears brought in Nick Foles to compete with Mitch Trubisky. Chicago was one of the worst rushing teams in the NFL last season, and there’s little reason to believe that they’ll be significantly better on the ground in 2020. But it’s not crazy to think that Foles and Trubisky could combine to at least give them mediocre QB play. The supporting cast led by Allen Robinson and Anthony Miller is not bad. The ceiling for this offense is low, but the Bears should be better than they were last year.

Fixing the offense has been a focal point for Nagy and the Bears this offseason, which began with a trade for former Super Bowl MVP quarterback Nick Foles. Mitchell Trubisky’s struggles weren’t the only reason Chicago’s offense struggled in 2019, but it was one of the biggest concerns. Which is exactly why general manager Ryan Pace brought in Foles to challenge Trubisky and potentially replace him.

The Bears completely overhauled their tight ends room, and Jesper Horsted is the only tight end on the roster that was on the roster at this point last year. Chicago spent their top draft pick on tight end Cole Kmet and added veterans Jimmy Graham and Demetrius Harris to ignite an important component of Nagy’s offense that was noticeably absent in 2019.

One of the biggest concerns with this offense last season was the ineffectiveness of the run game, which made the Bears’ struggling offense even more unimpressive. Nagy brought in offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and offensive line coach Juan Castillo to help him figure out how to fix the run game’s struggles as David Montgomery returns as lead back in his second season.

The good news for the Bears is that after an abysmal offensive performance in 2019, they can only get better from here.

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Bears ‘have a lot of belief’ in Germain Ifedi, Rashaad Coward in battle for starting RG

Following the departure of Kyle Long, the Bears have a starting RG spot that will be one of the featured battles when pads go on in camp.

While last season’s main attraction in terms of position battles was at kicker, this training camp features several high-profile competitions including at sports’ most important position: quarterback.

The quarterback competition and battles in the secondary will certainly draw headlines, but there’s a battle in the trenches that will be under the watchful eyes of head coach Matt Nagy.

Chicago’s offensive line returns four starters from a season ago with Kyle Long the only player not returning. Which leaves a starting right guard spot up for grabs, which will be one of the featured competitions once the pads go on Aug. 17.

Nagy praised free-agent addition Germain Ifedi and defensive-lineman-converted-offensive-lineman Rashaad Coward, noting that the team is confident in both of those guys — especially with new offensive line coach Juan Castillo taking the reins.

“We just see that as a competition where you’ve got a guy with a lot of experience in Germain Ifedi versus a guy with not as much experience [in Rashaad Coward], but two really good guys that we have a lot of belief in with an offensive line coach in Juan Castillo that believes heavily in both of them,” Nagy said. “Competition across the board for them, just like other positions, we’ve got to be really detailed with how we give reps and with how we evaluate that position.”

Nagy spoke highly of Ifedi and Coward, which is good for them and not-so-good for Alex Bars, who the Bears offered extra money to maintain on their practice squad last season rather than join the New England Patriots. Bars was later activated to the 53-man roster, but it doesn’t sound like Bars is in the mix right now, which is certainly surprising.

While Ifedi is the favorite to lock up that starting right guard job, Coward will certainly challenge him, especially considering he started 10 games at right guard a season ago.

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Bears’ David Montgomery among RBs set for Year 2 breakout in 2020

The struggles of Chicago’s run game hasn’t stopped analysts from believing that RB David Montgomery is poised for a breakout season in 2020.

The struggles of the Chicago Bears’ run game last season were well-documented. But that hasn’t stopped many analysts from believing that Bears running back David Montgomery can capitalize off a solid rookie season in 2020.

NFL.com’s Maurice Jones-Drew examined the second-year running backs that appear poised for a Year 2 breakout in 2020, and Montgomery is among those that made his list.

Jones-Drew points out the fallacies of the Bears offense as a whole last season and the importance of head coach Matt Nagy in Montgomery’s potential success.

Like I said in my running back rankings earlier this month, Montgomery’s success depends entirely on head coach Matt Nagy. The Bears relied on quarterback Mitchell Trubisky too often last season, and the result (an 8-8 record) prompted them to trade for Nick Foles in the offseason. No matter who’s under center this fall, though, Montgomery should be at the center of the offense. Trubisky and Foles need to lean on the run game in order to succeed in the passing game, because let’s face it: These two, with this supporting cast, aren’t going to throw all over the yard on NFL defenses. They’re just not. Montgomery has the goods to lead the Bears’ offensive charge with his vision, ability to break tackles and speed in the open field. He should see closer to 280-300 carries, easily gain 1,000-plus rushing yards and log double-digit TDs.

Montgomery had a solid rookie year, where he had 889 rushing yards and six touchdowns. He also added 25 receptions for 185 yards and a score. Montgomery surpassed 1,000 all-purpose yards as a rookie.

The run game wasn’t pretty last year. Montgomery struggled behind an ineffective offensive line — averaging 3.7 yards per carry — and he wasn’t helped by Nagy’s aversion to running the football. Montgomery had more than 20 rushing attempts in just four games, and there were seven games where he had less than 15 carries.

That should change drastically in 2020, as running the football has become a focal point for Nagy’s offense. Which is why he brought in new coaches with experience in the run game, including offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and offensive line coach Juan Castillo.

Montgomery is confident that he will have a breakout season that many have pegged him for.

“It’s going to be better this year,” he told reporters earlier this offseason. “I’m going to be better this year for this team and this organization. I’m going to come as prepared as ever to lead that running back room the way I need to — and be who I need to be for this offense and this team.”

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5 reasons for pessimism as Bears prepare for training camp

Heading into training camp, there aren’t many that have confidence that the Bears will be a team that will be competitive in 2020.

Heading into training camp, there aren’t many that have confidence that the Chicago Bears will be a team that will be competitive in 2020. And that’s probably for the best, considering Chicago folded under the high expectations last season. And it’s hard to have confidence in a team coming off a 8-8 season with major questions on offense, particularly at the quarterback position.

There are plenty of reasons for concern heading into the 2020 season. Obviously there’s the quarterback situation with Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles, as well as concerns regarding the offensive line and depth at a few positions.

Here are five reasons for pessimism as the Bears prepare for training camp.

1. The QB situation

USA Today

Anytime you have a competition at quarterback it’s a good indication that you’re not in the best place. And there’s a big question mark involving the Bears’ quarterback situation heading into 2020. Following Mitchell Trubisky’s worst year as a pro, the Bears traded for former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles to compete with him for the starting job.

But with the shortened offseason and at minimum a two-game preseason, the quarterback competition will essentially play out over the course of a month in training camp. Not exactly a large sample size for Matt Nagy to make the best decision. That should benefit Trubisky, who’s played with most of Chicago’s skill position players for two years and has even been working with some of the newcomers with offseason workouts in the Chicago area.

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Bears’ Cody Whitehair prepared to start training camp at center

Cody Whitehair, who started last season at left guard, essentially confirmed that he’ll be the Bears’ center heading into training camp.

The Chicago Bears are returning four of their five starting offensive lineman this season. While the continuity on the offensive line should be beneficial, the unit is coming off a disappointing season. Pro Football Focus ranked the Bears’ offensive line 22nd in the NFL.

While Chicago needs better play from the tackle position with Charles Leno Jr. and Bobby Massie, the interior of the offensive line is less than a concern. Last season, the Bears moved Cody Whitehair from center to left guard and James Daniels from left guard to center, despite a solid season in 2018.

But midway through the 2019 season, the Bears switched them back to their 2018 positions. While head coach Matt Nagy hasn’t said whether Whitehair and Daniels will switch positions again, the expectation was that they’d remain in place.

Whitehair, who started last season at left guard, essentially confirmed that he’ll be the team’s center heading into training camp. Which is good, considering that’s where he feels he’s best at.

“That’s where I feel the most comfortable,” Whitehair said on Bears All-Access. “Obviously I’m a team guy and I’ll do whatever they ask me to do. If it happens to be where they need me to play a different position, whether that be July 28 when we come in the building or, you know, whenever that may be, you know I’m always down for it.

“But you know just being comfortable at that position and being played there for as long as I have in the NFL it’s really exciting to be able to be there to start the season again.”

The Bears brought in Juan Castillo to serve as the team’s new offensive line coach, considering they’ll have most of 2019’s unit still in tact. The only hole to fill is right guard, which Germain Ifedi figures to occupy.

Whitehair said that Castillo has been focused on the details during their meetings, which is something the offense as a whole needed to do.

“It was great,” Whitehair. “Juan did a great job as far as detailing things and making sure that we understand what he wants out of us, you know. So we felt it went really smooth.”

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Should we expect big second-year leap from RB David Montgomery in 2020?

The Bears’ biggest fantasy football question hinges on the production of second-year RB David Montgomery in 2020.

ESPN NFL Nation reporters answered the biggest fantasy questions for every team. For the Chicago Bears, it hinges on the production of running back David Montgomery in 2020.

One of Bears coach Matt Nagy’s stated goals is to have a more efficient and consistent running attack. Therefore, it’s reasonable to expect Montgomery’s rushing attempts and yardage will increase from his rookie season. I’m not sure whether Montgomery will take a giant leap, but Nagy knows that Montgomery wasn’t properly utilized in 2019 when he rushed for 889 yards and six touchdowns. Nagy is determined to fix that.

Montgomery had a solid rookie year, where he had 889 rushing yards and six touchdowns. He also added 25 receptions for 185 yards and a score. Montgomery surpassed 1,000 all-purpose yards as a rookie.

Still, it wasn’t what many expected from Montgomery. And it’s not all on him. He struggled behind an ineffective offensive line — averaging 3.7 yards per carry — and he wasn’t helped by Matt Nagy’s aversion to running the football. Montgomery had more than 20 rushing attempts in just four games, and there were seven games where he had less than 15 carries.

Obviously, fixing the run game has been a focal point this offseason for Chicago. While the Bears seem content with the running back room led by Montgomery, Tarik Cohen and Ryan Nall, they did bring in some new offensive coaches that specialize in the run game or offensive line. Offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, offensive line coach Juan Castillo and tight ends coach Clancy Barone are working to get the run game on track.

Montgomery believes that the run game is going to be much better than it was last season.

“It’s going to be better this year,” Montgomery told reporters via video conference. “I’m going to be better this year for this team and this organization. I’m going to come as prepared as ever to lead that running back room the way I need to — and be who I need to be for this offense and this team.”

Montgomery, who will be the Bears’ featured back, should get a lot more carries than last season, and he should see a bigger role in the passing game. Whether that comes to fruition remains to be seen. But with the increased focus on the run game this offseason, Montgomery should get more opportunities in 2020.

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Bears’ new offensive coaches are looking to get the run game going

There were several issues with the Bears offense last season, including the run game, which was a detriment to a balanced offensive attack.

When it comes to dissecting what exactly went wrong with the Chicago Bears offense last season, you can’t pinpoint just one thing. Erratic quarterback play, an ineffective offensive line and inconsistent play calling were all contributing factors. But another was the struggles of the run game, which was a detriment to achieving a balanced offensive attack.

Rookie running back David Montgomery struggled to establish a rhythm behind a struggling offensive line and with a play-caller with no affinity for the run game. Montgomery had more than 20 rushing attempts in just four games, and there were seven games where he had less than 15 carries.

But in three of those games where he had more than 20 rushing attempts, the Bears won. The other game — against the Los Angeles Chargers — should’ve been a victory if Eddy Pineiro had connected on a 41-yard field goal in the closing seconds. Simply put, when the Bears had a heavy dose of the run game, they were able to turn those games into wins. Which made it even more puzzling as to why Nagy tended to abandon the run game early in games.

Fast forward this offseason, where head coach Matt Nagy brought in four new offensive coaches, including those with experience with the run game or offensive line — offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, offensive line coach Juan Castillo and tight ends coach Clancy Barone.

Lazor and Castillo have already been working on figuring out ways to open the run game up for Montgomery this season.

“Juan and I have had conversations already about the formations we would like to use in the run game for our opening game of the season,” Lazor said, via SI.com. “It’s our job, when your title is coordinator, you have to make sure it all fits.

“You have to make sure the run game, the pass game, the play-action, the drop-backs, the screens, they all fit.”

Someone else that knows something about blocking is tight ends coach Clancy Barone, who has also served as an offensive line coach during his coaching career.

“Here, we have a tight ends coach who’s not only been―in Clancy Barone, a very accomplished tight ends coach―who’s also been an offensive line coach,” Lazor said. “So, as you look at the whole picture of staff, how if your line coach takes the lead in the run game, how can you support them? The more you have guys like Clancy who have done the job and understand the job, to be able to support them, well that affects the role I have to take.”

Running backs coach Charles London described it as a committee approach, where everyone’s collaborating and looking to improve the run game as a whole.

“We’ll collaborate as we do in every phase of our game plan, whether it’s the run game, the pass game, protections,” London said. “It’s a collaboration there and I think that regardless of what the scheme is, it’s all about us.

“As an offense we didn’t really pull our weight last year and I know the guys are itching to get there and want to put a better foot forward.”

While Montgomery had a solid rookie season — 889 rushing yards, averaging 3.7 yards per carry and six touchdowns — we still haven’t seen everything that he can do. But Montgomery is confident that will change this season, and the run game as a whole will be better in 2020.

“It’s going to be better this year,” Montgomery said. “I’m going to be better this year for this team and this organization. I’m going to come as prepared as ever to lead that running back room the way I need to — and be who I need to be for this offense and this team.”

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5 reasons why the Bears offense will be better in 2020

Don’t expect the Bears offense to be one of the best in the league this season, but they should be much better than they were in 2019.

The success of the Chicago Bears in 2020 depends on their offense. While the defense has carried this team for the better part of their storied 100-year history, the defense can only do so much, especially in a pass-happy league.

The Bears had one of the worst offenses in 2019, where they ranked among the bottom dwellers in the NFL that had top-five draft picks. Disappointing considering Chicago had a great defense, even amid some devastating injury blows.

While head coach Matt Nagy has cultivated this amazing culture in Chicago, ultimately he was brought in to bring the Bears’ offense out of hibernation. And that hasn’t exactly happened over these last two years.

Don’t expect this offense to be one of the best in the league this season, but they should be much better than they were in 2019. Let’s take a look at five reasons why the Bears offense will be better in 2020.

1. It can’t get much worse than 2019

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

The Bears offense was one of the worst in the NFL last season, and that’s just using the eye test. But were things really as bad as they seemed? Yes, the Bears offense was really that terrible in 2019. Here are some of the ugly statistics.

  • 17.5 points per game (29th in NFL)
  • 296.8 yards per game (29th)
  • 4.7 yards per play (31st)
  • 5.3 net per attempt (32nd)
  • 3.7 yards per rush (30th)
  • 35.6% 3rd-down conversion (25th)
  • 52.2% red-zone TDs (24th)

Luckily there’s nowhere to go but up for this offense, and the Bears have been making some offseason adjustments accordingly. According to running back Tarik Cohen, the Bears are looking to simplify things in 2020. Cohen said that it’s “going to be hard to tell who’s getting the ball and when or how they’re getting the ball” on offense this year, which wasn’t exactly the case last season.

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