Tag: Sam Mustipher

10 takeaways from fifth practice at Bears training camp

The Bears held their fifth practice of training camp on Monday. Here’s what we learned from Day 5:

The Chicago Bears returned to the practice field at Halas Hall for their fifth practice of training camp, which is their practice before the pads come on Tuesday.

It was a closed practice on Monday, but there were plenty of updates from the media in attendance. The defense won the day with dominant play from the defensive line and defensive backs. And there’s still work to be done on offense.

There was plenty to digest from practice and press conferences with head coach Matt Eberflus, wide receiver Byron Pringle, defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad, tight end Ryan Griffin and offensive lineman Sam Mustipher.

Following Monday’s practice, here’s a look at what we learned from the fifth day of Bears training camp:

10 takeaways from the Bears’ first week of training camp

The Bears wrapped their first week of training camp. Here’s what we learned from the first four practices.

The Chicago Bears have wrapped up their first week of training camp practice at Halas Hall, where they conducted four practices.

There was plenty to take in from the first week of practice, including the development of quarterback Justin Fields, the play of Chicago’s top rookies and how the offensive line is shaking out following Lucas Patrick’s injury and Teven Jenkins’ absence.

The Bears return to the practice field on Monday morning, which is expected to be the team’s first padded practice of the summer.

But before we look ahead to next week’s practice, here’s what we learned after Chicago’s first week of training camp:

Bears rookie Doug Kramer is next man up at center

With Lucas Patrick sidelined indefinitely, Bears rookie center Doug Kramer has a great opportunity in front of him.

The Chicago Bears will be without starting center Lucas Patrick for the foreseeable future after head coach Matt Eberflus confirmed Patrick has a right hand injury.

The injury isn’t expected to hold Patrick out of the season opener, but he’s going to miss most of training camp and the preseason. With Patrick sidelined indefinitely, rookie Doug Kramer is the next man up at center.

“Obviously, it’s a great opportunity,” Kramer said, via The Athletic. “It’s still super early in camp, so right now I’m just trying to stay locked in, learn as much as I can and try to go after that spot, for sure.”

Kramer has been taking second-team reps at center throughout the offseason, and he’s emerging as the favorite to be Patrick’s backup in 2022. But the hope is Kramer develops into a starter for Chicago down the line.

“I’ve worked to try to get to that point, and I’ve put in a lot of time studying the playbook and trying to understand things in great detail and depth so I can be a tool for the other guys on the offensive line,” Kramer said. “And that’s a very similar mindset to what I had in Illinois, and I’m just trying to get back to that understanding of the level of detail that’s needed to be a center in this league.”

Considering Sam Mustipher started all 17 games at center for the Bears last season, it’s been notable that Kramer stepped in for Patrick when he exited practice. Kramer has been the one taking reps at center with the starters while Mustipher has been at right guard. But Mustipher did see some center reps at center during Friday’s practice.

“Super smart. Able to make all the calls,” Eberflus said of Kramer. “Sometimes you think, ‘Well, mentally it might be too big for somebody to make the mike points and change protections with the quarterback and make the line calls and be the point guy on that.’ It’s not. He’s able to do that. Now, the physical side of it, he has to learn leverage and how to play and jump to the second level under control and be able to stick and stay on linebackers, you know, understanding all those things. That’s to be expected.”

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Bears O-Line Watch: Breaking down Day 3 of training camp

We’re breaking down the Bears offensive line after the third practice of training camp.

The Chicago Bears have kicked off training camp, and there are plenty of storylines we’re monitoring this summer. One of the biggest is the offensive line — specifically, what will the starting combination look like? And how quickly are they going to figure that out?

Head coach Matt Eberflus reiterated that all starting combinations are open heading into training camp. Although it certainly appears that things are becoming clearer following the additions of veterans Riley Reiff and Michael Schofield.

“We have to keep an open mind into the best combination, the best five, and the best three guys after that,” Eberflus said. “So it’s important that we keep an open mind.”

There were some interesting developments during Friday’s practice, which at one time featured four rookies starting during team drills.

Here’s a look at how the offensive line shook out during the second practice of training camp on Thursday, focusing on left tackle, right guard, right tackle and center.

Bears O-Line Watch: Breaking down Day 1 of training camp

We’re breaking down the Bears offensive line after the first practice of training camp.

The Chicago Bears have kicked off training camp, and there are plenty of storylines we’re monitoring this summer.

One of the biggest is the offensive line — specifically, what will the starting combination look like? And how quickly are they going to figure that out?

Head coach Matt Eberflus reiterated that all starting combinations are open heading into training camp. Although it certainly appears that things are becoming clearer following the additions of veterans Riley Reiff and Michael Schofield earlier this week.

“We have to keep an open mind into the best combination, the best five, and the best three guys after that,” Eberflus said. “So it’s important that we keep an open mind.”

Things should start to become clearer when the pads come on for the first time during next Monday’s practice.

Here’s a look at how the offensive line shook out during the first practice of training camp on Wednesday, focusing on the battles at the tackle and right guard positions.

What the Bears’ starting offensive line looked like on Day 1 of training camp

The Bears wrapped their first practice of training camp. Here’s how the starting offensive line combination looked on Day 1.

The Chicago Bears kicked off training camp with their first practice of the summer, which was closed to the public. But with media in attendance, we got a first glimpse of the offensive line at camp.

According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the starting offensive line during the team drills was the same that it was during mandatory minicamp: LT Braxton Jones; LG Cody Whitehair; C Lucas Patrick; RG Sam Mustipher; RT Larry Borom.

Following the additions of veterans Riley Reiff and Michael Schofield over the last two days, there’s a belief that both are favorites to start at left tackle and right guard, respectively. Both were limited during Wednesday’s practice as they get brought up to speed, and it’s nothing to worry about in the long run.

While Reiff did get some work with the starters during individual drills, it was Jones at left tackle during team drills. Borom and Teven Jenkins, who are competing for the right tackle job, split reps. But it was Borom at right tackle during the team drill. Jenkins was a rotational tackle during practice.

Following practice, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus reiterated that all offensive line combinations are open as the team kicks off training camp. But given the recent additions of Reiff and Schofield, we have an idea of how this story might end.

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10 under-the-radar Bears players to watch during training camp

While all eyes will be on some of the bigger names on the Bears roster, here are some under-the-radar players to watch in training camp.

The Chicago Bears kick off training camp in a couple of weeks, where there will be plenty of players fighting for a roster spot and looking to contribute in 2022.

There will no doubt be the big names everyone will be watching — including Justin Fields, David Montgomery, Darnell Mooney, Roquan Smith and Jaylon Johnson. Even top rookie selections Kyler Gordon, Jaquan Brisker and Velus Jones Jr.

But there are a handful of players who also bear watching when Chicago kicks off camp — those players who will be competing for a roster spot and/or starting job.

While all eyes will be on some of the bigger names, here’s a list of some under-the-radar players to watch during training camp.

7 most intriguing position battles to watch at 2022 Bears training camp

We’re taking a look at the most intriguing position battles heading into Bears training camp later this month.

The Chicago Bears are set to report to training camp on July 26, and there will be no shortage of position battles to watch as camp and the preseason unfolds. There are not only starting jobs on the line but roster spots, as well.

With a new regime in place, there’s been some notable roster turnover this offseason, which includes a lot of players on one-year, prove-it deals. But there’s also plenty of young talent on the roster looking to establish themselves as long-term starters.

Here’s a look at the most intriguing position battles heading into Bears training camp later this month, from offensive line to defensive end to wide receiver.

Breaking down every position along Bears’ offensive line ahead of training camp

We’re examining every position along the Bears’ offensive line ahead of training camp next month.

There are plenty of questions surrounding the Chicago Bears offensive line ahead of training camp. Namely, what the starting lineup is going to look like come Week 1.

Head coach Matt Eberflus said he’d like the offensive line figured out “the sooner the better,” but that won’t happen before training camp next month. While there are a couple of positions that are all but set in stone with some veteran presence, there are questions at both tackle spots and right guard.

Right now, all combinations are open along the offensive line. Which isn’t exactly reassuring when you’re looking to put your young quarterback Justin Fields in a position to succeed.

We’re examining every position along Chicago’s offensive line ahead of training camp next month.

Ranking the Bears’ most likely starting offensive line combinations in 2022

Matt Eberflus said “all combinations are open” along the offensive line. We’re taking a look at the most likely combos heading into 2022.

The Bears offensive line remains a work in progress following the conclusion of their offseason program.

Chicago has been experimenting with different offensive line combinations this offseason, which has included shifting at the tackle position and fifth-round rookie Braxton Jones getting a look at left tackle.

Head coach Matt Eberflus said they’d like to get the offensive line sorted out “the sooner the better.” But there’s no definitive starting combination heading into training camp, which is certainly concerning when you have a young quarterback in Justin Fields looking to take a step forward in Year 2.

Given “all combinations are open” along the offensive line, we’re ranking the most likely offensive line combinations for the Bears heading into the 2022 season.