The Chicago Bears returned to the practice field at Halas Hall for the second day of OTAs on Wednesday, where veterans and rookies hit to the practice field for the second of three practices this week.
Second-year head coach Ben Johnson met with the media before practice, where he discussed how his offense, in particular, has come a long way from this time last year. Johnson praised quarterback Caleb Williams’ progress and his role in helping lead a much smoother operation during OTAs in Year 2. Johnson also had high praise for second-year receiver Luther Burden III, where he pointed to his explosive plays during workouts.
Let’s recap what went down during the second day of Bears OTAs. From Caleb Williams’ impressive deep balls to rookie Zavion Thomas’ speed to notable depth chart updates, here’s what we learned from Wednesday’s practice.
Caleb Williams impresses with deep throws
At this time last year, we were writing about Caleb Williams’ early struggles in Year 1 with Ben Johnson. But Year 2 is a different story entirely. Before Thursday’s practice, Johnson praised Williams for his progress and role in the offense running a smoother operation. Shortly after, Williams put on a show with his deep ball prowess, which included the day’s highlight to receiver Rome Odunze during 11-on-11 — a throw on the run, off balance for a deep gain, per Zack Pearson — a 50-yard throw to rookie Zavion Thomas, per Mark Carman, as well as a deep ball to running back D’Andre Swift on a wheel route.
Zavion Thomas’ speed steals the show
One of the more intriguing players to monitor during the offseason is third-round rookie receiver Zavion Thomas, whose 4.28 speed made him appealing to head coach Ben Johnson. That speed was on display during Thursday’s practice, where several beat writers made note of how his speed translates on the field. Mark Carman called Thomas the “star of the day” with an “A+” grade, where he singled out his speed on a 50-yard-plus reception from Caleb Williams down the left sideline, beating cornerback Tyrique Stevenson.
Braxton Jones starts at left tackle, Dillon Thieneman gets second-team reps
It’s not entirely telling at this point of the offseason, but there were some notable depth chart-related news to come out of the second practice of OTAs. It’s no surprise that veteran Braxton Jones was working with the first-team offense at left tackle, per Sean Hammond, where he appears to hold the advantage in one of the summer’s most important position battles. For what it’s worth, Jedrick Wills Jr. didn’t participate in team drills, according to Bear Report. Hammond also noted that first-round rookie safety Dillon Thieneman was working with the second team defense during Thursday’s practice, and it’s likely that will change very soon as the young defensive back works through the offseason program. Per Zack Pearson, Thieneman had a chance to record an interception but dropped it, doing pushups after the failed opportunity.
Austin Booker bringing the pressure
For a Bears pass rush with much to be desired, it’s always nice to hear about notable pressure even in these non-padded practices. With Montez Sweat not present at OTAs, it was third-year pro Austin Booker who shined as the lead edge rusher. According to Zack Pearson, Booker brought pressure off the edge on quarterback Caleb Williams that forced him to scramble outside of the pocket, where he did wind up delivering the highlight-of-the-day throw to receiver Rome Odunze on a scramble drill. But it’s always nice to hear an edge rusher mentioned among the positive highlights.
Pre-snap penalty issues remain
One of the most frustrating storylines of last year’s offseason workouts, training camp and even preseason was the offense’s struggles with pre-snap penalties to the point where head coach Ben Johnson had to step in. Unfortunately, the Bears struggled with pre-snap penalties during Thursday’s practice, according to Mark Carman. But after listening to Johnson talk about Caleb Williams leading a smoother operation compared to last year, it’s safe to say it’s not too concerning at this point amid install. Still, it needs to be cleaned up.
Attendance and injury updates
We’re still in the early portion of the offseason, so there aren’t any real concerns about attendance and injuries until training camp kicks off in July. With that said, defensive end Montez Sweat was the only non-injury-related absence during Thursday’s practice, according to Bear Report. Unfortunately, defensive back Cam Lewis appeared to exit with trainers, per Sean Hammond.
The good news? Cornerback Jaylon Johnson was present and practiced in full on Thursday, although his counterpart Kyler Gordon warmed up but didn’t participate in team drills. Right guard Jonah Jackson and left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. also didn’t participate during team drills.
According to Hammond, here’s a list of injured/players returning from injury who didn’t participate in Thursday’s practice: linebacker T.J. Edwards, defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo, left tackle Ozzy Trapilo, linebacker Noah Sewell and guard Jordan McFadden. Kevin Fishbain also noted he didn’t see fourth-round rookie cornerback Malik Muhammad, fifth-round linebacker Keyshaun Elliott and defensive lineman Shemar Turner out there.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 6 takeaways from Day 2 of Chicago Bears OTAs
Reporting by Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
