The Chicago Bears officially kicked things up a notch at training camp as they put on pads for the first time this summer, marking yet another milestone as we inch closer and closer to the regular season. After a few practices of working in shells, what would the physicality look like under new head coach Ben Johnson when players could hit each other? We saw pads popping, but this practice still felt like the Bears were easing into things on Day 5. Perhaps that was because of the extreme humidity, which had players dripping with sweat almost immediately at 8:30 in the morning.
Despite the muggy conditions, we saw plenty of developments from Monday’s practice, which was a private community day. From the return of a rookie playmaker to offensive and defensive line battles, here are our firsthand notes from Day 5 of practice:
1. The return of Luther Burden
Through four days of practices, the most glaring absence had been rookie wide receiver Luther Burden, who was not practicing due to a leg injury suffered in the spring. Every practice Burden missed, the more Bears fans worried about the second-round playmaker out of Missouri and when he would be able to contribute. Fortunately, that concern subsided on Monday as Burden made his debut on the field, rocking his No. 87 jersey for all to see.
Burden only participated in warm-up drills as the Bears ease him back into things, but he did work through some agility drills with the rest of his position group. He looked quick and didn’t seem to struggle with any lingering issues, a positive sign going forward. We’ll see where he stacks up with the rest of the receivers when he’s able to fully participate, but Monday was a good sign for what’s to come.
2. Establishing the ground game
With the pads on, the Bears focused on the ground game for a good portion of practice with their group of running backs—and DJ Moore. The Bears had Moore working with the running backs for an extended period of time as he took handoffs up the middle and pitches to the outside. There was even a play in warmups when Moore passed the ball back to quarterback Caleb Williams, who tossed it downfield to Olamide Zaccheaus. D’Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, and Kyle Monangai all got plenty of work in as the coaching staff established a physical tone.
It’s difficult to work on the intricacies of the run game without pads and center. Drew Dalman agrees. “There’s a lot to the run game,” he said to the media after practice. “There’s a lot of cohesion, there’s a lot of communication, all of those things. As well as the physical piece, which was on more display today. But we’ve been working on all facets of it since April, so this feels like a step in a long process that we’ve been undertaking.”
3. Colston Loveland’s playmaking abilities
Rookie tight end Colston Loveland is beginning to show everyone why he was so heavily regarded in the draft. Loveland made one of the best catches of the day when he made a leaping grab in the middle of the field during 7-on-7s. Williams put the ball where only Loveland could get it, and he made an incredible play.
The rookie out of Michigan was active during all team drills and had other nice catches, but none popped off quite like that one. Loveland missed crucial reps earlier in the summer while he was rehabbing from offseason shoulder surgery. If he and Williams continue to connect like they did today, their chemistry will be just fine.
As for Cole Kmet, the Bears’ veteran tight end, he had an up-and-down day with a drop and a pass breakup during 7-on-7s when Tyrique Stevenson battled the ball away from him. Kmet’s best play was securing a catch while going to the ground during 11-on-11s that would have been for a short gain.
4. Offensive and defensive line battles
The best part of the Bears putting the pads on is we can start to see just how well the offensive and defensive lines stack up against one another. 1-on-1 battles become more interesting as players can finally hit one another. I focused solely on the line battles to see who could come out on top.
Some plays were true 1-on-1 drills, while others were double teams. Here were some of the highlights I saw during that period of practice:
5. Center exchanges are a work in progress
With Doug Kramer not practicing on Monday (more on that in a bit), the Bears shuffled things around with their backup centers. Dalman, of course, remained with the first-team offense, but rookie Luke Newman stepped in as the No. 2 center, working with veteran Case Keenum. Center isn’t a position Newman has a ton of familiarity with, but versatility will be a key attribute for him. His skills are still a work in progress, though.
Newman had multiple bad snaps during 7-on-7s and 11-on-11s. Some were low, some were outside, and the plays suffered because of the misfires. Dalman wasn’t perfect either, as he and Williams had a bobbled snap, and third-string center Ricky Stromberg had an exchange issue as well near the end of practice. None of these players took a snap with the Bears last year, so chemistry with the quarterbacks is still a work in progress.
6. JP Richardson is living up to the hype
Seeing as this was my first practice, I was excited to see what undrafted wide receiver JP Richardson was all about. For the last week, the former TCU standout was the talk of camp thanks to his highlight plays. It’s safe to say the hype was warranted. Richardson has nice quickness to him and has been leaving defensive backs in the dust with his routes. He continues to work well with Tyson Bagent, who was quarterbacking the third-team offense on Monday. Richardson made a nice grab on the sideline while tapping both feet down to complete the catch process.
The Bears’ secondary is no joke, even without Jaylon Johnson on the field, who remains on the NFI list. If Richardson can keep up this kind of play against other teams in joint practices and preseason games, it’s going to be tough to keep him off the roster. Richardson could also see time as a punt returner at some point. “He’s in the mix; he’s on the chart,” special teams coordinator Richard Hightower told the media after practice. “Just like everybody else, he’ll get his opportunities. They’ll come; we’ve discussed that at length. I’m excited to see what he can do.”
7. Other notes and nuggets
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears training camp notebook: Pads come on to start Week 2
Reporting by Brendan Sugrue, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
