The Bears Training Camp and Preseason Thread

[NCCubFan]

One nice thing about Hester switching to offense is that he should be available in fantasy football leagues. His return production alone whould make it worth picking him regardless of how much he does as a receiver his first year.

 

Most leagues that I know of don't count return production into a person's stats. I'm sure you can get a specialized league that might do it, but a standard one won't.

Yahoo leagues count return yardage and touchdowns. At least that's an option; I'm not sure if it's the default.

[Banedon]

John Clayton and Jeremy Green were on ESPN radio just a bit ago talking about how good the Bears look in camp. Both of them feel that Grossman is going to make a quantum leap this year in terms of completion %. They said that Ron Turner was telling them that Grossman has had a full offseason of previous performances to watch, and that there are a lot more options play-wise that are going to be available. They mentioned 2 TE sets with Olsen and Clark...and then the conversation turned to Hester. They were talking about how he has really great hands and was catching everything thrown in his direction. They said the other thing is that he runs really good routes. I missed the end of the segment, but they really didn't have a bad thing to say.

[Jon]

ChicagoBears.com[/url]"]On target: Bears quarterback Rex Grossman threw the ball extremely well for the second time in as many practices during Saturday morning’s non-contact session.

 

Grossman completed several passes to Devin Hester and also hit Rashied Davis on the same route that the two connected on last season for the game-winning touchdown in Minnesota. On another play, Grossman stepped up in the pocket and rifled a completion to Davis.

 

“Rex has had two really good days, two real sharp days,” said offensive coordinator Ron Turner. “He’s throwing the ball really well, and I think a big part of that is there’s been very little indecision the last couple days.

 

“That’s one of the things that we looked at in the offseason. When Rex got in trouble last year we all talked about his mechanics and throwing off his back foot—all that stuff that everyone’s talked about. It came when there was maybe some indecision, and part of that’s on us. We can’t blame Rex.

 

"We have to look at what we’re doing and eliminate that indecision. We’ve tried to do that in the offseason.”

 

Grossman appears to be more comfortable in the offense after starting all 16 games last season.

 

“Last year at this time he had played two games in this system,” Turner said. “Now we’re able to look at film and look at Rex and see everything he’s doing. He didn’t have that benefit last year. His decision-making is way ahead of where he was a year ago.”

[dougdescenzo]

Does anybody have a schedule of practice times? I've never been and plan on heading up this coming Friday for the day and was just wondering what i can expect to see.

[Keener98]

Does anybody have a schedule of practice times? I've never been and plan on heading up this coming Friday for the day and was just wondering what i can expect to see.

 

go here http://www.bearstrainingcamp.com it gives a bunch of details about the whole thing

[Soul]

In tonight's practice Hester had a couple more nice catches, though there was one drop in traffic.

 

Rex is looking very sharp. They're really pushing the pass game with him -- many more deep throws than I remember in previous years (not bombs, just deeper routes).

 

Greg Olsen had another excellent grab on a deep route tonight.

 

Robbie Gould was at practice, but for some reason I only saw Novak during the ST drills tonight. I'm not sure if he was held out or if I just didn't see him kicking...

 

Garrett Wolfe also did not practice. I learned later he tweaked his hammy slightly; then I remembered he was limping ever so slightly during the morning practice. They must have held him out as a precaution.

 

The workout was shoulder pads only, so no real hitting and hence, no drama surrounding Ced getting hit too hard by the defense ;) Benson did catch the ball much better out of the backfield than he did on Friday.

[Magnetic Curses]

i keep telling people that rex's biggest problem is that he doesn't know when to step up in the pocket and he doesn't know when someone is breathing down his neck or 20 yards away. his arm is fine, his mechanics aren't bad, it's just that he's had no awareness at all thus far in his career.

 

that needs to change, if it does, he could be a pro-bowler.

[Banedon]

that needs to change, if it does, he could be a pro-bowler.

 

?????????

 

 

 

 

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v421/Banedon/rexbowls.jpg

 

:D :D :D

 

Worst photoshop ever!

[rawaction]

I wouldn't read too much into the Rex praise. IIRC, he practiced well last year. As I pointed out earlier, the key with Rex is that he's actually done it before. He's had several great NFL games. Really all he has to do is get rid of the bad ones. With more offensive weapons this year, it's almost if as he has no choice but to improve.

[Magnetic Curses]

that needs to change, if it does, he could be a pro-bowler.

 

?????????

 

 

 

 

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v421/Banedon/rexbowls.jpg

 

:D :D :D

 

Worst photoshop ever!

 

lol

[Chocolate Milk]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/photo/2007-07/31481950.jpg

 

D. Manning looks quite a bit bigger than last year, no?

 

Not much.

 

http://assets.chicagobears.com/UserFiles/Image/story_photos/DManning_inside092006.jpg

 

Yeah, I guess not.

[Chocolate Milk]

Benson quotes from a suntimes article:

 

Worst of all, he's stunned by a question he has been asked at least twice since arriving in training camp: Was he really injured in the Super Bowl or was his knee problem some kind of fabrication to get out of the game?

 

'Yeah, people are saying I could have played and refused to go back in the game,'' Benson said. ''I have no idea where that came from. I was asked that question twice. I feel really insulted. It's outrageous. I mean, I feel slapped in the face by that. I want to ask: 'Did you never see me play football before?' I almost don't know what to say. It's so outrageous.''

 

Benson said he bears no grudges, but he has a long memory of what it was like to come into a team as a highly paid rookie and feel unwanted. Benson said Jones struck him in the face last year during a running-backs drill the week before the Arizona game. He's convinced that some friends of Jones closely monitored his behavior to present his actions in the worst light possible. He says he definitely received some extra shots during training camp last year.

 

Benson said the punch occurred early in practice on the Wednesday before the Oct. 16 game at Arizona. He said, to his knowledge, Jones wasn't fined. Benson didn't pursue the matter with the coaching staff.

 

''I was able to sit down in my locker and think back on that situation and feel this guy is so intimidated by me, he cannot hold his composure around me,'' Benson said. ''So I left it alone

 

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/487913,CST-SPT-mully29.article

[MPC]

Benson quotes from a suntimes article:

 

Benson said he bears no grudges, but he has a long memory of what it was like to come into a team as a highly paid rookie and feel unwanted. Benson said Jones struck him in the face last year during a running-backs drill the week before the Arizona game. He's convinced that some friends of Jones closely monitored his behavior to present his actions in the worst light possible. He says he definitely received some extra shots during training camp last year.

 

Benson said the punch occurred early in practice on the Wednesday before the Oct. 16 game at Arizona. He said, to his knowledge, Jones wasn't fined. Benson didn't pursue the matter with the coaching staff.

 

''I was able to sit down in my locker and think back on that situation and feel this guy is so intimidated by me, he cannot hold his composure around me,'' Benson said. ''So I left it alone

 

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/487913,CST-SPT-mully29.article

 

Its over and done with Cedric, as much as it might still bother you, it won't make any friends by bringing it up now. Let it go.

[Butterscup1679666578]

Seriously. You'll win over your teammates if you can stay healthy and rush for over 1200 yards. Show them you can do that. That should make you unbelievably determined to prove everyone wrong.

[Keener98]

Im going Sat and it will be the first time at Bears camp in my life. Im so pumped I cant wait

[Chocolate Milk]

Bears trade for DT Darwin Walker.

 

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=3632

[cubweiser03]

Bears trade for DT Darwin Walker.

 

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=3632

 

I like Walker a lot. Next to Harris this is sweet.

[Keener98]

wow I love this deal.

[Chocolate Milk]

Seems like a very nice move.

[CubColtPacer]

ESPN is reporting that the Bears are sending the Bills a 5th round pick. If the Bills had to have sent him back to the Eagles, the Eagles would have paid the Bills a 6th rounder, so Buffalo went with the better deal.

 

I think this is a great trade for Chicago-the only concern I have for them is this is now another guy that they have to give a long-term extension to.

[Keener98]

ESPN is reporting that the Bears are sending the Bills a 5th round pick. If the Bills had to have sent him back to the Eagles, the Eagles would have paid the Bills a 6th rounder, so Buffalo went with the better deal.

 

I think this is a great trade for Chicago-the only concern I have for them is this is now another guy that they have to give a long-term extension to.

 

Agreed. However Im sure Angelo has already approached that possible problem before making this trade. I think Walker could excel in this system.

 

Hey National "experts" hows the crappy Bears offseason looking now? Keep doubting them

[David]

This team could not be anymore SOLID.

[sweetpeteman]

ESPN is reporting that the Bears are sending the Bills a 5th round pick. If the Bills had to have sent him back to the Eagles, the Eagles would have paid the Bills a 6th rounder, so Buffalo went with the better deal.

 

I think this is a great trade for Chicago-the only concern I have for them is this is now another guy that they have to give a long-term extension to.

 

Agreed. However Im sure Angelo has already approached that possible problem before making this trade. I think Walker could excel in this system.

 

Hey National "experts" hows the crappy Bears offseason looking now? Keep doubting them

 

The national morons, I mean "experts," will keep doubting and bad mouthing the Bears as long as Grossman is quarterback and nobody else is brought in. In their eyes, hes one of the worst in the league.

[cubweiser03]

This team could not be anymore SOLID.

 

You can never have too many good defensive lineman.

The Bears are stacked up front.

[Butterscup1679666578]

Oh baby, what a trade. It's amazing how good of a GM Angelo is.