Rain pushed the Chicago Bears inside the Walter Payton Center for their first day of minicamp Tuesday in Lake Forest. The team is wrapping up its offseason program with two more practices scheduled Wednesday and Thursday. As head coach Matt Eberflus continues shaping his team in advance of training camp, here are four things we learned Tuesday at Halas Hall.
Yes, you read that correctly. “A few things.” As in plural. Claypool has been off the practice field the past three weeks with what was originally described as an unspecified soft-tissue injury. Now, per Eberflus, there is more than one thing to keep an eye on. And Claypool’s missed practice time is significant as he tries to take a big leap forward in his first full season with the Bears, develop/ing timing and building rapport with quarterback Justin Fields.
“Training camp will be big,” Eberflus said.
Eberflus emphasized he still views Claypool’s injuries as minor.
“What’s great about this time of year is we have the luxury of him working with the trainers,” Eberflus said. “He’s not on a time crunch and we can get him fully healthy working into the summer because we have 40 days when we break from (minicamp) to get ready to report to training camp. So that’s what we’re trying to do.”
Claypool isn’t the only key Bears receiver working back from an injury setback. Darnell Mooney, who suffered a season-ending fibula fracture in November that required surgery, is still hoping to be back for training camp next month. But when Eberflus was pressed Tuesday to clarify whether Mooney has been cleared to do any on-field running he declined to answer directly.
“They have a progression for that, from working in the water to working on zero-gravity treadmills and all that stuff, and then working on grass. I’ll just tell you this: He’s on track with where he’s supposed to be.”
Eberflus also said linebacker Jack Sanborn is likely to be full-go for training camp as he completes his recovery from the ankle injury that ended his rookie season in Week 15. Eberflus said Sanborn will open camp as the Bears’ starter at strong side linebacker with fifth-round pick Noah Sewell also in the mix.
Davis joined the Bears on a three-year, $30 million deal in March but chose to skip chunks of the offseason program, including a half-dozen OTA practices last month. Davis explained his decision as “normal routine for me.”
“At the same time,” he said, “I was in communication with the coaches, even with the players, staying in the playbook. I was also able to take care of some off-the-field stuff too. I’m here now. That’s what really matters.”
A lot will be expected of Davis on the interior of the offensive line, particularly as the offensive line attempts to enhance Fields’ comfort in the pocket. He said he is eager to see the line continue to jell through training camp and expressed his eagerness to continue developing under Bears offensive line coach Chris Morgan.
“He’ll get the best out of me,” Davis said.
Stevenson, whom the Bears traded up to draft in the second round in April, is on a fasttrack to being a Week 1 starter in a cornerback trio that also includes Jaylon Johnson outside and Kyler Gordon in the slot. Stevenson’s athleticism and work habits have quickly caught the attention of coaches, with Eberflus also praising his ball skills and instincts and noting that Stevenson has quickly become a player other defenders gravitate to.
“He’s a likable guy because he does love football and he is competitive,” Eberflus said. “So I think he fits well with Gordon and (Jaquan) Brisker and Eddie (Jackson) and all those guys who are really competitive and like to grind it and like to practice.”
Safety Eddie Jackson compared Stevenson’s quick emergence to that of Jaquan Brisker, who quickly seized a starting role as a rookie last season.
“It’s the mindset he’s coming out there with,” Jackson said. “Young guy? Don’t care. Years in the league? That don’t matter. He just wants to go out and ball.”
Fields and Moore continue to be on the same page and have been so productive in practices over the past month that not a day goes by where someone in the building doesn’t forecast a bright future for the duo.
Tuesday’s endorsement came from veteran defensive tackle Justin Jones.
“That (number) 1 to (number) 2 connection is going to be crazy this year,” Jones said. “I’m going to tell you that right now. I like what I see. DJ Moore is a great addition. … He is somebody who can get open, who can run every route on the route tree. He can beat man (coverage), press, any type of coverage you throw at him. Double teams, he’s running right by guys, hitting them with double moves.”
The potential for Fields and Moore to continue growing together is high and the internal expectations for what their production will be are growing.
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