OTAs Miscellany, QB Countdown, Notable Quotables, Meeting Greatness, and Other Bears Bullets
I need to keep reminding myself that today happens only once. And that morsel of information should be kept in mind whenever decisions need to be made regarding how time should be spent. Just saying. Might as well squeeze what you can out of the 24 hours you get while you can get them.
- Tweets like these are the first sign of spring turning into summer:
- I’m glad it wasn’t Justin Fields who threw the pick to Tremaine Edmunds. But I’d like to see backup QB P.J. Walker not throw interceptions. Then again, if anyone was going to do it, I guess you’d rather it not be the starting quarterback. So many mixed feelings.
- These are the types of things you like reading in conjunction with QB1 and the Bears offense:
- New weapons. Execution. Consistency. Being on the same page. Hitting all the important buzz words.
- Yes, I realize the running back position takes a back seat in the minds oof many because of how thought-leaders have turned players at that position into interchangeable cogs in a machine. But that isn’t going to stop me from wanting more out of the Bears’ backs. With that in mind, I love this:
- Think about the state of Chicago’s RBs room. Khalil Herbert, Roschon Johnson, and Trestan Ebner are on rookie deals. D’Onta Foreman is on a one-year deal in which he’ll be trying to prove he is worthy of more. Everyone in that room has a different motivating factor. Who better to rally the troops than one of the NFL’s best rushers ever?
- And I bet that is an added bonus for George, too. He’ll get to take that experience back to Tennessee State, where he serves as the head football coach. This is a great learning opportunity for him as he continues growing as a coach. Teach ’em all the good stuff, Coach Flus!
- One thing good coaches do (which I’ve picked up on while monitoring things around the league) is turn negative situations into positive ones. This isn’t to be confused with blowing sunshine where the sun doesn’t shine. Instead, think of it as more of a thing where you allow yourself to acknowledge that a cloud has a silver lining. With that in mind, I’m digging that Eberflus is leaning into the pros of the mini-byes after playing two Thursday Night Games:
- The Bears offense did its best work immediately after the post-TNF mini-bye. That gives me reason to think they could do it again. At a minimum, I’m giving them the runway to prove they can do it again. And why shouldn’t I? We saw what Fields did after getting extra rest last year. Plus, the offense is better armed with more useful and capable pieces. Now is the time to hold out hope for the future.
- Nicholas Moreano (CHGO), Kevin Fishbain (The Athletic), Josh Schrock (NBCS Chicago), and Alyssa Barbieri (BearsWire) are among those who bring home OTA takeaways. Feels like a good morning to cram your eyeballs with Bears content from around the web.
- These pics are swagtastic:
- Should we worry about certain Bears not being around for Tuesday’s OTAs? From where I sit? Nah. And Eberflus explains why with a very simple quote. “This is a voluntary time for all the players,” Eberflus said, via the Trib’s Dan Wiederer. “Some players have certain things going on. It’s their right to be in here or not.”
- If guys like Nate Davis, Eddie Jackson, and Jaylon Johnson are getting their rest and putting in the work, then this isn’t going to be an issue when mandatory minicamp opens up in June. But if they aren’t, then it’ll show up in practices and I imagine depth charts at the start of training camp will reflect where each player stands.
- I love the message Laurence Holmes is sending about celebrating the efforts of athletes who finish the job and graduate even after turning pro. (Sun-Times)
- It might be fun to follow this list to see (1) where Justin Fields lands and (2) how the opposing QBs on the Bears schedule stack up:
- Poor Desmond Ridder has a way to climb. But the Bears won’t see the Falcons until December. Who knows where he’ll rank by the time that game rolls around.
- On the one hand, he makes owners a ton of money. But on the other hand, can you name a reason why Roger Goodell is deserving of an extension?
- Last night’s Cubs win was refreshing, relieving, and satisfying. (BN Cubs)
- Finally! Some reasons for optimism:
- Draft SZN is more enjoyable when your favorite team has the top pick:
- Although, ideally, we won’t see the Bears or Blackhawks picking first for a long time.
