3 Standouts from Day 12 of Chicago Bears training camp
The starters, such as quarterback Caleb Williams, wide receivers Rome Odunze and DJ Moore, and defensive linemen Grady Jarrett and Montez Sweat, will hone their skills as they adjust to a new system. Rookies such as tight end Colston Loveland, receiver Luther Burden III, and tackle Ozzy Trapilo will look to hit the ground running ahead of their first season. And depth players like offensive lineman Doug Kramer, defensive end Dominique Robinson, and safety Jonathan Owens will try and hang on to a roster spot with competition nipping at their heels.
Following every Bears' training camp practice, we at Bears Wire will highlight a select number of players who stood out during the day. The Bears held an extremely physical practice on Tuesday, one many media members have never seen before. Here are the standouts from the practice:
1. RB Roschon Johnson
The offense turned things around on Tuesday following a sluggish Family Fest practice on Sunday, and they were led by Roschon Johnson. The third-year back was a battering ram during team drills, punching in multiple touchdowns near the goal line. He also was heavily involved in some of the skirmishes that broke out, getting into it with safety Jonathan Owens at one point. On the field, though, Johnson operated as the team's short-yardage back in 2024 with a decent amount of success. With live tackling taking place for much of the day, Johnson had no problems in that role once again.
2. WR Rome Odunze
The best play from Tuesday's practice came from the pair of 2024 first-round picks. Williams took a drop back and heaved a deep ball down the left sideline to Odunze, who caught the pass in stride over cornerback Nahshon Wright for a long gain. Wright may have had a shot at breaking up the pass, but the ball sailed just over his hands for the completion. Odunze has been getting involved with the deep passes in recent practices, and he seems to be doing just fine handling the coverage.
3. CB Tysheem Johnson
By most accounts, the offense came out on top during Tuesday's practice, but the defense still got some shots in throughout the day. Undrafted rookie safety Tysheem Johnson stood out for an interception he had on veteran backup quarterback Case Keenum. As Bear Report's Zack Pearson notes, Keenum sailed a pass for his intended receiver that landed in the hands of Johnson. The former Oregon standout has shined at times during camp and could make an impact in the first preseason game this weekend.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
2 minutes ago
- CBS News
Bears prepare to take on Dolphins this weekend in preseason opener
Before the Bears get a chance to push and shove some players wearing a different uniform this weekend, at both Halas Hall and Soldier Field, they got in one more solo workout in Lake Forest. It was a lighter, unpadded practice for the Bears ahead of Friday's joint practice with the Dolphins, who they host in Sunday's preseason opener. Caleb Williams said he still doesn't know how much, if any, he'll play in the exhibition games, but hopes it's at least some. "It's always good to be able to go out there and get a few reps in preseason rather than your first getting real live reps or anything like that, or modified reps is the first game of September when you're going verse the Vikings. I'll be out there whenever Ben says," Williams said. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen had high praise for Grady Jarrett, saying he's one of the most attentive players in all their meetings, showing his younger teammates how to be a professional. Jarret said it's not about setting an example. "'ve been doing this for a long time," he said. "I haven't got where I'm at trying to play a role to coddle somebody's emotions and make somebody think highly of me, I am me... I go about my business the right way, I put my best foot forward every day, and things that I notice about me, I'm not doing it for a pat on the back." The Bears had a fun end to practice with most of the offensive and defensive players switching sides for the final play. Williams completed a pass to cornerback Nate McCloud, meaning the guys playing defense on that play had to do 10 pushups.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Bears Insider Breaks Down Caleb Williams' 'Bumpy' Training Camp So Far
The Athletic's Kevin Fishbain and Rich Eisen discuss Caleb Williams' growing pains learning the Bears' new offense, the pressure on new Chicago head coach Ben Johnson to get Williams coached up and turn around the team's fortunes, and more.
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Caleb Williams, Colston Loveland among Bears to watch in practice, game vs. Dolphins
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — At the start of training camp, Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson said he would 'put a lot of weight' in joint practices. The Bears have two, starting Friday against the Miami Dolphins at Halas Hall ahead of Sunday's preseason opener. Then they have the same setup next week when the Buffalo Bills come to town. Advertisement 'It will be good for us to see that speed and just a little bit of a different style of offense and defense,' Johnson said Tuesday. 'And same thing with Buffalo. You talk about a team that is a perennial Super Bowl contender right now with Buffalo. So, really good talent, and I think it'll be a good measure for where we're at as a unit.' Thursday's practice was a shorter one in shells to prepare for what should be a long, physical preseason setting on Friday. Joint practices are getting more and more popular, allowing coaches to reduce snaps in the preseason games. 'It gets you going and it also gives players more opportunities to show what they can do,' defensive tackle Grady Jarrett said, 'especially with one less preseason game to help younger players be able to show what they can do against other competition and guys like myself always striving to get better to see how we stack up against somebody else. It's fun.' With two big opportunities against another NFL team, here are 10 players who could gain a lot by how they fare against the Dolphins this weekend. 1. QB Caleb Williams: The starting quarterback valued his preseason reps last summer, and he got more than the Bears might have planned in the second game against the Cincinnati Bengals. That joint practice was a little tough because it rained, and then in the game, the first-team offense could not get a first down, so Williams kept trotting out there. We'll see what the plan is for Week 1 of the preseason, but Williams gets to see a new defense and gets another set of opportunities to work on Johnson's play calls, getting in and out of the huddle, keeping an eye on the play clock and trying to make big plays. Camp hasn't been the smoothest for Williams, but he was sharp in Tuesday's physical practice. Maybe the competitive juices will help, too, on Friday and Sunday, to keep the offense moving while avoiding penalties and negative plays. Advertisement 2. LT Braxton Jones: This weekend should be the best opportunity yet for evaluation of the left tackle competition. Jones knows his experience will help him, but it'll be his first opponent since his ankle injury. Jones has been open in the past about his struggles with the bull rush. How he fares against that type of pass rush from Miami's front seven could play a role in the battle, too. 3. LT Ozzy Trapilo: Several rookies make this list, as we should learn a little more about them based on how they handle another NFL team. In Trapilo's case, he's done a nice job in practice thus far. It'll be a little different on Friday and Sunday. Can he use his 6-foot-8 height and length to fend off the Dolphins' edge rushers? Can he avoid penalties? He did both those well at Boston College, but this will be his first NFL action. 4. QB Tyson Bagent: If we're measuring player performance this summer on praise from coaches, Bagent is having a heck of a camp. 'Man, he's been phenomenal. I mean, he's smart as a whip,' Johnson said. 'Appreciate the seriousness and intent that he brings every time he walks into a room. Meeting room, walk-through, it doesn't matter. He's locked in. He's focused. I think his teammates feel that from him.' In the No. 2 quarterback battle, does Bagent need to show more than Case Keenum, who has years and years of tape? 5. CB Nahshon Wright: One of the surprises of camp, Wright has gotten the most reps as a starting outside cornerback in Jaylon Johnson's absence. 'He has been balling,' safety Kevin Byard said last month. 'He got a lot of turnovers in the spring. I have full trust in him. He's a veteran. He has been with (defensive backs coach) Al (Harris) in Dallas over there, so he already knows the defense, knows the technique and the things Al wants to get accomplished.' Wright is 6-4 and can use the joint practices to show he can contend with Miami's speedy receivers. 6. DE Dominique Robinson: Entering Year 4 with only two career sacks, and now with a new defensive staff, Robinson would be an easy candidate for the roster bubble. But he had a strong spring and has made some plays in camp. He's still competing to be the No. 3 with Austin Booker, making the Dolphins weekend a crucial one. 'He's still learning to play the defensive end position and every day he comes out here and works extremely hard,' defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said. 'He's smart and he has ability. And so if you're smart and you have ability and you're willing to work, I think you're going to get better. I think he's done that. So I'm anxious to see him play in games and see what that looks like.' Advertisement 7. TE Colston Loveland: It's early, but it's already apparent what Loveland can bring to Williams and this offense. He's a smooth strider and a big target. What will that look like against the Dolphins' linebackers and defensive backs? Loveland isn't fighting for a job, but it'll be a great experience for him to keep growing, especially after he missed spring practices. 8. RB Kyle Monangai: Roschon Johnson missed Thursday's practice with a foot injury, which meant more reps for the seventh-round pick out of Rutgers. Monangai took advantage of his starter's reps in the two-minute drill when he ran for a first down on third-and-short to set up an end-of-half field goal. He's already gotten some time with the first-team offense, and he might get even extra snaps if Johnson can't go. 'He's been awesome,' Williams said. 'Still learning, still a young guy. We've all been there. But he's been awesome. Very, very smart guy. Hard runner. He's gonna put his nose down and get the yardage we need.' 9. WR Luther Burden III: Every rep matters for someone like Burden, who missed all of spring and the beginning of training camp. As accomplished as he was in college, Burden will have to learn about coverages and how to handle physical corners. The Dolphins and Bills can start to get him ready for what he'll see from Minnesota in the season opener. 10. LB Noah Sewell: Similar to Robinson, a Day 3 draft pick who hadn't done much in his first couple of seasons, Sewell figured to have a lot of work to do with a new staff. But he's the leader in the clubhouse to be the starting strongside linebacker. While that position won't be on the field a ton, Sewell has earned it with his play, and maybe most importantly by finally staying healthy. He can keep proving it with some big hits against the Dolphins. (Top photo of Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent: Kamil Krzaczynski / Imagn Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
