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Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Kevin Byard sees noticeable energy difference this Bears offseason
In what was a busy offseason for the Chicago Bears, with several new roster additions and a new coaching staff, the vibe around the organization has been much different this year. At this time last year, the Bears were preparing to be the feature team on HBO's "Hard Knocks" while first-round picks Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze were entering their first season in the league and Matt Eberflus was still the head coach. Following a 5-12 season, the Bears moved quickly to overall their coaching staff and the roster. Advertisement Veteran safety Kevin Byard, who was in his first year with the team last season, has seen a real difference this offseason. From Eberflus and last year's team to the arrival of Ben Johnson and new teammates on both sides of the ball, Byard spoke about the big differences since last year, which brings a much different feeling. 'It's been fun," Byard said, without making many comparisons to the previous regime. "I don't really like to get into comparisons and stuff like that, but the intensity level of Ben Johnson – I feel like it's very evident. I think you guys can see that. A couple times where he's stopping practice, you can definitely hear him out there. It's been fun, a lot of competition, especially going with the offense. I really like the additions we made on offense and defense. I think those guys are going to help us out a lot this year.' Johnson's arrival has changed the tone and culture inside the Bears organization before they've even stepped on the field for meaningful games. All of it will have to come together and fall in line for the team to improve in a big way from their disastrous 2024 season. But, so far, so good. Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears' Kevin Byard sees noticeable energy difference this offseason
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Montez Sweat shares first impression of Bears DC Dennis Allen
The Chicago Bears hired Ben Johnson as their new head coach, and he brought a well-respected coaching staff with him, including former head coach and veteran defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. Allen will be the most important factor in getting the Bears defense back in position to become one of the league's better units, and that will also mean getting former Pro Bowl defensive end Montez Sweat back to form. Advertisement Sweat, the team's undoubted top edge rusher, struggled last season through injuries and ask underwhelming performance, but he hopes to regain form under his new defensive coordinator. Sweat recently shared his first impressions of his new defensive coordinator, who he described as "complex." "He is a very complex individual. He has a lot of fronts and schemes and things that he can attack the offense with. He's a great guy. Smart," Sweat said, before going into more detail about why he feels Allen can be best described as complex. "Well, I'm saying that I'm trying to learn a new defense right now. So, it presents its challenges, different friends, different blitzes, different, different coverages and things like that. It's just more than I have had to learn in the past. He's definitely a little bit more complex than other DCs I have worked with in the past." In his first nine games with the Bears, Sweat totaled 6.0 sacks after being acquired in the middle of the 2023-24 season, but had a down year last season with 5.5 sacks in 16 games played. Getting a veteran coordinator in Allen to lead the defense should help Sweat get back to being a dominant edge rusher. Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears DE Montez Sweat shares first impression of DC Dennis Allen
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Montez Sweat shares first impression of Bears DC Dennis Allen
Montez Sweat shares first impression of Bears DC Dennis Allen The Chicago Bears hired Ben Johnson as their new head coach, and he brought a well-respected coaching staff with him, including former head coach and veteran defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. Allen will be the most important factor in getting the Bears defense back in position to become one of the league's better units, and that will also mean getting former Pro Bowl defensive end Montez Sweat back to form. Sweat, the team's undoubted top edge rusher, struggled last season through injuries and ask underwhelming performance, but he hopes to regain form under his new defensive coordinator. Sweat recently shared his first impressions of his new defensive coordinator, who he described as "complex." "He is a very complex individual. He has a lot of fronts and schemes and things that he can attack the offense with. He's a great guy. Smart," Sweat said, before going into more detail about why he feels Allen can be best described as complex. "Well, I'm saying that I'm trying to learn a new defense right now. So, it presents its challenges, different friends, different blitzes, different, different coverages and things like that. It's just more than I have had to learn in the past. He's definitely a little bit more complex than other DCs I have worked with in the past." In his first nine games with the Bears, Sweat totaled 6.0 sacks after being acquired in the middle of the 2023-24 season, but had a down year last season with 5.5 sacks in 16 games played. Getting a veteran coordinator in Allen to lead the defense should help Sweat get back to being a dominant edge rusher. Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Bears listed as potential trade candidate for Tyreek Hill
The Chicago Bears are loaded at the wide receiver position with veterans D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze, along with rookie Luther Burden III. But that hasn't stopped some speculation about a potential trade for one of the best wideouts in the league. There's been plenty of discussion about the Miami Dolphins trading away receiver Tyreek Hill -- with Dolphins GM Chris Grier not ruling it out back in April. With the June 1 deadline gone, it would make it a lot easier for Miami to get it done as far as spreading out the salary cap over the next two years. Advertisement Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio discussed some potential suitors for Hill, including the Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, Los Angeles Chargers and San Francisco 49ers. Florio even mentioned the Bears as a potential suitor for Hill -- with the caveat of sending a veteran receiver back to Miami in the process. The Bears also would be an intriguing option, especially with former Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy on the coaching staff. But they're currently loaded at receiver; it wouldn't work unless they'd send D.J. Moore to Miami as part of the trade. It's a long shot, for the Bears or any other team. But all it takes is one team to convince itself that Hill can be the difference maker. The guy who can help a team that is close to the mountaintop finish the climb. As Florio mentioned, Hill has ties to new Bears running backs coach Eric Bieniemy, who served as offensive coordinator during Hill's time with the Kansas City Chiefs. And the idea of Hill in head coach Ben Johnson's offense is certainly a tantalizing one. While the Bears should always be looking to improve the roster, Hill doesn't feel like the best fit in Chicago. Hill, 31, is coming off one of his worst statistical seasons where he failed to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards (which he had done for four straight seasons). Plus, the Bears aren't in win-now mode heading into Year 1 of the Ben Johnson era. Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears listed as potential trade destination for Tyreek Hill
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Bears to host joint practices with Dolphins, Bills in August
The Chicago Bears are kicking things up a notch in training camp. The Bears will host joint practices with the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills this summer, the team announced. Those dates will be announced at a later date, but the practices will happen ahead of their respective preseason games at Soldier Field. Chicago will open the preseason against Miami on Sunday, Aug. 10 before hosting Buffalo the following week on Sunday, Aug. 17. Advertisement The Bills will be the featured team on "Hard Knocks" this summer, so Bears fans can expect a small taste of their team on the hit HBO show for the second straight summer. More to come. Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears to host joint practices with Dolphins, Bills in August
