The Chicago Bears start another key moment of the offseason by having their OTAs. Here are five things to look for during these practices.
This week the Chicago Bears check off another key moment in the offseason. They start their Organized Team Activities (OTAs). These practices start today and tomorrow. Then again on Thursday, May 23rd. Next week, they have practices on May 28th and 29th. Finally, their last session is on May 31st. There are still no pads and no real hitting, of course. However, we get a chance to see how the new players on the roster fit into the system.
Chicago Bears General Manager Ryan Poles had a busy offseason so far. He prepared to have one of the most impactful offseasons in franchise history. It is Year 3 in his rebuild and he said on a number of occasions that Year 3 was the time the team had to show great strides. Most expect that to be a playoff run.
Poles did his best to put the Chicago Bears in a position to make that run. He revamped the offense. He took one that struggled to move the ball and score points (the team ranked at or near the bottom of most categories) and tried to convert it into a high-scoring machine.
Poles added running back D’Andre Swift, tight end Gerald Everett, offensive linemen Ryan Bates, Coleman Shelton, and Matt Pryor. Additionally, he added six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Keenan Allen.
Poles then added more help to the offense by drafting quarterback Caleb Williams, someone experts considered a generational talent. Furthermore, he picked up wide receiver Rome Odunze, and offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie. He also picked up some help on special teams and defense by selecting punter Tory Taylor and defensive end Austin Booker.
This is a completely different Chicago Bears team than the one that stepped off the field in its Week 18 loss to the Green Bay Packers in January. On paper, at least, this looks like a playoff contender now. Of course, we have to see how that works out on the field.
The OTAs is where we have our first look at how the new pieces work together. The players will learn about each other and the coaches’ new system.
Here are five things we should look for as the Chicago Bears go through their OTAs.
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