Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus met with the press at the end of the team’s minicamp. He assessed his feelings on where the team is ahead of training camp.
On Wednesday of this week, the Chicago Bears ended their they get to see the three-day veterans minicamp. The coaching staff got a look at how all the players fit together. This was also the last look they got before training camp. At training camp, they see how the players perform in pads.
Over the three days, the players have had their ups and downs. Super rookie Caleb Williams, who many feel is a generational talent, had his struggles as well as his successes. Of course, everything he does is scrutinized, especially if he has a bad day.
Now the players take a month or so off. They aren’t due to start training camp until mid-July. This is the moment the coaches and front office feel the most uncomfortable. With all of the free time, some players get into trouble. We have already seen some of that happen during General Manager Ryan Poles’ tenure with the Chicago Bears.
Hopefully, however, the players stay on their best behavior. There is a lot of hope for this season and the Chicago Bears do not want that hope dashed because of players’ actions in idle time.
After minicamp ended, head coach Matt Eberflus spoke with the press. He gave his assessment of where the team is ahead of training camp.
His impression of the new-look roster
Poles did an incredible job of overhauling the roster. He especially did a great job of fixing the struggling offense. He added running back D’Andre Swift, tight end Gerald Everett, and wide receivers Rome Odunze and Keenan Allen. Those are in addition to Williams, the top overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft.
Of course, it will take some time for the players to jell. There are a lot of new faces, including offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. Everyone is working to understand each other and learn a new offensive system.
Defensively, even though Eberflus will call the plays like he did last season, there will
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be a new defensive coordinator. Eric Washington will take over the day-to-day operations on defense. He will also have a say in the game plan for the defense.
Earlier in the offseason, Poles spoke about how it will be much more difficult to make the Chicago Bears. In years past, they were looking for players who could stick around for a little while. This year, however, Eberflus and his staff can concentrate on position battles. Instead of looking for players who could stick, the Bears are looking more in-depth at the positions.
The roster is different, we’re in a different spot. I think you can really hone in on the battles.
On the defense
While the offense had gotten the bulk of the attention, it is the defense that could be very impressive. The unit played better as the season progressed in 2023. While some of the stats did not seem elite, the defense had to come back from a huge hole.
Through the first four games, the Chicago Bears allowed 34.2 points per game. In the next 13 games, though, that average plummeted to 18.6 points per game. In addition, the defense ranked number one against the run (after finishing 31st the season before), number five in total turnovers, and number one in interceptions.
There is a lot of excitement coming from the defense. The players expect to pick up where they left off last season and take off from there. With all the new faces on offense, the defense might have to carry the team early in the season.
Eberflus was excited at how the defense was confident and dominant at times. However, Eberflus wants the defense to back up its words during the season.
I tell the players all the time: words are awesome. But it comes down to what we do on the grass. We got to be who we say we’re going to be.
On how the top two rookies are progressing
All eyes are on the top rookies in camp. Williams and Odunze were Chicago’s top two picks in this year’s NFL Draft. After working in rookie camp and OTAs, Williams got his first look at the Chicago Bears’ vaunted defense.
It went about how you would expect. Williams had his ups and downs. He threw
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interceptions on Days 1 and 2, but he also made some big throws for touchdowns. On Day 3, he had a good day by not throwing any interceptions.
We saw Caleb improve. We saw the offense get better and better. His game will go where it needs to be. He’s progressed all the way across.
Odunze has been extremely impressive. He caught the eye of the secondary players. He ran great routes and bullied a secondary group many feel could be one of the best in the league. With the offense also having D.J. Moore and Allen, two of the elite wide receivers in the league, Odunze’s good play bodes well for the Chicago Bears offense.
Odunze also impressed Eberflus.
Rome really impressed us.
Now Eberflus is waiting for training camp. Once that arrives, he needs to get all the players on the right page. Training camp is right before the season so Eberflus’ job is critical. He’s already been on the hot seat. He doesn’t want the seat to heat up again. So far, he likes what he sees from the roster.
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