DABEARSDABOMB

We have the LB, battle for 3rd vs 4th wideout, Lt, 2nd corner plus depth. But I think it is more the message and tone but also the way he reinforces the standard.

I saw a quote that BJ said starting jobs and positions are going to be heavily weighted by these upcoming joint practice. Way he said it kind of just continues with how he sets the tone that practice matters and details matters and message he sent on an off day was - you better show up with your best against Miami cause I’m making decisions on this stuff.

This was not the type of practice they should do all the time - but you also have to practice with real intensity and balance and I love the tone they are trying to set. And Biggs said since lovie all of the other major bear outlets said most physical and intense they had ever seen. Any way you slice it - this is a very different coaching staff and tone that is being taken. It also sounds like it was a pretty damn good practice with flash plays by offense and defense!

Ben Johnson is definitely different. He’s like no coach I’ve seen the Bears have in my lifetime. Every second I hear how he operates or see it - just gives me confidence. My only real struggle right now is Caleb not throwing guys open given he struggled a ton with it last year. I get that it is still new system and they are throwing a lot at him - but I want to see progress these next few weeks and then of course throughout the season. Im excited though for Ben - seems like the absolute real deal!

Offense struggled a ton. Lots of penalties and Caleb still struggling to throw guys open etc.

Yeah - he’ll never hit free agency with franchise tag etc but my problem is the combination of draft capital combined with cap space. If it was purely cap space cause you are getting him as a UFA - back up the truck and pay the man.

You are spot on

I thought this was a pretty good read. I have a lot of faith right now in Ben Johnson. I do hope we see some big days from Caleb though - but this really seems like they are trying to make practice harder for him than the games - which is great - really push him.

Every aspect of Johnson screams they found their coach. Right now my biggest question is whether Caleb is hungry and willing to put in work it takes to be great. Last year and in college - he didn’t have a standard set that required work. Riley’s system is notorious for being easy and he never has made his QBs work a ton (had a lot of success though) and Flus and Waldron set weak standards. Really curious to see how Caleb responds to being truly coached hard for first time. I hope he has and is willing to work his tail off.

He missed mandatory camp and now he is starting training camp hurt with a non football injury. Hope it isn’t serious but I’m a little concerned his ego has gotten a bit too big - need to see him show that hunger. I know he wants a huge new deal just one year after signing. If he wants it - go out and crush it - go be an all pro db! Less talk - more production. Will be curious how BJ and Dennis Allen handle cause this could be a test of leadership - but hopefully it’s nothing.

I hope Burden is ready to go - him missing time during rookie camp was a bummer. Hope he is 100 percent and ready to learn and put in the work! &nbsp Same with Loveland but he gets a minor pass since we knew he was hurt when we drafted him.

Not the Bears I want making a principled stance on player contracts in this direction - not worth it.

Spot on

Unless I’m mistaken - I think the Bears made those moves when Virginia was alive. I thought she passed after the Ben Johnson hire. So maybe with her nearing the end they felt like they had to swing big!

Likewise - hope the surgery goes smoothly

Exactly - I’ve seen enough of paper champs from the Bears. I want to see badass production and significant growth on the field.

This is like Nagys first year. They traded for Mack and that worked in year one - it was the wrong move though - gave up too much assets out of gate and it hampered team to fill and be more aggressive in filling two years after. Hold the chips so we can see who develops, who doesn’t and where they need to pivot.

He is setting a whole nother standard and really kind of showing Caleb and rest of the team - they got a lot to work on to get to level needed - I LOVE it!!! Dude just seems to be wired different. I hope Caleb is there next week for the rookie and younger player OTA and than in his month off basically is full bore working on all the things BJ pressed him on these past few weeks. We got to see that passion burn for Caleb to push himself cause it’s clear he has a ways to go (and he was NOT pushed hard enough last year - that is on him just as much as coaching staff - but we basically wasted a chunk of last year cause I think he missed a whole year of being pushed to grow and see what the standard really looks like).

I think we all saw enough to know Caleb has a lot to work on. He also has a lot of talent. Facts are he has a totally new standard being set from the top on down. Ben Johnson is a proven play caller who knows offense and is a stickler for the little things - from how to get in and out of the huddle, to how to line up, where the ball goes, and even how you handle your emotions on sidelines. He knows all those little things add up and create a material difference. Caleb has never been coached like this. Caleb has talent - that is clear - but now that he has an elite offensive mind to work with him - he also is going to see how hellacious the work effort is and what it takes to be elite at the NFL level. Let’s hope Caleb has it in him cause I think there is probably a bit of an eye opening experience going on right now with a number of players who were used to the cupcake nature of Eberflus. And I for one say it is about ducking time! And Caleb seeing Keenan who is a good back up leverage his smarts to look better than him just puts more pressure on Caleb to elevate all aspects of his game.

He owned it well - I also liked some of the quotes from Johnson on how he watched film with Caleb on how he reacted on field in terms of showing emotions and is working with him on that too…going back to all the little things matter. Caleb handled this little issue well and I think he has learned from it too.

I think the reality is more of this is via Caleb’s dad than via him. But I have seen a few quotes from camp about Ben Johnson ripping Kmet a new one for lining up in wrong position etc. Evidently he did same to Caleb for a big play that worked but was not the right decision. I LOVE it. For years Bears coaches and players were too soft - they need someone with a totally different standard. Bears evidently also did some 6 on 7 today which is not something they have done regularly. This forces Caleb to be even sharper with his reads and throws since defense has more numbers. Again I love it. I’ve told myself I won’t get too excited without seeing real production on field - but dang it I can’t help myself.

Excellent

And it could be - last year - many thought Flus wasn't right but McCaskey wasn't there yet to fully change his ways. Clearly when they moved quickly after the Thanksgiving debacle you could see more of that change. I think same with how they handled the hiring process with Ben Johnson and I think we even saw that with how they handled some of the assistants too - paying for a Dennis Allen as well as an EB at RB coach (who has some alpha in him). And if Warren and Poles were actually suggesting the change last off-season and McCaskey wasn't ready - he than saw that they were right - it may also just continue to support and help him learn a bit more as well as an owner so that maybe in time he learns how to get this right (and hopefully someone else in that family is also observing and getting schooled).

That is helpful and am fine if it was more his dad pre draft - but nothing good about going along with this post draft. I just hear about the film stuff etc - maybe it was other players who leaked it - kind of hard to imagine they really were that incompetent. Of course I never supported that final year of Flus. But if this was all part of the initial pain and now Ben Johnson and this offseason is what it takes to get everything over up I’ll forget about it…come on Bears!!! 🐻

I actually hate this and it makes me very worried about Caleb. Who is leaking this shit and what good does it do? Has to be coming from Caleb’s camp. How about instead of worrying about the narrative - just work right now on getting better…ripping Flus and spending time to leak this crap does nothing good.