Bears launch training camp with emphasis on competition, continued development of QB Justin Fields
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago Bears veteran defensive lynchpins Roquan Smith and Robert Quinn both reported to training camp on Tuesday, but it remains unclear if they'll actually participate once practices begin Wednesday.
Smith, who is entering the last year of his rookie contract, is not expected to practice until he gets a new long term deal.
General manager Ryan Poles wouldn't get into any details about contract negotiations, but did say nothing has changed about how he feels about Smith as a player and what he can bring to this team.
"My feelings for Roquan don't change at all. And that won't change. I'm not going to talk about contracts and all that," he said.
What are the Bears missing without Smith?
"S**t, our leader," cornerback Jaylon Johnson said. "Y'all don't know what Roquan is, and what he means to the team. Somebody gotta fill that gap. No different than if he injured."
Meantime, coming off setting the team's single-season sack record, Quinn is also at Halas Hall, but skipped the Bears' mandatory minicamp last month. Quinn reportedly would prefer to be traded to a playoff contender than be part of the Bears' rebuild, but Poles said he hasn't heard any such demands from Quinn.
"I haven't had that conversation with him," Poles said. "I would hope that he wants to be here."
As for the other side of the ball, Poles called this a critical training camp for 2nd year quarterback Justin Fields. Of course, last summer Fields missed out on valuable reps since he didn't come in as the #1 QB.
Fields said he wants to get better in all aspects of his game, after essentially being thrown into the fire midseason.
"Just being calm in the game, just being on time with routes, and the concepts that we have in the offense. Just playing on time with my feet. So, I think, as long as I do that, we're going to have a good amount of success," he said.
Head coach Matt Eberflus said Fields' leadership skills and grasp of the offense have been outstanding.
"We've talked about his footwork and his fundamentals. That's through the roof," Eberflus said. "He's doing a great job. So, we're excited about having him grow every single day, and he is, too, and he's just getting better and better. Again, he's not where he needs to be, but that's why we have training camp. He's going to keep getting better and better and better all the way to the first game. So we're excited about his development."
Fields said his failures from last year push him to be better, and he's not going to stop working until he gets that Super Bowl trophy.
After some bumps in the road this offseason, things seem to be coming together for the Bears' offensive line, as Ryan Poles signed a pair of veterans to help protect Fields in right guard Michael Schofield and offensive tackle Riley Reiff.
Eberflus didn't have a deadline for when he wants the starting offensive line settled, just saying the sooner the better.
It sounds like Eberflus will really be pushing his players in camp, emphasizing lots of competition.
"Our foundation is going to be built on the principles we believe in. One of those things is hard work. The intensity piece will be on display in camp once we have the pads," Eberflus said. "We want to see guys compete. Lot of spots in flux. Find the best competition of players."
As Johnson put it, players "better be mentally strong."
"They're emphasizing really running to the ball, like you guys know. We got to be in shape. We're going to be running a lot more. Everything's just emphasized differently. Everything is just being harped on, and I mean the way that they count loafs. The way that they just hold us accountable is crazy compared to what we're used to, really. But I feel like it's all going to pay off. You can never be in too much shape. You can never be too physical. You can never play football hard enough. I feel like it's all for good measure, for good purpose. But it's definitely going to be a challenge, and I feel like we're up for it," he said.
Johnson said that every player at some point already has been called out in a film session for not going hard enough, so an expect an intense camp.
"As we go through camp, I'm looking for a couple things… for guys to compete and bring the best out of each other," Poles said. "The other thing is resilience. In camp, every camp, every offseason, and that goes into the season, there's ups and downs. A resilient team, I think, is absolutely important to be successful."
