Nothing 'breezy' about Bears' battles between top wide receivers, cornerbacks in training camp
Other than rookie quarterback Caleb Williams’ progress, the battles between Bears wide receivers and cornerbacks are the most compelling action of training camp.
Those two units, left virtually bare by former general manager Ryan Pace, finally look right. The Bears have come a long way from coach Matt Eberflus’ first training camp, when most of their receivers and corners were struggling to stay in the league.
Now there’s proven talent on both sides — elite talent, in many cases.
“It’s something that’s palpable,” said Eberflus, who called it the most dramatic upgrade in personnel compared to his first year. “You’ll be able to feel it when you’re out there.
“They also believe in themselves at a very high level, and that’s where the competition comes, so it’s gonna be exciting to watch.”
It definitely was Sunday.
When Williams settled behind center to begin an end-of-half drill late in practice, he had 1,300-yard receiver D.J. Moore to the right going against presumed rising star Tyrique Stevenson. To the left, he saw a potential Hall of Famer in Keenan Allen trying to beat $76 million man Jaylon Johnson.
Ultra-rangy nickelback Kyler Gordon lurked out there, too, and the only piece missing was No. 9 overall pick Rome Odunze, who was in a ramp-up day after missing practice the day before.
It's fierce every snap. On one play, Williams looked for Allen, but Johnson gave him no space and the defense forced what would’ve been a coverage sack. Gordon later broke up a pass to Moore, and Stevenson sent the first-team offense to the sideline by stepping in front of Moore for an interception.
The receivers have had their moments as well, and as camp goes on and Williams acclimates, they’re sure to have more. It’s the best possible preparation these units can get.
“That’s when you start dominating other teams,” Johnson said. “You’re so used to going against dawg after dawg after dawg in practice. When you get to the game, everybody is not a dawg.
“It’s definitely going to push us... and vice versa. There are definitely some elements or some things we can give them so that when we go out there on Sundays, it’s a breeze.”
The Bears haven’t been fortified to this level at those positions since 2012, when they had Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery going against Charles Tillman and Tim Jennings.
They’re miles ahead of where Pace left them. When Ryan Poles stepped in, they had Darnell Mooney and little else at receiver, and Johnson was the lone starting-caliber cornerback.
Poles immediately added Gordon as a second-round pick in 2022 and Stevenson in the second round the next year. He also drafted and developed solid backups in Josh Blackwell and Terell Smith and quickly turned a deficit into a surplus.
It was rockier at wide receiver, most notably with the disastrous trade for Chase Claypool, but Poles made headway with the deal that brought in Moore. And thanks to prudently managing the salary cap and draft capital, he had the margin to give up a fourth-round pick for Allen and absorb his $23.1 million cap hit this season.
It’s premature to assume Odunze will be an afterthought. He led the FCS in yards receiving at Washington last season, and when teams draft a wide receiver in the top 10, they usually envision instant impact.
“It’s a challenge coming in as a rookie and having vets like Keenan and DJ already in the room, but my mindset coming in is being the best in the room,” Odunze said.
The Bears aren’t depending on that, like they would’ve been in other seasons. If Odunze is that good right away, it’s a bonus.
They haven’t been able to think that way at corner or receiver over the last decade or so. But after years of having far too little at those crucial positions, the Bears now have more than enough.