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Official Bears Training Camp Thread


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Here are a couple more things (BTW - I feel I should let you  I'm getting this from a poster on the Bears message boards, NaNaBear2

I know of a poster on KFFL called NaNaBear and she is David Terrell's mom. Same person?

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For a bit of a national perspective on our Bears, here's a John Clayton article - or review, say:

 

 

Training camp tour

John Clayton and Len ...

 

By John Clayton

ESPN.com

 

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- Five observations on the Chicago Bears from training camp practices.

 

 

Thomas Jones

Running Back

Chicago Bears

Profile

 

 

2003 SEASON STATISTICS

Rush Yds TD Rec Yds TD

137 627 3 24 180 0

 

 

 

1.Thomas Jones could be the surprise back of the season. He fills the Priest Holmes role in this offense, which is a lot to ask of a fifth-year back who never had more than 138 carries in a season. The Cardinals made him the seventh pick in 2000. He produced 1,891 yards on 499 carries -- in four years. The Cardinals thought they'd get 1,800 yards in one year. His 4.6 yard average in Tampa Bay last year offered him hope. "Last year I felt more alive," Jones said. "Tampa is more of a football atmosphere than in Arizona. There, it's more a business atmosphere. In Arizona, I wasn't as clean getting to the line of scrimmage. A lot of times, a lot of guys were in my face before I got to the line of scrimmage. The line had bigger guys who were not as mobile, so defenders could kinda run around them. In Tampa, the line was more disciplined." Early in camp, Jones is getting his timing down with Grossman on the many checkdown routes over the middle and to the side. Jones has the speed, vision and pass-catching skills to be pretty good in the Bears system. It would be surprising if he doesn't have a 1,000-yard, 50-catch season.

 

 

 

For in-depth position-by-position breakdowns for every team heading into training, we turned to our friends at Scouts, Inc.

 

Scouts: Rams camp

 

Become an Insider

 

2.Though quarterback Rex Grossman has the quick decision-making and strong arm to work well in the Bears offense -- the same offense the Rams, Chiefs and others run -- it will be interesting to see if the receivers fit the system. David Terrell, Marty Booker and Justin Gage were tall receivers who were drafted for West Coast offense, which requires a different type of stride. This offense needs receivers with quicker feet and more ability to run after the catch. It will be a stretch for all three to fit. Booker missed the first few practices with a hamstring injury, and Gage shows some quick feet despite being 6-4, 210. Terrell has first-round ability, though, which gives him a chance. "I've been hearing I'm not supposed to fit into this offense, but we'll see," said Booker.

 

 

Brian Urlacher

Linebacker

Chicago Bears

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2003 SEASON STATISTICS

Tot Ast Solo FF Sack Int

115 87 28 0 3 0

 

 

 

3.The Bears could be okay if they enter the season with weakside linebacker Lance Briggs filling in for injured middle linebacker Brian Urlacher, but the linebacking corps is dangerously thin on experience. Briggs and Joe Odom are in their second year. Marcus Reese, a 233-pound first-year player who played in NFL Europe this spring, is running first team on the outside during Urlacher's absence. When NFL Europe guys slip into the starting lineup the first day of camp, you have to worry. Help may be on way with fourth-round choice Leon Joe, who can move and hit.

 

 

 

4.A year ago, the Bears were woefully thin along the offensive line. It became dependent on Aaron Gibson, at the time a castoff of the Lions and the Cowboys, to start at right tackle. Fortunately for the Bears, Gibson, a former first-rounder, played pretty well. This summer, the line looks deep. Eight-time Pro Bowler Ruben Brown is running second team. The guard-to-guard situation is pretty good with Rex Tucker and Mike Gandy at guard and Olin Kreutz at center. Free-agent signing John Tait has the flexibility of playing left or right tackle. The Bears front office loves the potential of 355-pound Qasim Mitchell at left tackle. You figure Tait ends up on the left and Gibson on the right, giving the Bears two former first-rounders on the flanks. But Mitchell could make things interesting for depth if he can start, a move that could knock Gibson from the starting lineup.

 

 

Michael Haynes

Defensive End

Chicago Bears

Profile

 

 

2003 SEASON STATISTICS

Tot Ast Solo FF Sack Int

22 18 4 1 2 0

 

 

 

5.Despite the improvements at defensive tackle with the drafting of Tommie Harris and Tank Johnson, the Bears are once against thin on a perimeter pass-rush. Michael Haynes looks more comfortable at end in his second season, but he doesn't have that quick pass-rushing step to be a double-digit sacker. The Bears had only 18 sacks last season, 10 by defensive ends. Meanwhile, Harris and Johnson have to spend the camp anchoring down along the line so they aren't pushed back by good run-blockers.

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This is from PFT so i dont know how reliable it is

 

LOVIE RESPONSIBLE FOR HAMMY OUTBREAK?

 

Our Chitown mole tells us that Bears G.M. Jerry Angelo privately has voiced concerned that the team's rash of hamstring pulls is related directly to efforts by coach Lovie Smith to get players to lose weight over the offseason.

 

Players who have fallen victim to hamstring injuries in the first week of camp include Brian Urlacher, Marty Booker, Jamin Elliott, Desmond Clark, Adrian Peterson, Mike Gandy and John Gilmore.

 

Perhaps not coincidentally, Smith has canceled the team's Tuesday morning practice.

 

Last week, Smith explained his strategy regarding the shrinkage of his team.

 

"It's a different philosophy," he said. "We just think everyone should lose weight."

 

We're also hearing that running back Anthony Thomas could miss up to six weeks with an abdominal strain. Thomas has been the subject of trade rumors, but it's now extremely unlikely that anything will happen until he's healthy again.

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