The Bears' seventh training camp practice Wednesday was a light non-contact workout after two straight days in pads. Here's what transpired:
The highlight of practice was Caleb Williams' performance in a 7-on-7 red-zone drill. The third-year quarterback completed 9 of 10 passes, including five touchdowns.
First-year receiver Kaden Davis produced the most impressive catch with a diving one-handed grab in the back corner of the end zone. Davis signed with the Bears in mid-June following the conclusion of their offseason program. He has appeared in three NFL games the past two seasons with the Browns, playing 16 snaps on offense and 34 on special teams, averaging 33.8 yards on four kickoff returns and making one tackle.
Happy for Wright
Coaches and teammates praised right tackle Darnell Wright, one day after the 10th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft signed a four-year contract extension.
"I think a big part of Darnell is the growth you've seen from the time we've been here," said offensive coordinator Press Taylor, who's in his second year with the Bears. "He's obviously a very talented player. He was taken in the top 10, and then he continues to take those steps towards being more consistent every single day.
"What he's able to do to just manhandle another person on the field is impressive, and it's just about Darnell continuing to earn the contract he just got and continuing to put his best foot forward every single day and just keep getting better and better."
Running back Kyle Monangai told reporters that it's easy to run behind Wright, a second-team All-Pro last season, "because he moves whatever's in front of him."
"We all heard the news about the recent signing," Monangai said. "No one's more deserving."
Extra credit
Discussing his extension with the media, Wright revealed that offensive line coach Dan Roushar "has helped me a tremendous amount."
"He's consistent every day in what he does and what he says," Wright said. "He's consistent in what he's telling you. He's honest. Some coaches I've had in the past or some coaches in the league, they're not very good teachers. They see a guy with talent, but they can't really convey what it is and teach you. You still need to be taught. He is such a good teacher, and he's not yelling at you, he's not screaming at you, he's not demeaning you. He's telling you what's good about the rep and he's telling you what's bad about the rep so you can see both sides."
Wright also credited general manager Ryan Poles for advocating for him from Day 1.
"He really invested in me [by] helping me get more one-on-one time with the coaches, one-on-one time more with the strength staff, one-on-one time more with [assistant strength and conditioning coach] Mark [Philippi] in there doing core strength," Wright said. "Sometimes it's hard for a player to approach a coach and want to take all their time when they've got stuff to do, but he was invested in me at a really early age, beyond what you'd think a GM would do."
Attack mode
Wright and Monangai were both key cogs in a Bears running game that ranked third in the NFL last year, averaging 144.5 yards per game. The rushing attack is a top priority to coach Ben Johnson, who leads the run install meetings.
"I don't think Ben has ever mentioned the word efficiency," Taylor said. "We talk about explosive. We are trying to attack a defense. I think there's a perception of a lot of people we're going to run the ball, we're going to stay efficient and control the clock. We are looking to attack the defense. We are looking to attack fronts, to expose space, to create run lanes, to create explosives, and we don't look at the run game as a way to stay on track. We look at the run game as a way to attack defenses and really be explosive and continue to just put our foot on the gas the entire game."
The Bears' ground game is a precise, detail-oriented system.
"The minor details are the difference between winning or losing a play," Monangai said. "Execution is key, and details are key to execution. That's everything in our offense. Everybody's part matters. Everybody needs to do their part for the play to be successful. Our running game is not bland. I think everyone knows that. I think if you ask D-coordinators, they'll tell you that Ben Johnson's run game is not bland and he's going to come at you in different ways.
"We try to make things look similar and attack you in whatever way we see a weakness. We also sometimes say, 'Hey, we're going to run the ball and do this, and you have to try and stop us.' We take a lot of time each day trying to master it so that when we go out there, it's flawless for us."
Decisive runner
Selected by the Bears in the seventh round of last year's draft, Monangai enjoyed a stellar rookie season, rushing for 783 yards and five TDs on 169 carries. He and veteran D'Andre Swift (1,087 yards and nine TDs) were the only NFL teammates to both rush for at least 750 yards.
"That rookie class last year, those guys kind of put their head down and went to work," Taylor said. "That was Kyle from the jump. You didn't hear a lot from Kyle. He didn't speak a whole lot, but he's a guy that's about the right stuff. Kyle is going to work. He wants to know exactly how you want it done, and then he can do it.
"When he puts his foot in the ground and he goes north, he's making decisions. He's a very decisive runner right there. When he understands the intent of the play and what we're trying to get done, he's going to make a decision. And he's just somebody that's going to get going for us and keep us moving."
Kmet a tone-setter
Taylor praised Cole Kmet for the impact the veteran tight end continues to make on and off the field, especially in position meetings mentoring second-year pro Colston Loveland and rookie third-round choice Sam Roush.
"Cole is everything that we are about," Taylor said. "The way he approaches his work in the meeting room, in the building, just the presence he is … He sets the tone for us. He's got the right mindset and he's about the right stuff. He can do anything we ask. He can line up at fullback, he can be inline, he can motion out, he can play in space. And he's been a great role model for Colston, for Sam, for those guys, but also just our entire offense as an entire unit, he has done a great job."
Let's get physical
Taylor provided a candid assessment of the offense over the first eight days of training camp. The Bears held four non-contact practices last Tuesday through Friday and padded workouts Monday and Tuesday this week.
"Putting the pads on, it changes the intensity of practice and the physicality," he said. "We're pleased with the physicality we've had. We think we could still go another step with that. I think we've taken a step back, honestly, in our pre-snap communication — from the huddle, breaking the huddle, at the line of scrimmage.
"[Tuesday] was definitely not our best day as an offensive unit, and we feel like going back, watching it, meeting as a unit, we feel like we lost the snap before the ball was ever put in play. A lot of times, just not being on the same page, not seeing something the same way, not communicating as the picture was changing. And that's the beauty of playing against DA (defensive coordinator Dennis Allen) every single day is you're going to get something that you haven't necessarily repped against before.
"We know we're going to see it again and we want to get it addressed. And in terms of these young players and just growing in their communication, their understanding of the system, it's huge. It's invaluable, but it can expose you if you're not ready and you're not doing a great job communicating or passing it down throughout the line. So, that's something we're looking to really improve."
