Coach Ben Johnson is pleased with what the Bears achieved during their offseason program, which concluded Thursday at Halas Hall with a third minicamp practice.
"Talked to the players this morning and we really have accomplished a lot just in terms of the goals that we set out," Johnson said, "[with] strength and conditioning, first and foremost, technique, fundamentals, scheme installation and then some situational football which we've continued to work on."
Johnson described the team as "a really hard-working group" that is "taking it very seriously, very professional." He lauded players for performing up to the standard that was set in his first season as coach last year when the resurgent Bears won the NFC North title and a wild card playoff game over the rival Packers.
"They know what's at stake," Johnson said. "We had a solid season the year before and they're looking to build upon that. So, a lot of the momentum that we had kind of built over the course of the year, we'd like to sustain that.
"A lot of that is how we go about our business, our process, our way of life. Just like we talked about for rookie minicamp a few weeks ago is really holding each other to the standard now. I've been to a couple meetings, and the vets are upholding that. If something is not quite right, I hear them speaking up and making sure that everyone is falling in line. So, we're a lot further along in that regard and now we can focus on some finer details of the game of football. That's really been the intent over the last few weeks."
Quarterback Caleb Williams embodies that mentality, focusing on the details while holding himself and his teammates accountable.
"I think it comes with the comfort level in terms of knowing what's being asked in terms of the offense," Johnson said. "We're all aligned on what we want a certain route to look like, where we want the ball to be thrown and so, [with] routes on air, he can tell the receiver, 'hey, you're missing your depth,' or 'expect the ball to be at this spot.'
"He's stepped up and he's continuing to get better every single day, and it's just a matter of how many reps can we continue to pile on over the course of training camp. But he certainly is a vocal presence within our offense and our entire team."
Williams felt that the offense progressed throughout the offseason, especially with its play calls, checks at the line—including alerts and kills—and recognizing defensive formations.
"Just starting off where we ended last year, I think that was a big step for us," Williams said. "And then just overall getting better at everything we can, from pre-snap procedure and not having penalties, not having MAs (missed assignments), and then when bad things do happen, just being able to recover mentally and physically to go out there and execute."
Bears players will have the next six weeks off before reporting to training camp in late July. When the pads come on this summer, the competition will intensify. Two of the most intriguing position battles are expected to take place at left tackle and cornerback.
"This spring was about learning and about communication," Johnson said. "Camp is really where we're earning a spot on the 53. We'll carve out our roles. Those are a couple positions that we'll certainly have our eye on, and there will be several others where there are spots up for grabs. Special teams is a big part of what we do as well.
"I can't wait for that to start to get ramped up because I think that brings out the best in everybody as well. We'll have a plan in place in terms of, 'do we need a rotation or do we need to just let it fly?' And if we're seeing some guys rise up and start making plays with the twos and threes, we'll probably take a look and see what it looks like with the ones as well over the course of training camp. Those are good decisions to make down the line here, but I feel really good about where we're at right now."
