It's difficult to draw any conclusions after two non-contact rookie minicamp practices, but one thing has been crystal clear this weekend at Halas Hall.
On Friday and Saturday, defensive tackle Shemar Turner, linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II and cornerback Zah Frazier provided indisputable evidence that the Bears accomplished their goal of adding speed and athleticism to their defense in the draft.
"I think we made some progress there," said defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. "I think these three guys that we drafted really help in that regard.
"Obviously right now they don't know whether it's pumped or stuffed in terms of the football, so they've got a lot of learning to do and there's a lot of things that we have to teach. But from a physical skillset standpoint, they fit the type of player that we're looking for."
The Bears view Turner as an ideal fit in Allen's system because the 6-3, 290-pounder plays with violence, relentlessness and a nasty disposition. The second-round pick appeared in 43 games in four seasons at Texas A&M, recording 115 tackles, 10.0 sacks and 24 tackles-for-loss. Over the past two years, he compiled 69 tackles, 8.0 sacks and 17 tackles-for-loss.
Turner has made a positive first impression at rookie minicamp.
"He's athletic," Allen said. "That was the first thing that we saw. You see explosion and power with this player. He's got the right temperament for what we're looking for. I think we'll have to put the saddle on him and break him a little bit … but we're excited about working with him."
Turner balances his aggressiveness on the field with an outgoing personality.
"I think he really loves football," Allen said. "And that's something that we look for in guys that we want to bring into the building because you have to love football to do all the things that are going to be necessary to have success in our league. He's got a good personality, and then when he's on the field, he's about business, so that's good to see."
Hyppolite's most impressive trait is obvious to anyone who sees him in practice. It also was a key factor in the Bears drafting him in the fourth round out of Maryland.
"The No. 1 thing is he can run," Allen said. "The things that we're going to have to ask our 'backers to have to do, they've got to be able to match up with tight ends, with running backs at times. They've got to be able to match up with wide receivers; sometimes that's carrying things vertical down the field.
"We're looking for guys that can run, and then we're looking for guys that have a physical mentality, physical demeanor."
Hyppolite was not invited to the NFL Combine. But the 6-foot, 236-pounder boosted his draft stock by running a blazing 4.39 40 at his Pro Day.
"Speed is key for me," Hyppolite said. "It's all about knowing where I'm supposed to be and what I'm supposed to do, and the speed comes after that. I feel like I have a great ability to react before everyone else on the field, so that's where the speed comes into play. But it all comes by knowing what to do."
To that end, Hyppolite gathered with his fellow linebackers at the team hotel Friday night to study the playbook and review their first NFL practice.
"We got together, went over some of the install and then, for myself, just went over the install on the iPad, writing down, taking notes, doing what I do best and locking in and maintaining," he said. "I spent like an hour and some change last night just going through everything again before coming out today. Just want to be prepared and ready to go."
Hyppolite impressed Allen and the Bears during a pre-draft visit to Halas Hall.
"What I did learn is that he's very mature and he's business-oriented," Allen said. "He's got his life together off the field, which is going to allow him to be able to focus on the field with the football. There's not going to be a lot of outside distractions with this guy, and that's a positive. I think he's going to be a guy that's going to learn how to be a pro really quickly because of that maturity level."
Hyppolite was asked about his businesslike approach.
"I don't know anything about the NFL," said the 23-year-old. "First year here. Learning, watching guys, being quiet, shutting up, that's probably the best thing for me right now. And just learning. I love DA (Dennis Allen). He's very quiet. Unique personality. I feel like him and I get along together. He told me in the meeting yesterday, 'I need a better day from you.' That was good for me to hear. Even though he's quiet, everything's being evaluated. It's all about handling my business. It's work. I'm in the real world now. Gotta love it."
Frazier, a fifth-round pick from Texas-San Antonio, provided a highlight in Saturday's practice by breaking up a pass intended for first-year receiver John Jackson along the sideline.
"The biggest thing is you've got a big, long press corner that can run," Allen said. "He made a play out there today … and that's kind of what we saw with him."
"I was [in] press man," Frazier said. "He gave me a good release. I stabbed him. I just played my technique, and I didn't panic. And once you don't panic, good things happen. That was a good thing, having a little PBU. I want the ball, though."
That mentality contributed to Frazier recording six interceptions last year at UTSA. An intriguing developmental prospect, the 6-3, 186-pounder possesses a lanky build that reminds some of Bears defensive backs coach Al Harris, a two-time Pro Bowl cornerback during a 14-year NFL career from 1998-2011.
"[Frazier] has got a lot of things that he's got to learn," Allen said. "But he's got the tools for us to work with. And who better to work with him than Al Harris, a guy that's got kind of a similar frame and played a long time in this league, had a lot of success. We're excited about getting the opportunity to work with [Frazier] and seeing him grow."
