Three burning questions as Bears’ offseason minicamp begins

Tuesday marks the beginning of the Bears’ first offseason minicamp under coach Matt Eberflus. Bears fans will learn a lot about the team’s new coach this week. The team has practices Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, with Eberflus and several players set to meet with the media each day.

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This week’s minicamp is voluntary. All participating players are veterans, since the NFL draft isn’t until next week. Here’s what to watch for this week.

1. What does Eberflus’ coaching style look like?

There has been much talk about what Eberflus will bring to the Bears, but so far nobody has actually seen it put into action. This week’s practices, the entirety of which are open to members of the media, will provide a glimpse of what’s to come.

This isn’t training camp. The intensity of these practices likely will be relatively light. The team already has been doing organized workouts for several weeks, but those were limited to strength and conditioning.

On the day he was introduced, Eberflus warned his players to grab their running shoes. Based on the pictures the team posted from last week’s closed training sessions, he wasn’t kidding. He’ll probably want to portray that message while the media, and their cameras, are watching this week.

With several players speaking before each practice, fans will hear what the players think about Eberflus now that they’ve had a chance to see him in action. These spring practices set the tone for the rest of the year. It’s time to find out what that tone is.

2. What does Justin Fields think about Luke Getsy?

When quarterback Justin Fields last spoke with the media in January, he barely had done more than exchange text messages with Eberflus. The two shared a handshake at Halas Hall that day after their media obligations were finished.

Now Fields will have had several months of contact with not only Eberflus but also offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. Nobody knows what Getsy’s offense is going to look like. He didn’t detail any specifics when he took over as coordinator. This week probably won’t indicate too much in that area. But this is still a great chance to get a read on the OC.

Fields’ impression of Getsy – as a coach, a tactician and a person – will be vital. This offense is never going to work if Fields and Getsy aren’t on the same page. A good working relationship in September has to begin building in April and May. Getsy helped revitalize the Packers’ offense under head coach Matt LaFleur for three seasons, guiding Aaron Rodgers’ return to MVP form as his QBs coach.

The Bears envision a similar offensive revitalization with Getsy in Chicago now. His relationship with Fields likely will make or break the next few years of Bears football. It has to start on the right foot.

3. At which positions can the Bears still add talent?

It’s too early to judge the team that general manager Ryan Poles has built for the 2022 season. It’s an incomplete job at this point. The Bears have six selections in the draft, which begins April 28. They still have time to add via free agency. In fact, they signed tight end James O’Shaughnessy on Monday.

This week will give Poles a better idea of where his roster stands at each position. After this week, he will know where he still needs to add depth and talent. Poles already should have an idea of what he wants to do with his top draft picks, but this week could make it crystal clear what the most pressing needs are. The Bears hold two second-round picks (39th and 48th overall) and a third-round pick (71st overall). In theory, each of those picks could nab potential starters if they hit on each pick. They also hold two fifth-round picks and a sixth-round pick.

Wide receiver and offensive line remain key spots to watch. The Bears haven’t done much to give Fields additional weapons at receiver. The team added free agents Byron Pringle and Equanimeous St. Brown but has only six receivers on the roster. It will need several more to fill out the 90-man roster by training camp.

Besides the draft, there could be additional veterans hitting the free-agent market after the draft and after June 1, when teams can spread the cap hit over an additional year.

Poles should be watching his team this week with a keen eye.