Chicago Bears veteran minicamp: Team leaders already feel a more ‘team-oriented’ vibe

LAKE FOREST – Defensive tackle Justin Jones signed with the Bears a year ago knowing he was walking into an uncertain situation. The Bears had hired a new general manager and a new head coach. They had recently traded away Khalil Mack, signaling a major roster overhaul.

But he probably couldn’t have predicted the 3-14 season the Bears had. GM Ryan Poles mostly stayed away from the bigger fish on the free-agent market, and elected to sign cheaper veterans on one- and two-year deals. It was a reset year, and just about everything went wrong – other than quarterback Justin Fields’ 1,000-yard rushing performance.

A year later, Jones feels a different energy. That’s what will happen when the organization drafts 10 new players and spends a boatload of money in free agency.

We got a lot more guys who are more team-oriented.”

—  Justin Jones, Bears defensive lineman

“We got a lot more guys who are more team-oriented,” Jones said Tuesday at Halas Hall in Lake Forest. “When you’ve got a bunch of guys that are on one-year deals and they’re all worried about where they’re going to be next year, it’s kind of hard to build a tight group. But when you’ve got guys that are going to be here for three years, four years, two years, guys who really want to come in here and win, that’s when you really start cooking with fire.”

The Bears signed linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards, defensive end DeMarcus Walker and offensive guard Nate Davis to multiyear contracts. They invested heavily in adding pieces around Fields, notably trading for receiver DJ Moore.

“I felt like a couple things were missing last year,” veteran safety Eddie Jackson said. “We did a good job in the offseason filling in those pieces that we really need and just the type of guys we have in the locker room – real leaders, guys who really care about football.”

Jones was pumped that the Bears invested so much in the defensive tackle position with the additions of Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens in the draft. Jones said Dexter is “going to be a force in this league” and noted that Pickens reminds him of himself.

The defensive line looked good Tuesday during veteran minicamp at Halas Hall. Tuesday’s practice, which was not padded, was the first of three this week before the team breaks for about a month. Fields and the offense struggled in a two-minute drill, but that was because Dexter and free-agent pass rusher Terrell Lewis found their way to the QB for a sack.

Claypool’s status: Receiver Chase Claypool remained sidelined by injury. Claypool was present Tuesday but not participating. Head coach Matt Eberflus noted that Claypool is dealing with more than one issue.

“Just a few minor things that he’s working with,” Eberflus said. “What’s great about this time of year is we have the luxury of him working with the trainers. He’s not on a time crunch, and we can get him fully healthy working into the summer because we have 40 days when we break from here to get ready for that report to training camp.”

Receiver Darnell Mooney remains out as he rehabs an ankle injury. Eberflus wouldn’t say whether Mooney has done any individual work on the football field yet. Linebacker Jack Sanborn remains out as he also rehabs an ankle injury from late last season.

Other players who didn’t practice included rookie cornerback Terell Smith, linebacker Sterling Weatherford, receiver Joe Reed and defensive lineman Jalyn Holmes.

Overall, Eberflus said the entire roster has been at Halas Hall for veteran minicamp, which is mandatory, even if not everyone is available for practice.

Davis update: New right guard Nate Davis said his decision to skip two weeks of OTAs was nothing unusual. He said he was taking care of business off the field, and he remained in contact with the team throughout.

“[It was] just be able to get my body right, my mind right, and be able to take care of off-the-field stuff, too,” Davis said.

With Davis back the past two weeks, the Bears have had the chance to see their starting five in action on the offensive line. So far, that group has been Braxton Jones at left tackle, Teven Jenkins at left guard, Cody Whitehair at center, Davis at right guard and Darnell Wright at right tackle.

“Hopefully, it won’t be the moving chairs like we had last year, which is always difficult,” Eberflus said. “You’d like to have some continuity in there, and hopefully we can get that done.”

Lucas Patrick has been working at center, too, but Whitehair is the starter, Eberflus said Tuesday.