Five things we learned during Chicago Bears’ veteran minicamp

LAKE FOREST – The Bears wrapped up their offseason program Thursday with their final day of veteran minicamp. Players now have about a month off before returning for training camp in late July.

Practices this time of year are not padded, so players can’t hit each other and they are often being extra cautious not to collide out on the field. That being said, there’s still a lot to learn in the spring.

Here’s five things we learned from the offseason program.

1. Justin Fields is in command

This belongs in the category of: We thought so already, but this spring further confirmed it. This is Justin Fields’ offense. The QB might be only 24 years old, but he’s running things in the huddle and in the locker room.

His teammates look toward him as a leader of the team, even his more veteran teammates. That goes for offensive or defensive players.

“When you have a competitive person who is internally motivated and a leader like he is and he’s continuing to grow, I’m very impressed with him,” tight end Robert Tonyan said.

2. D-line is still an edge rusher away

It’s hard to make much of the offensive or defensive lines before pads come on. That being said, the Bears still lack star power on the edge. They added defensive end DeMarcus Walker, who is coming off a seven-sack season, in free agency, but otherwise made small adjustments at the defensive end position.

During minicamp, free agent addition Terrell Lewis showed flashes of promise, but the fourth-year pro has never had more than three sacks in a season.

The Bears, still with $32 million in salary cap space this season, should absolutely be in the market for any of the remaining pass rushers available in free agency.

“Yeah, I think they’re always looking for all positions,” head coach Matt Eberflus said. “You know, I think that is one position we are looking at and potentially we could get that done.”

3. Time will tell, but passing attack improving

It’s June. Nobody is going to win or lose a football game for three months. Still, the additions that general manager Ryan Poles made this offseason have significantly bolstered what was the worst passing attack the NFL has seen in a decade.

Moore elevates the floor and vastly increases the potential ceiling for this offense. No. 10 overall pick Darnell Wright is firmly in place as the starting right tackle, and free agent Nate Davis is taking over at right guard.

On top of that, Fields is looking comfortable in year two with Eberflus and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.

“There’s no teacher like experience,” Eberflus said. “There just isn’t. You can talk about it all you want. You want to swing the golf club, you can talk about it until you’re blue in the face. Until you actually take a lesson and learn how to grip the club, take a stance and swing at it, there’s nothing like experience.”

The Bears are hoping all that experience Fields gained last season pays off.

4. Tyrique Stevenson looks like a starter

Rookie second-round pick Tyrique Stevenson appears to be heading for the starting lineup. The Bears used him a lot as a boundary corner during minicamp, with Kyler Gordon playing the nickel.

“Keep competing,” Eberflus said. “We love where he is in terms of his length, his competitiveness and we know he tackles. We know he likes to hit. That’s why he’s here. Corners need to tackle. They need to really be a physical force out there.”

While Stevenson is technically competing with Kindle Vildor and others for the job, it looks as if he could be the front-runner. A lot can change in training camp, though. If Stevenson is the real deal, the Bears might go into the season feeling really good about their secondary.

“We love where he is in terms of his length, his competitiveness and we know he tackles. We know he likes to hit. That’s why he’s here.”

—  Matt Eberflus, Bears head coach on CB Tyrique Stevenson

5. Trending toward a running back by committee

When the Bears signed D’Onta Foreman in free agency, it was widely assumed that Foreman and Khalil Herbert would be splitting the running back job. Nothing from this spring seemed to indicate otherwise.

Both backs saw opportunities with the first-team offense, and both likely will continue to do so.

“Those are both guys who can really tote the rock,” Eberflus said.

Eberflus also noted he’s excited to see those guys “work together.” This is how much of the NFL is trending. Teams need a solid stable of backs. The only cause for concern here is that neither Herbert nor Foreman has caught very many passes in his career.

Rookie fourth-round pick Roschon Johnson is the wild card here. Like with the linemen, it’s hard to truly know how the running backs look until pads come on. Those three make for an interesting group to watch during camp.