We are in the midst of the NFL Draft season, and it’s business time for the Chicago Bears. The team is loaded at the quarterback position, and the Bears will have to decide if they want to move on from Mike Glennon or Tarvaris Jackson. General manager Ryan Pace has received plenty of trade proposals on both players, but all signs point to Glennon staying with the team.
If it’s one thing the Chicago Bears have in common with most NFL teams, it’s that they’re all ultimately just trying to field a winning team. The issue the Bears need to confront, though, is that they have two very different quarterbacks.
At the beginning of the 2018 season, the Chicago Bears entered their training camp in a position of strength. They had just won the NFC North and were coming off a season in which they added their second franchise quarterback in over a decade. At the start of camp, the Bears seemed to have it all. They had a talented and deep roster, one that included a fresh-faced face in the draft, a young quarterback with NFL experience and a head coach who had just led the Bears to an 11-5 record and a trip to the NFC Divisional Playoffs.. Read more about chicago bulls and let us know what you think.
LAKE FOREST, ILLINOIS – With rookie Justin Fields, the Chicago Bears must tread carefully.
Although he is just the backup quarterback, the No. 11 overall selection out of Ohio State has piqued the interest of some of Chicago’s front-line players and has already drawn comparisons to one of the league’s greatest quarterbacks.
Despite the effusive praise from teammates, the Bears are sticking to the strategy they established for Fields at the start of training camp (1 p.m. ET, NFL Network) for their first preseason game against the Miami Dolphins on Saturday (1 p.m. ET, NFL Network). Andy Dalton, a veteran quarterback, has gotten the bulk of practice repetitions and has officially been named the starting for Week 1.
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Fields will get substantial playing time in exhibition games as part of Chicago’s preseason strategy to help the coaching staff assess his development, with coach Matt Nagy telling reporters Thursday that Fields might play into the fourth quarter against Miami. But the Bears’ greatest balancing job over the next few weeks will be keeping their rookie quarterback healthy while also lowering expectations for Fields off the field.
“It’s that Catch-22,” says the narrator “Nagy said. “You’re playing someone and they get injured, and you’re like, “You idiot.” ‘What were you thinking?’ The other is that you don’t play them and claim that they need more repetitions. That’s when the line becomes a little blurry.
“The only way we can judge him is to see him play. He needs to get important endorsements.”
Fields’ aggression throughout the preseason season will be another factor to keep an eye on for the Bears. Throughout his collegiate career, Fields has shown exceptional running ability. While Nagy doesn’t want Fields to hold back, he does want him to be “wise” and avoid needless blows, like as the brutal helmet-to-ribs hit he took against Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinal in January.
“Don’t take those blows, like the one he took [against] Clemson.” Nagy remarked.
Justin Fields will make his NFL debut against the Dolphins in the Bears’ preseason opener on Saturday. Icon Sportswire/Robin Alam photo
“We don’t want you to be speared.”
While Nagy advises Fields to be cautious, some of the Bears’ most distinguished veterans have been unreserved in their early praise.
Pro Bowl safety for the Bears Fields’ attitude, work ethic, and humility have all been praised by Eddie Jackson.
Jimmy Graham, a three-year member of the Seattle Seahawks’ tight end corps, went even farther.
Graham remarked last week, “Man, I adore the child.” “In the locker room, he sits next to me and, wow, he wants to be excellent. He aspires to greatness. He is a hard worker. The man can throw the ball a long far. It’s amazing to see how strong his arms are.
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“At some point, I’ve got to get him paired up with a man up in Seattle,” she says. I believe he’ll have a lot of talent, especially the ability to create plays while sprinting, which has been amazing to watch him so young and focused. And I’ve got to say, it reminds me a lot of [Seahawks quarterback] Russell Wilson.”
If Fields can match Wilson’s accomplishments (Super Bowl champion, eight Pro Bowl appearances), the Bears will be in good position for the next decade.
All of that, though, seems to be a long way off. Perhaps a stronger parallel can be drawn between Fields and Dolphins second-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who, like Fields, started his rookie season on the bench before ultimately taking over for veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick.
The idea that Fields and Tagovailoa have been practicing together at Halas Hall this week and will face off at Soldier Field on Saturday is not lost on Nagy.
“I’m sure they walk over and ask questions and pick each other’s brains when we’re all out on the field together,” Nagy said. “I believe that is advantageous. I really believe that. Tua is the same way. He had a fascinating relationship with Fitzpatrick down there last year, and now he’s the man. I’m sure they ask a lot of questions behind the scenes. They can truly get to know one other now that they’re out here in person. All of these men will be keeping an eye on each other.”
And Fields is OK with the idea that the whole city of Chicago will be watching him.
“Every day, I’m learning something new. So, luckily, a lot of people are looking forward to seeing me play, but greatness does not come overnight,” Fields said. “It’s a process,” says the narrator.
With the NFL Draft looming, NFL Draft expert Josh Norris profiled San Francisco 49ers quarterback prospect Justin Fields after a recent trip to the University of Georgia.. Read more about chicago bears roster and let us know what you think.
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