Camp Notes: Camp Officially Open, Fields ‘Throwing Darts,’ Claypool Ready to Battle, McMichael Hanging Tough in Fight Against ALS

The big news of the day is that tight end Cole Kmet inked a four-year, $50 million contract extension. There’s no better way to start training camp with good vibes than having a hometown kid being recognized as an integral part of his favorite childhood team.

On personal note, I apologize for my two-month hiatus. Expect regular columns going forward. This is one of the more exciting times in recent team history. Here are your training camp bullets for Wednesday, July 26.

https://twitter.com/AlexShapiroNBCS/status/1684241467290656770

• The Bears practiced inside due to poor air quality conditions and a few rounds of thunderstorms, but the offense was sharp inside the Walter Payton center according to all accounts. Highlights included several completions to D.J. Moore, including one touchdown over rookie Tyrique Stevenson, and a nice throw over the middle where Kmet used his body to box out Kyler Gordon.
• Kmet is motivated to play beyond the value of his contract.
• Wide receiver Dante Pettis was the only player to miss practice.
• UDFA WR Aron Cruickshank had the play of the day, which was so good it bears repeat viewing.
• I don’t think there is a phrase that is more pleasing to the ear than Justin Fields was throwing darts all day.
• Head coach Matt Eberflus was impressed with the quarterback’s timing with his top receiving targets.
• Fields declined an opportunity to be featured in the Netflix docuseries “Quarterbacks.”
• Chase Claypool understands this is the biggest season of his life, and promised his work ethic will reflect that.
• The Bears need Claypool and Darnell Mooney to return to their formerly productive selves.
• Velus Jones is fighting to keep his spot in a vastly improved wide receiver room.
• The Bears announced that they have signed wide receiver Isaiah Ford and linebacker Buddy Johnson. Linebacker Sterling Weatherford and punter Ryan Anderson were waived in corresponding moves
• Justin Jones, Dominique Robinson, and Trevis Gipson are the lone holdovers on the defensive line. Jones is coming off of a career year that included 52 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, three sacks, seven QB hits, and four passes defended while starting all 17 games. Andrew Billings will line up between Jones and Gipson/Robinson, and DeMarcus Walker will start at right defensive end. The Bears could use help on the edge.
• Rookies Zacch Pickens and Gervon Dexter will be given every opportunity to push for starting jobs. Expect the pair to be rotational players on passing downs while they get acclimated to the NFL. Seventh-round rookie Travis Bell might need a year to improve his technique on the practice squad after playing at Kennesaw State.
• Bell is a favorite of GM Ryan Poles.
• Old friend Jimmy Graham officially returned to the NFL after a one-year hiatus. The 36-year-old tight end will play for the Saints on a one-year contract.
• Former Bears star Steve McMichael is hanging tough in the fight for his life.
• McMichael is a semifinalist for this year’s Hall of Fame class. He’d have my vote if I had one. Virginia McCaskey should be a shoo-in, too.
• McMichael’s wife Misty said her husband still has a lot of fight in him.
• If you purchase a Team Mongo tee from Obvious Shirts, 100% of the proceeds go to the McMichael family to help in his battle with ALS.
• Richton Park is now the fifth suburb vying to become home of the Bears. The team released a statement Tuesday saying they owe it to their fans to continue exploring all options.

Back like we never left ?⬇️ pic.twitter.com/oHccGsqv7f

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) July 27, 2023

Five Things

1. I find it unfathomable that Fields still has his haters. He accounted for 3,385 yards of total offense in 2022, but his doubters point to Chicago’s 3-14 record. The Bears tanked after beating the Patriots, in case you’re unaware. Still, Fields almost singlehandedly won games that should have been blowout losses. The Bears averaged 29.6 PPG in the five tilts before an injury in Atlanta sidelined him. Replacing Byron Pringle with Moore gives Fields the home run-hitting pass catcher he’s desperately needed. Moore isn’t a guy that will give defenses fits, but with additional (and better) options in the passing game, the Bears will be tough to defend.
2. Claypool is getting annihilated on social media, but he isn’t deserving of that depth of wrath. That said, spending one day on the PUP List didn’t win him any new fans. This is a big year for Claypool, the first contract season of his life and his chance to reward Bears Poles, who showed enough confidence in the receiver last fall to trade away a top-32 pick for his services. He deserves a chance to make good, because he didn’t get much of a chance to work with Fields last season. Eberflus and Poles challenged Claypool to become steadier, both in his approach to the game and with the way he handles the stressors NFL life provides. Let’s judge the trade after this season. This type of drama is a big relief after pouting sessions by Robert Quinn, Roquan Smith and Teven Jenkins last July.
3. The Bears have a number of players in make-or-break years. In addition to receivers Claypool, Jones and Mooney, Gipson, Jaylon Johnson, and Eddie Jackson need to prove they’re worthy of staying in Chicago.
4. Kmet, 24, was Chicago’s top pass-catcher last season. The 2020 second-round pick caught 50 passes for 544 yards and a career-high seven touchdowns in 2022. He earned every dollar the Bears are paying him over the next four years.
5. It may only take 9-10 wins to take the NFC North this year. Are the Bears that good? Probably not, but they’ll hang in there with each of their 2023 opponents. Doubling their win total from last year would be a tremendous step forward, and they’ve got two first round draft picks next April, so be patient.

“You’ve got to protect sideline to sideline because he’s ready to break at any point” – @fred_warner@JustnFields makes his #NFLTop100 debut in the 86 spot! pic.twitter.com/Lb835Onrfj

— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) July 26, 2023

Camp Quotes

• “We’re extremely excited to keep Cole [Kmet] in Chicago. We consider him a core part of our group we want to move forward with and he exhibits everything we think a Chicago Bear should be, both on and off the field. We would also like to thank Kyle McCarthy and Brian Murphy for helping keep him in Chicago.” – Poles
• “Maybe people weren’t happy with how I dealt with the offseason, but that’s the only perception that was given to them and not the reality that’s true. I remember almost blowing my knee out against the Packers and being done for the game and also kind of pleading to be put back in, putting the knee brace back on, and went back in and tried to help my team win. So, if there’s any questions on how much I’m willing to do to help this team win, there shouldn’t be. You know? I think that I’m doing everything I can to be as healthy as possible but knowing in the game everyone gets injured.” – Claypool
• “If I need to be on the line and we run the ball 40 times, I can be that guy. If we need to drop back 40 times to win a game, I can also be that dude that is able to split out and do things as well.” – Kmet
• “I’m not a risk, but I’m that guy you can count on. You don’t have to worry about me doing my job.”I’ve been doing some things in the offseason and summer already with one-on-ones and catches from routes and all that, so I’m comfortable with doing a lot of things. It wasn’t my first actual competition. I’ve been doing it for a while. – Mooney