The Bears OTA on Friday was open to the media. Here are my key takeaways from that open OTA.
Caleb Williams looked much better and bounced back.
Caleb Williams had an impressive performance in 7-on-7 drills against the first-team defense, completing 13 of 15 passes according to Adam Jahns. He made several excellent throws, including a touchdown pass to DJ Moore. The rookie quarterback rebounded well, picking apart the Bears defense and leading a game-winning drive that ended with a Cairo Santos field goal. However, Williams did run out of bounds a bit too often, which is something to keep in mind. Matt Eberflus thought Friday's OTA was good. He also mentioned that Williams footwork has improved. Overall, it was a great Friday for the Bears offense.
The Bears defense had some key players missing.
During the 7-on-7 period, the following defensive players were on the field: Tyrique Stevenson, Terell Smith, Elijah Hicks, Jonathan Owens, Jack Sanborn, Tremaine Edmunds, and Noah Sewell. Players were not in attendance: Montez Sweat, Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, Jaquan Brisker, Kevin Byard, among others. It was reported that many other players were absent due to an event, so there is no cause for concern. Keenan Allen, who didn't practice last week, was absent again. However, next week's mandatory minicamp will require his attendance, whereas this week's sessions were still voluntary.
Rome Odunze was a full go.
The Bears have been gradually increasing Rome Odunze's reps due to a hamstring injury he sustained during rookie mini-camp. This week, however, he returned to full participation.
Bears players are ready for Hard Knocks.
Matt Eberflus mentioned that the players are excited about participating in Hard Knocks. He believes that Caleb Williams is particularly well-suited for this experience, given his high-profile presence since high school.
Nate Davis attended Friday's OTA, but he did not participate in practice.
It was good to see Davis back with the Bears. However, he didn't participate in any drills during today's OTA. He spent the stretching portion on a vertical stair climber and observed the offensive line drills.
There's a competition happening at Center.
Ryan Bates and Coleman Shelton have both taken turns as the first-team center during OTA's. Last week, Bates held the position as C1, while Shelton has taken on the role this week. Matt Eberflus commented on this situation, stating, "We've been rotating some."
