Another day of Chicago Bears mandatory minicamp shenanigans. Let’s get into it:
Caleb Williams hooks up with Velus Jones Jr.
I’m not even going to waste time with a wordy intro. Instead, I just want you to enjoy this throw from QB1 to V12:
V12 turned on the burners 💨 pic.twitter.com/D9av7jHLrE
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) June 5, 2024
Hear me out: What if Caleb Williams turns Velus Jones Jr. into a useful piece of the Chicago Bears offensive puzzle?
Velus Jones Jr. was a Bears third-round draft pick in 2022. In fact, Jones was the first-ever offensive player chosen by the Ryan Poles regime. This pick hasn’t panned out as anyone would’ve liked. And that some quality players (Seahawks OL Abraham Lucas, Packers WR Romeo Doubs and OL Zach Tom) went off the board in the 3rd and 4th rounds make that VJJ pick sting a bit. But just because it hasn’t worked out yet doesn’t mean it won’t. I’m looking forward to seeing how Velus makes the most of this upcoming opportunity. There won’t be much pressure on him going into the 2024 season. Perhaps the ball will bounce his way with the spotlight off him.
Now that we’ve got the good stuff out of the way, we can discuss Caleb Williams throwing another interception:
Two highlights from Bears' 7-on-7s today.
LB Tremaine Edmunds made a leaping INT of Caleb Williams over the middle and raced into the end zone.
On the next play, Williams hit Velus Jones Jr. for a TD on a long bomb vs. CB Terell Smith and with most of the first D out.— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) June 5, 2024
I like that Caleb bounced back with a touchdown on the very next play after throwing an interception. Do I think Caleb Williams will have a heckuva rookie year? Yes. Do I think he’ll be perfect? No. Moreover, I expect rookie mistakes to happen. Questionable throws over the middle that will be intercepted by linebackers is a given for rookie quarterbacks. I still think we’ll know more about Williams based on how he bounces back from throwing a pick than we will from him throwing an interception.
Bears mandatory minicamp injury report
It is way too early for me to dig out the injury report image. After all, we’re only in June. But still … some injuries to monitor:
Matt Eberflus said Jones and Kmet were out for precautionary reasons. They'll be good for summer conditioning.
— Patrick Finley (@patrickfinley) June 5, 2024
I reckon the good news here is that left tackle Braxton Jones and tight end Cole Kmet were out as a precautionary measure. The last thing we want to see is the Bears without their starting left tackle and top tight end. If there is such a thing as a good time to miss time on the field, I’d say early June would be it. Besides, perhaps those absences will allow others behind them on the depth chart to get an opportunity they otherwise wouldn’t have received had the guys atop the pecking order been healthy.
Video dump
Rome Odunze catches a slant route from Caleb Williams, via CHGO:
Caleb Williams to Rome Odunze on the slant route. pic.twitter.com/BIMfoivTz1
— CHGO Bears (@CHGO_Bears) June 5, 2024
I’ve spent my entire life watching the Green Bay Packers pummel the Chicago defense with one slant after another. When the Bears hired Luke Getsy away from Green Bay, I thought we’d see a slant or two. Not so much. Maybe new Offensive Coordinator Shane Waldron is the guy who solves the mystery of the missing slants.
Another day, another Tory Taylor punting highlight from the Bears:
Can confirm: Tory Taylor's got a leg 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/cKJYxNWPpX
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) June 5, 2024
CHECK IT OUT: Tory Taylor Was a Star at Day 2 of Mandatory Minicamp
Video proof of Nate Davis attending practice:
Here’s Nate Davis warming up at right guard. pic.twitter.com/P4F3f0P0jA
— Sean Hammond (@sean_hammond) June 5, 2024
I don’t know what the team are going to do with Nate Davis in 2024. We can chalk up last year as a dud. Sometimes, clunkers happen. Plus, Davis was dealing with stuff off the field that truly threw a. wrench in his on-boarding process as he arrived in Chicago. But the Bears might need to prepare backup plans in case their starting right guard is unavailable for an extended period of time.
written by
Luis C. Medina
Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.
