By their nature, NFL organized team activities and minicamps provide answers for coaches but no one else.
Then they are done until training camp, leaving mysteries to be sorted out later. Coaches can see a player's ability to compete at the NFL level but hitting even they need the verification padded practices bring.
It's like Bears coach Ben Johnson said when OTAs began: "We're not earning jobs here this springtime."
There were many aspects of play that could have been apparent, though and haven't been for an assortment of reasons. In most cases, it was a minor injury the team didn't want to worsen before camp starts.
"We want to be smart with how we're taking care of their bodies and we're not pushing them too hard and have the soft tissue things pop up already," Johnson said.
As a result, OTAs and minicamp came and the Bears head toward training camp with numerous mysteries still remaining.
#Bears edge rusher Dayo Odeyingbo pic.twitter.com/QoRFLCM5IA
— ImBearingDown (@ImBearingDown) March 11, 2025
What exactly is he? Who is he? The Bears signed the former Colts edge player who is said to be able to move inside to tackle, if needed, in some pass rush situations.
Odeyingbo briefly practiced at the outset of offseason work, presumably due to injury.
No one really saw how he might be deployed. Instead, Montez Sweat, Dominique Robinson, Jamree Kromah and a few others did the bulk of edge work. Sweat deserves great credit here for being at work throughout voluntary practices a year after he didn't participate to a great extent.
Training camp can finally show everyone what the Bears got for three years and $48 million and maybe it will become more obvious then whether they really do need more edge rush help.
Do you find it alarming that we have literally heard nothing about Dayo? We paid this dude so much $$ and I have heard nothing about him so far…
— Dylan (@DylanDavids24) June 10, 2025
Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen left everyone wondering about what the starting slot cornerback would actually be doing.
Bears will be a fun defense to watch with Dennis Allen!
Love his scheme and defense. cover 1 pressure ⏬⏬
Has been a top dc for years.
Will love his creativity on 3rd down with his 3-2 and load package#DaBears https://t.co/x4TKvKb16h pic.twitter.com/dmcFBUQVHp
— coachkou (@coachkou) June 8, 2025
“He's played more outside corner, so obviously that would be the comfort level," Allen said. "Some of the things that I see him do and the way that he fits in the run game tells me that he could be a fit with safety also."
Allen left it in the air whether Gordon is a safety, cornerback, slot cornerback or what, but then a soft tissue injury occurred and now no one knows before this could be explored.
Fortunately Gordon was just rounding back into shape enough to come on the field and do stretches with the rest of the team by the end of OTAs. It won't be long into camp before it's obvious what Allen has up his sleeve with Gordon, who just received a contract extension.
Well now that Kyler Gordon got an extension
And George Pickens has been TRADED
All the fans who complained about that pick for YEARS can stop now right? Right? #Bears pic.twitter.com/7NKzInkh9A
— Swift Sports Network (@SwiftyNetwork) May 7, 2025
Ozzy Trapilo got his snaps as a replacement for injured Braxton Jones. Kiran Amegadjie did, as well. Jones is supposed to be ready at some point, though no one is saying yet if it's at the start of training camp.
There was no indication between the two tackles whether the slightly more experienced Amegadjie or rookie Trapilo receives first crack should Jones not be ready when camp starts following last season's broken ankle.
We know no one wins jobs in OTAs but noting says pecking order can't be established.
Neither. #Bears TE was on the side of a milk carton in 2024
Despite leading all NFL WR & TEs in catch rate (85.45%)
and
Leading all #Bears receivers in EPA/tgt (0.44 vs. 0.14 avg for DJ, Rome, Keenan & Swift), success rate, 1st down % and CPOE
Thank God for Ben 🙌
He’ll… https://t.co/OBuiRariPv
— Kirsten Tanis (@kct2020) May 24, 2025
If anyone on the roster needed to step up besides edge rusher Dominique Robinson during offseason work it was Pickens, their third-year defensive tackle. Robinson, who frequented the game-day inactive list last year, actually did step up and impress coaches.
Pickens, meanwhile, couldn't be seen on the practice field until the end of OTAs and then only once briefly.
His time for being inactive apparently extended over from games last year to offseason work.
The Bears have added Grady Jarrett, Shemar Turner and signed Chris Williams to a restricted free agent offer sheet at the defensive tackle position since last season. They even said Odeyingbo can slide there if need be, but it would be good to see him slide onto the practice field first.
It's too crowded at the position for missing people to eventually have a role. What's in the works for Pickens, a third-round pick in 2023, is total guesswork.
Zacch Pickens has been a bigger draft bust than Velus Jones. https://t.co/OQZ8fsrTeC
— Brendan Sugrue (@BrendanSugrue) June 10, 2025
With about a month and a half until training camp, three Bears second-round picks remain unsigned. It's a mystery how and when this gets resolved because it's a league-wide standoff and not just the Bears' negotiations failing. Picks 35-64 want guaranteed contracts like 33 and 34 received. The mystery will be who blinks and when. Turner, Trapilo and Colston Loveland all could get off to late starts if this drags out.
Last I heard we were waiting on Luther Burden, Ozzy Trapilo, and Shemar Turner.
Williams/Odunze didn't sign until July last year, though worth noting none of these players have missed OTA's or anything.
— Grim Monangai (@iamcogs) June 9, 2025
What's the deal with all of the soft tissue injuries from offseason? Loveland's is the most perplexing, because of how it occurred in rookie camp back at the beginning of May. He suffered an injury, then was at practice the next day but wasn't participating at OTAs.
It's not as if Johnson's offseason practices were particularly more strenuous physically than the ones Matt Eberflus conducted. In fact, from the sessions media saw, they looked slightly less physically challenging but with more mental work. This should be expected, though, when they're putting in new schemes.
Notable Bears absences at today's young guys OTA:
Tyrique Stevenson
Terell Smith
Luther Burden
Austin Booker
Older guys who WERE there:
Elijah Hicks
Ameer Speed
Josh Blackwell
Noah Sewell
Doug Kramer
Joshua Miles
Samori Toure
Daniel Hardy https://t.co/SNsFyD9t9r
— Alex Shapiro (@AlexShapiroCHSN) June 10, 2025
The Bears went from Jim Arthur to Pierre Ngo as head strength and conditioning coach. Andre Tucker, the head athletic trainer, is still there.
Yet, the number of players filtering out of practices because of injuries seemed to grow by the day.
It could simply be Johnson values having everyone available to a greater extent for the start of training camp than the past regime, and prefers keeping anyone with the slightest issue on the side. Or it could be they've simply been unlucky.
It's better to be unlucky at this time of year than in training camp.
Which NFL player has the most to prove this year?
Caleb Williams was mentioned 1st on PFFs article but I think it’s Trevor Lawrence. #DaBears #Jaguars #Bears pic.twitter.com/t2G2zQTuIY
— Clay Harbor (@clayharbs82) June 13, 2025
Ben Johnson wants his offense run and says he likes this ability of Caleb Williams to leave the pocket and create. Jared Goff certainly didn't do this, but how much does Johnson really like this?
It's easy to say you appreciate Williams bailing on the play and ad-libbing during the offseason when there are no stakes.
How much does Johnson really like seeing Williams give up in practice on a play to try and create something on his own, though? It happened quite frequently at OTAs, and if Williams does it in games without producing enough big plays then there is the potential for a real firestorm.
How these two can co-exist will be a very big mystery until it's clear.
Caleb Williams jump pass makes an appearance in the Madden 26 trailer pic.twitter.com/plDSzwqjUw
— Dave (@dave_bfr) June 4, 2025