Plenty of good things came out of the first day of joint practices between the Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts. Justin Fields seemed to rediscover his deep ball, connecting on several long passes during drills. D.J. Moore continued to do D.J. Moore things. The running game popped some big plays while Roschon Johnson continued to impress with his versatile game. Yet the Bears’ defense seemed to steal the show as they reportedly gave Anthony Richardson and the Colts offense fits most of the evening.
However, one of the coolest stories came with the second units on the field. Indy backup quarterback Gardner Minshew had enjoyed a clean practice, connecting on most of his passes. He had a chance to put a stamp on things with a successful two-minute drill. Things were going as planned, with the Colts marching down the field. They reached the red zone with time winding down. It looked like Minshew would cap things with a decisive touchdown. That was when an unheralded rookie ruined his night, according to Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune.
“On a night full of spirited trash talk between the two teams, the Bears second-team defense had plenty to chirp about after rookie linebacker Micah Baskerville thwarted a Colts two-minute drive with a leaping interception of Gardner Minshew inside the end zone late in practice.”
The good vibes continue for the Chicago Bears’ undrafted free agent.
When they signed Micah Baskerville in May, there wasn’t much of a reaction from fans. That wasn’t surprising. GM Ryan Poles had already spent significant resources at linebacker. Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards arrived as free agents. Noah Sewell was drafted in the 5th round. They still had Jack Sanborn. The odds of Baskerville making a push to crack the main roster were remote. Yet the past two weeks suggest he’s doing the impossible. He had two interceptions in one practice, a sack in the preseason win over Tennessee, and now a big-time clutch pick of Minshew to cap the first day of joint practices.
Baskerville is doing exactly what he’s supposed to. He is making the coaches’ decisions harder. That is what Matt Eberflus said he wanted. Make his choices for roster cuts difficult. Show him how much you want it. The rookie is doing his job. Few players have stood out more over the past week than him. It is crazy to think the Chicago Bears may have found another quality linebacker on the undrafted market only a year after nabbing Sanborn. This doesn’t even account for Mykal Walker, who they just claimed off waivers. The position looks loaded.
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