Ryan Poles had a plan. If the 3rd round of the 2024 draft unfolded as he hoped, he had a roadmap to what would happen in the 4th and 5th rounds. Minutes later, when Kiran Amegadjie landed with the Chicago Bears, Poles saw it. He would take punter Tory Taylor in the 4th round. Next came the hard part. He would have to find a trade partner with a pick in the 5th round that he could grab—his target: Kansas edge rusher Austin Booker. It was already surprising he hadn’t been picked already, but after a big run on pass rushers the odds were good he’d still be on the board.

Sure enough, the Buffalo Bills agreed to a deal that allowed Chicago to jump back into the draft for Booker. At the time, experts saw a thin and underpowered player with exciting athletic tools. He’d need at least a year of development before anything could be determined. Booker managed only 1.5 sacks last season, and people cooled on him. Fast forward to the present day, and things have changed. The second-year defensive end destroyed the Miami Dolphins’ offensive line for three sacks in the preseason opener.

What stood out was the way he did it. These weren’t cheap coverage sacks. He was beating guys with alarming regularity. Now national experts have taken notice. They agree the Bears may have something.

Austin Booker is close to continuing a Bears tradition.

One would think the organization’s history of good pass rushers is littered mostly with high draft picks or big-name veteran additions. In truth, the Bears have been remarkably fortunate at finding gems in later rounds. Richard Dent (124.5 sacks) was an 8th round pick. Jim Osborne (81 sacks) was a 7th round pick. Ed O’Bradovich (51.5 sacks) was a 7th round pick, and Alex Brown (43.5 sacks) was a 4th round pick. Austin Booker could join that fraternity if he blossoms into a legitimate pass rusher moving forward. Landing somebody of any quality in the 5th round would be a huge win for the organization. No doubt Poles would deserve recognition for what he pulled off to make it happen.

Ben Johnson pushed for joint practices this month for obvious reasons. Training camp is essential fr preparing the Chicago Bears for the regular season. However, at a certain point, practicing against the same players every day loses its overall impact. Getting the chance to work against fresh faces is a great way to keep competitiveness high and helps gauge where your team is really at in terms of preparation. There is no question the Bears got plenty of notable information from their work against the Miami Dolphins.

However, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune pointed out that there might’ve been an additional reason the organization wanted the chance to work in these joint practices.

It got me thinking a little bit. One of the hidden benefits of joint practices is that it gives each front office a clear look at the roster and depth chart of the team it’s working with that day. The Bears claimed nickel cornerback Cre’Von LeBlanc off waivers from the New England Patriots after roster cutdown in 2016. LeBlanc had caught their eye during joint practices with the Patriots in Foxborough, Mass. LeBlanc was a solid depth player for the Bears and Philadelphia Eagles before injuries derailed him.

There is no question GM Ryan Poles would embrace something like this. Any chance to get up-to-date information on players who might be available on the waiver wire is so valuable. There is no doubt there were at least one or two Dolphins players who caught their attention.

The Chicago Bears almost certainly noticed Addison West.

The 6’3, 305 lb guard out of Western Michigan appeared to have a solid practice at Halas Hall. That was followed by a strong preseason performance where he didn’t allow a single pressure in 20 pass-blocking snaps and had the second-highest run-blocking grade of any Dolphins offensive lineman. The Chicago Bears are constantly looking for help up front, and the fact that they had West in for a 30 visit a few months ago proves they were already interested. If by some chance Miami tries to sneak him onto the practice squad, the Bears could scoop him up. It’s possible others stood out as well. They will have another big opportunity to do the same later this week when they practice with the Buffalo Bills. Don’t be shocked if players from both teams end up in Chicago.

Ben Johnson has controlled the Chicago Bears for a little over six months. He’s yet to coach in an actual NFL game, yet he hasn’t needed long to make an impression, both inside the locker room and outside. From the fans’ perspective, he comes across as intelligent, deliberate, and intense in everything he does. Details are everything. If players make mistakes, they’ll have to redo entire plays repeatedly. DJ Moore has had a front row seat to this entire saga unfolding. Few can have a more informed opinion about who Johnson really is.

Moore has already seen the offensive aptitude the head coach is known for. He clearly knows what he’s doing. The wide receiver is already seeing his role expand in various ways, including reps in the backfield at running back. He loves the creativity. Where it gets interesting is the personality. Moore admitted that Johnson is a bit of a character. He has a unique thing where he gets mad at players while still smiling at them. It comes across as “kind of creepy.” That is a clear indication that Johnson enjoys what he’s doing.

Yeah, he might be a psycho.

DJ Moore is witnessing what a good Chicago coach is.

History says that the best Bears head coaches weren’t exactly scions of mental stability. Mike Ditka was notorious for his unhinged temper during his long, successful run in the 1980s. Even George Halas, the franchise patriarch, had a reputation for getting into fights with players and using every dirty tactic he could think of to gain an edge in games. Johnson has a long way to go before joining that conversation, but it certainly sounds like he has the personality for this team. Nothing about the Bears’ eras of success was characterized by business-like coaching styles. They’ve been about intensity, competitive fire, toughness, and aggression. Johnson embodies all of that. DJ Moore is getting his first taste since joining the NFL. It’s easy to understand why he’s a little unsettled by it.

While the Chicago Bears‘ first preseason game was productive, it was also costly. Injuries struck their secondary hard, with four new names joining the list of wounded alongside Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon. That includes primary backup Terell Smith, putting a severe strain on the team’s depth. That made it almost inevitable the team would look to the free agent market for reinforcements. Sure enough, barely 24 hours later, they’ve made a series of moves to fill out their depth chart.

Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune was first with the details.

The Bears addressed the thinning ranks on Monday when they had eight defensive backs at Halas Hall for a tryout. The club is expected to sign three of them, according to league sources. Safety Mark Perry, cornerbacks Mekhi Garner and Kaleb Hayes are expected to receive contracts and be on the practice field when the team returns to work Wednesday.

Mark Perry attended Colorado and TCU, where he had a decent career before going undrafted last year. He bounced between Miami, Houston, New England, and Tennessee. Mekhi Garner climbed his way from junior college to Division I at Louisiana before finishing at LSU in 2022. He was signed by Philadelphia as an undrafted free agent, where he spent two seasons. As for Kaleb Hayes, he had an unremarkable college career at Oregon State and BYU. He’s bounced around practice squads in the NFL since 2023.

These moves might be a good sign for the Chicago Bears.

Let’s be honest. None of these guys are serious additions. None of them feels like even a remote possibility of making the roster. They look like bodies to help fill training camp spots. That would suggest the Chicago Bears feel relatively confident that their injury situation isn’t too severe. There is a strong chance that most of their key names will be back within the next three weeks in time for opening night against Minnesota. Nothing else matters. If any of them were in danger of missing extended time, the Bears would’ve targeted a more proven veteran. There were plenty of options on the market. This feels like a team merely buying time until their main guys are ready to roll. Week one is the only thing that matters.

The Chicago Bears finally saw players in real action this past weekend. Yes, the preseason games don’t matter, but they still hold importance. They are the best tool coaches have for evaluating which players should be on the roster and who should play on Sundays. No position has more eyeballs on it right now than left tackle. Head coach Ben Johnson had three options going into training camp. That has since narrowed to two after Kiran Amegadjie went down with an injury. Now it’s between Braxton Jones and Ozzy Trapilo.

Word on the competition has been mixed. Some beat writers around the team believe Trapilo has held the inside track for most of camp, showcasing his size and maturity in promising ways. Others think Jones still has the advantage of experience and athleticism. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune made interesting comments on this subject in his latest column. Nothing is decided yet. That said, indications do point in a particular direction.

It is Jones’ spot to lose.

It’s notable that Jones started the game at left tackle. He was in the game for the first three series — a total of 22 snaps.

“Honestly, it was pretty good,” Jones said. “Knowing kind of what I went through last year with the injury and everything, just blessed honestly to get an opportunity to be out on the field again and play again.”

Jones also started with the first unit on Friday during the joint practice with the Dolphins. Maybe that’s a clue as to the direction things are headed. Trapilo came in late in the second quarter and also got 22 snaps over four consecutive series before Theo Benedet, an undrafted rookie a year ago from British Columbia, got two series and then Trapilo returned to close out the game.

It’s probably Jones’ job to lose. He’s 26, entering his fourth season and has made 40 career starts. Maybe the Bears feel like, when healthy, he’s plateaued and is what he is at this point. But they surely don’t want to rush Trapilo if he’s not ready.

Braxton Jones being the choice is not surprising.

History always pointed to it. The thing about coaches is they prefer players they can trust the most. It isn’t always about who’s the most talented. It is who’s the most reliable. Braxton Jones is who he is. He’s never going to morph into the elite blocker fans might crave. However, he has at least proven himself dependable when healthy. Bears coaches must feel that Trapilo is just not ready yet. It isn’t surprising. Moving from right tackle, which he played for most of college, to left tackle isn’t easy. It can take time to adjust. Rather than trying to fast-track the transition, giving Jones one more year makes the most sense. It stabilizes the Bears on the left side while allowing Trapilo to develop more steadily. Come next year, they can let Jones walk in free agency and have their replacement ready, having had a full season to prepare.

Everything about how Ben Johnson runs the Chicago Bears to this point has felt right. Like any head coach, he isn’t perfect. Still, his decisions on structuring practices, instilling a team identity, and motivating the players come from places of common sense. Of course, this was never something he’d fix overnight. The Bears are a team with deep organizational flaws that would take time to overcome. Even so, it is hard not to like how Johnson has approached the problem: direct and with a clear, straightforward plan. Offensive coordinator Declan Doyle can already see the results.

One idea Johnson has implemented may seem baffling. The Bears played their preseason game on Sunday. One would think they’d have Monday off, getting a chance to rest and recoup. Not this team. Johnson had most of the team’s starters on the practice field, taking them through a 70-minute work session. Doyle has seen this approach before. He worked with one head coach who has used it for years and believes it originated from another. One is in the Hall of Fame. The other will likely be after he retires.

“It’s kind of what I’ve been exposed to around Sean Payton the last six years. We always practiced the day after a game. And I think it actually goes back to Bill Parcells.

There’s this misnomer that you’re playing in the game and there’s a really physical wear-and-tear for all of them. A lot of them (took) limited reps. So guys that were under — call it — 15-20 reps, really they can still go practice today and still go have a good day. Really, it’s geared more towards those starters that didn’t play in the game yesterday, trying to give them this game-like feel.”

Copying ideas from Payton and Parcells is far from dumb.

It also proved to be the right decision. Multiple accounts indicated the offense was off-kilter all afternoon with several drops and missed throws. The lack of focus was hard to miss.

Declan Doyle offered another glimpse into Johnson’s mind.

This was the latest evidence that the head coach understands his players better than people realize. He sensed that the starters probably needed a lot more work, so he ran them through an hour-long workout session before the preseason opener and another 70-minute session the next day. Clearly, the group isn’t ready yet. Johnson is determined to take every opportunity to get them there. If that means throwing in extra practice time, so be it. Declan Doyle has seen this approach work many times in the past. Payton turned Denver around after years of misery with it. Parcell did it everywhere he went, from New York to New England and Dallas. It is another reminder that for all his new-age thinking as a head coach, Johnson has plenty of old school in him.