Analysis: The Bears put the pads on Friday, a day underscored throughout the offseason as when things become more clear, but some trends have already developed at practices.
It's only been four practices and they've been without pads at that, but trends are forming and some are easier to spot than others.The pads don't affect quarterback Caleb Williams directly but do impact his receivers as defensive backs become all the more aggressive. But the threat of a running play in a scrimmage—even one done to "thud" tempo rather than full speed—is enough to keep the defense a little more off balance and afford the quarterback more of a game-like look.
"I think that's really been good. And Caleb is the apex of that. He's just going to keep getting better at it, keep progressing every single day."When they started OTAs, the number of plays when Williams could actually drop back and get the ball out in time even during 7-on-7 to a receiver open enough in a route to catch it seemed depressingly low.
What looks to be more the case, however, is how the defense is being tested too much to worry about running the mouth. When the secondary is this advanced yet also being beaten, it can only be a positive sign for both sides in their quest to "sharpen iron."Even their backup cornerbacks are difficult to shake. This goes right down through the second-team cornerbacks.
However, the minor injury they're monitoring with Braxton Jones has allowed the backup tackle onto the field extensively so far and Borom has been the left tackle fill-in throughout rather than veterans Jake Curhan, Aviante Collins or Matt Pryor. Part of the reason Borom was thought to be on the way out was they drafted tackle Kiran Amegadjie.
This is all fine, but it was never Dexter's pass rush that was the question. He ranked 118th of 130 defensive tackles in Pro Football Focus's grades at defending the run. When the pads come on Friday, how Dexter plays the 3-technique spot on running downs will be a little more apparent than it has been without pads.
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