For Bears 'everyone's new' on offense so expect sharp learning curve
There's no denying that the Bears' offense is faced with a steep learning curve in preparation for a regular season that is three months away.
And no one has had more to learn than No. 1 quarterback Mike Glennon, who has never thrown a pass to any of his receivers or handed off to any of his running backs in so much as a preseason game.
This week's three-day minicamp, which began Tuesday, marks the end of the Bears' off-season program. For NFL teams with only minor roster tweaks, minicamp is merely a refresher course. Not so with the Bears, whose offensive players might still need name tags to identify each other.
The earlier OTAs and minicamp have helped Glennon familiarize himself with a new offense and new teammates, but he knows there is much more to learn.
“Every time I'm out there is probably the first time I've run the play in this particular offense,” said Glennon, who spent the previous four years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. “So every time I'm out there it matters, and the more we do that, the more we'll grow as an offense.”
Because backup quarterbacks Mark Sanchez and rookie Mitch Trubisky are also new to the Bears, they also need every rep they can get. Sanchez is currently sidelined with a knee injury, so he may need more practice snaps in training camp to catch up.
The lack of familiarity across the quarterback depth chart adds a degree of difficulty for offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains and quarterbacks coach Dave Ragone, who must get multiple players up to speed in an offense that is foreign to them. Another backup, Connor Shaw, spent last season on the Bears' injured reserve list after playing briefly in two preseason games.
It helps that Glennon has always been considered a quick study.
“He's a very smart guy,” coach John Fox said. “He's played in the league, so he understands NFL football. He was a smart player in college. He's been a smart player in pro football. He's done a terrific job picking everything up.
“He's getting used to a new language in our offense. He's worked very hard at that. He's spent extra time. We've gone so far as to do virtual reality things. The four quarterbacks are new to our system, so I think our coaching staff has done a terrific job and I think the players have done a really good job including Mike responding.”
The relatively new virtual reality tool provides quarterbacks a more real-life way to experience a play in their meeting room through video.
“(With) our newness at quarterback, it's just getting reps that the other guys don't (get) on the field,” Fox said. “They're able to get it in the meeting room, where it's ‘virtually' like practicing.”
After Thursday's final minicamp practice the Bears have six weeks of down time before they report for training camp on July 26. Glennon plans a trip back home to North Carolina and some chill time to get mentally ready for a long season, but he also plans informal throwing sessions with his receivers. Of the top five wideouts, Markus Wheaton, Kendall Wright and Victor Cruz are new to the Bears; and last year's top receiver, Cam Meredith, has been out for the past two weeks with a thumb injury.
“Everyone's new,” Glennon said. “So it's just getting more and more comfortable with each other, making sure we're on the same page and just executing at a high level.
“Every rep counts.”
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