Chicago Bears: 3 takeaways from rookie minicamp
By Ryan Sikes
The Chicago Bears held their three-day rookie minicamp following the NFL Draft. There was a lot to like and a lot left to be desired.
The Chicago Bears finished up their three-day rookie minicamp giving fans a bit of an insight into some of the storylines that were a hot topic leading up to the NFL Draft. Following the end of the season, the conversations that were swirling around the team were what to do with at the kicker position, finding a new running back and the impeding defensive free agents.
The team signed undrafted free agent kicker Redford Jones shortly before releasing Cody Parkey. They also signed Chris Blewitt and Elliott Fry before the draft. Post-draft, the Bears invited five more undrafted free agents to rookie minicamp.
As for Jordan Howard, he was shipped off to the Phildelphia Eagles at the end of March in return for a 2020 conditional sixth-round draft pick that could become a fifth-round pick based on Howard’s 2019 performance. The Bears drafted David Montgomery, the profilic running back out of Iowa State in the third round to replace Howard.
Regarding their defensive free agents, both slot cornerback Bryce Callahan and safety Adrian Amos moved on to other teams. The Bears replaced Amos with Ha Ha Clinton-Dix on a one-year prove it deal and signed Buster Skrine to a three-year deal, replacing Callahan on the roster. However, the team was proactive in the draft and selected Duke Shelley, the aggressive slot cornerback out of Kansas State in the sixth round.
These rookie minicamps are meant to provide an opportunity for the new guys to meet the coaching staff and veteran players on the roster. By the time they leave, they will have had their medical exams, given a playbook, been fitted for their equipment and performed several team drills.
So what did we learn from the 2019 squad?