FIELDS STUDY
Though rookie QB looked beyond his years at times in minicamp, Bears will take it slow — but maybe that’s too slow
How did Andy Dalton look this spring?
Finley: Serviceable on the field and like a leader off it. His mentoring of rookie Justin Fields — Dalton and his wife even took him to dinner — is just as important as Dalton’s performance during spring practices with little defensive resistance. Fields said Dalton ‘‘has completely taken me under his wing’’ and that ‘‘any question I have for him, he’s going to answer.’’
Lieser: Competent, which is a step up from what the Bears have had at quarterback lately. Dalton looks like he can be the placeholder the team needs until Fields is ready to take over. He’s far from a game-changer, especially at this point in his career, but he can keep things steady. His grasp of the offense and ability to read defenses make him an upgrade over Mitch Trubisky.
Potash: It was only in shorts and without pads, but Dalton looked the part of a 10-year starting NFL quarterback on the back side of his career, capable of taking advantage of a strong supporting cast. An upgrade over Nick Foles? Probably. But we never saw Foles in a similar scenario with the Bears because of the coronavirus. And Foles also was put in a worst-case scenario with a deteriorating offensive line. So even that’s not a sure thing.
What surprised me the most about Justin Fields in practice was . . .
Finley: He’s bigger, broader and faster in person than you’d think he’d be. There were some plays Thursday when that combination made him look like a young Cam Newton. Fields’ deep ball is as advertised, too, and brings an element to the Bears’ playbook they haven’t had in years.
Patrick Finley, on Andy Dalton:
“SERVICEABLE ON THE FIELD AND LIKE A LEADER OFF IT. HIS MENTORING OF ROOKIE JUSTIN FIELDS . . . IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS DALTON’S PERFORMANCE.’’
Lieser: How slowly the Bears are taking it with him. It’s important to develop him properly and give him time, but this is over the top. Coach Matt Nagy has been harping on the way he delivered the play-call in the huddle and is going to have him send audio recordings to his position coach as he practices it during the summer. This can’t possibly be as big of a problem as Nagy is making it out to be.
Potash: The touch on his throws. At least in a relatively non-competitive situation of offseason practices, Fields showed an ability to put the ball where only his receiver can get it. And, perhaps contrary to scouting reports, he reacts quickly to opportunity. When the play is there, he hits it. Other quarterbacks might hesitate for a splitsecond and lose the opportunity.
Nagy’s quarterback plan is . . .
Finley: What a coach is supposed to say in June. If Fields is clearly better than Dalton in training camp, no one will hold Nagy to the declaration he made two months earlier — not even the coach himself.
Lieser: Contradictory. So he locks in Dalton as the starter to protect Fields from having to play before he’s ready but keeps Fields one injury away from the action as the No. 2 quarterback ahead of Foles? If this was solely about preventing Fields from being rushed, he’d be the third quarterback.
Potash: What it is. Giving Dalton the best chance to succeed as he learns a new system is fair. So Dalton getting all of the first-team reps with Fields on the roster is more prudent than coaching malpractice. If I’m reading between the lines correctly, if Fields shows promise during the preseason, Dalton will have to be pretty good to keep the job. Nagy’s standard will be key once the regular season begins.
The Bears’ defensive starters not showing up to OTAs was . . .
Finley: Acceptable only if inside linebacker Danny Trevathan and outside linebacker Robert Quinn don’t replicate their terrible starts to the 2020 season.
Lieser: Probably pretty annoying to new coordinator Sean Desai. But those are voluntary and unnecessary practices, and the players had every right to decline them. Desai will have more than enough time to put his defense in place once training camp starts.
Potash: No big deal. You could see it as an affront to Desai — or a show of unity, if you’re an optimist. In reality, the NFL Players Association’s weak attempt to flex muscle it doesn’t have has played out reasonably: The offense that needed the work showed up; the defense that knows the scheme did not. Desai is tweaking the defense, not overhauling it. The on-field work the players missed shouldn’t make a difference.
What is the Bears’ biggest concern heading into camp?
Finley: Getting their players vaccinated. Outside of the obvious health benefits to the players and their community, there’s a real competitive advantage to the Bears having a strong vaccination rate. Unvaccinated players will have travel restrictions and won’t be able to eat with their teammates indoors. They’ll be tested daily, wear masks and practice physical distancing. If they’re exposed to the virus, they’ll have to quarantine and possibly miss games. Vaccinated players, however, mostly can return to pre-coronavirus life. Football is predicated on getting 53 players to sacrifice for the good of the team. It’s disappointing some players don’t view getting the vaccine as doing precisely that.
Lieser: Their pass rush. The No. 1 reason their defense has slipped from great to good is the decline of their pass rush from third in the NFL in sacks in 2018 to 24th in 2019 and 17th last season. That can’t continue with Khalil Mack, Akiem Hicks and Quinn accounting for $41.3 million in cap space this season. Quinn is the chief concern. He had two sacks after signing a five-year, $70 million deal, he’s 31 and he already is dealing with a back injury.
Potash: Almost regardless of the quarterback, do the Bears have an offense? Do they have an offensive scheme? Do they have an offensive play-caller who can outwit the opposing defensive play-caller? On defense, will nose tackle Eddie Goldman be there? Will Quinn be healthy? But the biggest issue is Nagy’s offense.
Will Allen Robinson get his contract extension by the July 15 deadline?
Jason Lieser, on Justin Fields’ development:
‘‘IT’S IMPORTANT TO DEVELOP HIM PROPERLY AND GIVE HIM TIME, BUT THIS IS OVER THE TOP.’’
Finley: They’re not close to a deal now. But this is a deadline business, and things can change — and often do — as the date approaches. Both sides will have to budge after a stalemate that has lasted more than a year.
Lieser: No, and that’ll be an enormous mistake by the Bears. At 27, he’s in the sweet spot of having experience but still being in peak physical shape. The next several seasons will be the best of his career. It would be incredibly foolish to let that happen in any other uniform.
Potash: Doubtful. The Bears just don’t seem to value Robinson as much as everybody else does. He’s the biggest playmaker on an offense desperate for playmakers. He is the embodiment of the cherished culture at Halas Hall — on and off the field. Considering general manager Ryan Pace’s history of signing players who have earned long-term deals, it’s mystifying why Robinson wasn’t first in line. But it’s also telling.
Lakefront or Arlington Heights?
Mark Potash, on coach Matt Nagy’s QB plan:
‘‘IF FIELDS SHOWS PROMISE DURING THE PRESEASON, DALTON WILL HAVE TO BE PRETTY GOOD TO KEEP THE JOB. NAGY’S STANDARD WILL BE KEY ONCE THE REGULAR SEASON BEGINS.’’
Finley: Lakefront. It’s the most impressive stadium location in the NFL — and one of the least impressive stadiums. If the Bears can find a way to upgrade Soldier Field and gain more control over revenue streams — Better advertising opportunities inside and outside the park? A year-round gift shop? A museum? — staying at the museum campus is the better option for Chicago residents and visiting fans alike. But that’s a gigantic ‘‘if.’’
Lieser: It’s hard to stomach the Bears leaving the city, but they’ll never get a state-of-the-art indoor stadium if they stay. Soldier Field is woefully behind the multibillion-dollar stadiums that have opened in the last several years, and sitting there for 17-degree games in December only is going to get less appealing as the at-home experience keeps getting better.
Potash: All things being equal, the Bears should be playing in Chicago, preferably by the lakefront. But if the choice is a stateof-the-art stadium in Arlington Heights or antiquated Soldier Field on the lakefront, the suburbs would be the better option.