CENTER OF ATTENTION
Glennon has been off- target this camp, but he offers an interesting excuse
BOURBONNAIS— Location, location, location. Are we talking about real estate? In a way, I suppose we are. New Bears quarterback Mike Glennon was asked about the challenge of getting used to an unfamiliar center, in this case Cody Whitehair. There are two issues, Glennon said. One is how hard the center snaps the football.
“Two— kinda weird— but it’s how high their butt placement is,’’ he said.
There are moments in life when you realize that you don’t know as much as you thought you did. And there are moments when you wish you could go back to your previous blissful ignorance. This was one of them.
“Every [ center] has got a different feel to him,’’ Glennon said. “I know that sounds weird.’’
Oh, no, Mike. I don’t think your comments will be a radio talk- show drop for years to come. Not at all. ( Rodney Dangerfield eye roll.)
Placement and feel have been issues for Glennon in training camp. He had trouble with a few snaps during practice Monday, which I assume can be attributed to the butt issue that we had never thought of before but now can’t seem to erase. But he also has lacked accuracy on his deep throws, and that was the case again. Even offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains acknowledged the subject last week, though gently.
“We need to hit a couple of them,’’ he said. “Just work with these guys. We’ve been doing it. Sometimes it’s extra conditioning, working after practice, keep working with those things. We missed a couple [ Friday]. Those things come with time. So when they get out after practice, and they get to throw a lot of them and just keep accumulating reps, it will come with time.’’
In his favor, Glennon did gather offensive players around him early in the practice for a talk because “I felt like we weren’t off to a good start.’’ If you’re keeping score, he gets points for leadership and points off for accuracy.
You’re right: It’s one stupid practice in early August. But it’s the Bears, who, by state law, are to be analyzed to within an inch of their lives at all times. And the all- important first preseason game is Thursday against the Broncos. OK, the game really isn’t that important. Glennon will get one or two series, and he’ll be done for the night.
The ball looked better coming out of rookie Mitch Trubisky’s hand than it did out of Glennon’s. And that’s coming from someone who doesn’t think Trubisky should be the starter this season, unless there’s an injury to Glennon and backup Mark Sanchez.
If you’re rooting for the Bears to have another high draft pick next year, you’ll want to see more of Glennon’s passes fluttering beyond receivers’ hands. If you’re rooting for the Bears to actually win games this season, you’d like to see more accuracy from the starting quarterback.
A writer asked Glennon if he was concerned about his precision on deep throws.
“No, I feel good about throwing the deep ball well,’’ he said. “I’ve had plenty of success doing that in my time in the NFL.’’
Of Glennon’s 30 NFL touchdown passes, all with Tampa Bay, four have been of 30 yards or more. His longest, an 85- yarder, came in 2013.
If he struggles even a little bit this season, the discussion will be about Trubisky. If Glennon plays well, the discussion will be about what it means for Trubisky. That’s what happens when a team uses the second overall pick to take a quarterback. No one said rebuilding was going to be fun.
Trubisky will play against the Broncos, though coach John Fox hasn’t said how much. The kid isn’t ready for regular- season games. The longer he’s allowed to watch this season, the better for his development. One way or the other, it figures to be a strange season, with the future standing on the sideline and the present trying to make everyone forget about the future. The past just signed to play with the Dolphins.
I asked Fox if there are parts of Glennon’s game that need work.
“Everybody on the team needs work,’’ he said.
I don’t think the North Koreans, given a week, could crack this guy.
In uncensored news, Glennon said his connection with Bears receivers has improved.
“We’re getting more and more on the same page,’’ he said. “I feel like I know where they’re going to be, they know where I’m going to throw it and I think we have improved on that from OTAs till now.’’
We’re talking about location here. No ifs, ands or butts.