Bears Rookie Minicamp Observations From Day 1 Are Encouraging

"For all of our defensive backs, it's one of the better situations you can ask for. I think the world of Al. We were very fortunate to get him back. He was a great teacher. He was very systematic about the project in which we want to go about our business. "He's got some really good building blocks for young players, if they trust him and if they buy into his way of coaching, that they're going to have success. His track record says that. I think Malik is a very sharp young man, and he's going to"

"All eyes are on the Bears' secondary at the start of rookie minicamp for obvious reasons. Not only did the team use its first-round pick on Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman, but it also used the first of its Day 3 selections on University of Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad. Thieneman is a virtual lock to be a Week 1 starter. on Chicago's defense. There has been an expectation that Thieneman would start next to free-agent addition Coby Bryant at safety since the moment the Indiana native was drafted."

"We've got a roundup of observations from the Bears beat on Day 1 of Bears rookie minicamp. Reports of a short practice have me thinking the team is prepping with a slow build for its rookies, with the idea of getting folks on board with the basics now and then keeping players fresher for what will hopefully be a season that extends into February."

Chicago Bears rookie minicamp begins with a short practice and a slow build focused on fundamentals for rookies. The team’s attention centers on the secondary because it drafted safety Dillon Thieneman in the first round and cornerback Malik Muhammad in the fourth round. Thieneman is expected to start at safety in Week 1 alongside free-agent addition Coby Bryant. Muhammad’s path to a starting role is less certain, but his development trajectory is viewed as promising. Defensive Backs Coach Al Harris is praised for systematic coaching, strong teaching, and proven success with young players who trust his process and coaching approach.

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