LAKE FOREST, Ill. – It would not have been too remarkable if we did not see much of Darnell Mooney during the Bears’ first few padded practices. It would have been easy to write it off as a fifth-round pick that is gradually acclimatizing to the NFL, without the benefit of any foundation-building jumping practices.
But that is not the case. We’ve seen a lot of Mooney this week. And while it’s early, the Bears seem to have plans for the Tulane fast receiver in 2020.
“We put him in different places and see how much he can handle,” said quarterback Mitch Trubisky. ‘He’s doing a good job with separating himself and running the routes and is on the quarterback’s timing.
“And he can fly a little too, so we like to see that.”
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(Mooney, by the way, has the one to one highest speed rating of any Bears player in Madden 20.)
We’ve heard players and coaches praise the speed with which Mooney recorded his assignments in the Bears’ offense, and coach Matt Nagy compared Mooney’s attentiveness and behavior in meetings to those of Allen Robinson (a terribly airy comparison). All this is important first step for a man who only a few weeks ago had not practiced anything in his team’s playbook.
But it’s just a first step, not necessarily a sign that Mooney will be an X-factor as an under-the-radar weapon once September 13 rolls out.
‘The biggest thing for him is the transition here the next few weeks, when we start with the guys out in full pads, where it’s longer days, now your technique, you have to keep up what you’re doing, the connection of the playbook keep piling up, ”said wide receiver Mike Furrey. “And so it’s where it’s going to be right now from a development point of view, how much can he tackle that and go on and produce like he did when he had no pads.”
At some level, however, it is encouraging that the Bears Mooney even tested this early in his pro career. So far, it seems and sounds like he handled those tests well.
Now he has to keep it up for the next few weeks. If he does, keep an eye out for no. 11 on your TV screens 13 sept.
“I’m very comfortable (in the wrong),” Mooney said. ‘I mean, if you know the plays, you don’t have any kind of confusion or discomfort with it. If you know what you’re doing, then you just go out and play ball. ”
Drift against patience for Johnson
Three things came into focus this week about Jaylon Johnson
-The Bears slowly bring him with his shoulder.
-He is the most talented participant in the Bears’ cornerback league.
-Time is already running out for him to start week 1.
“He can run, he has length, he has confidence, he has ball skills,” said defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano. ‘He has all that stuff. But until we actually see him live, whether it’s life periods, stabbing periods here, checking situation when that comes up – what coach Nagy comes up with from a drill standpoint – once he’s plugged in, just see how he reacts. ”
This coming week it feels like a big one for Johnson’s readiness to open the season with some sort of role on the Bears’ defense. Only three weeks apart Sunday from the Bears’ opener season, leaving him without much of a starting lineup to get Kenny Golladay as Marvin Jones ready.
However, the Bears have some options here. Kevin Toliver II was able to get the start button. Or maybe there’s a way to get Johnson inside with Buster Skrine playing outside in base and inside, and Johnson playing outside when Skrine slips to nickel. I’m not sure how realistic that last one is, but we’ve seen Skrine play a bit outside since Artie Burns’ injury to the season.
Eventually, Johnson will start. But will his path to start closer be to James Daniels in 2018 (who did not play until he started running at left guard in Week 4) or Roquan Smith the same year (who did not start with Week 1 but did Week 2)? Or will he mirror Eddie Jackson and start week 1 and never give up his place?
I think we have a much clearer answer next weekend.
“All I did was just be ready for this situation,” Johnson said. ‘So now that I get in there and it’s real, I feel like everything I’ve worked for and done all these years, just happened and now that I’m here, I feel like I’m ready. I still have my mistakes to get out of the way, but physically I feel like I’m ready. ‘
Star power
It’s an up-and-down week for Cole Kmet, who was furious at a false start in practice on Monday and did not always make plays when given opportunities. But there have also been moments where Kmet’s size, speed and athleticism shine, such as in Tuesday’s one-on-one drill. It’s hard to miss the physical traits possessed by the 6-foot-6, 262-pound second-round pick.
“I think he will be a star in this league,” said safety Tashaun Gipson. ‘I think he’s a good player, he’s a physical guy. He’s a bigger man than you probably would have imagined for a man who can run and catch like that. ”
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Kmet, so far, has not exaggerated in padded practices – something that soon became clear with the last tight end the Bears drafted in the second round (Adam Shaheen, 2017). While Kmet has not been perfect, it is to be expected that every rookie this year will bring in 100 percent clean practices.
And Kmet has a good grasp of that wrinkle until 2020, which should help him cut out a role in the Bears ’offensive off the first snap of the season.
“I think I try to count every rep and learn from every rep,” Kmet said. “Those reps are really valuable. You only get so much in one practice. You have to really make those counts. You’re making a mistake, you need to know, ‘I made a mistake here’ and correct it the next day.
‘It has to be quick repairs. You have to show that you can adapt quickly. ”
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