Bears HC Ben Johnson pinpoints two players who took a big step toward saving their jobs during OTAs and mandatory minicamp
Mandatory minicamp is now in the rearview mirror for the Chicago Bears with players now set to be off for the summer until training camp kicks up in late July.The last couple weeks in Halas Hall have been encouraging for both sides of the ball while getting to know the new coaching staff.Slowly by surely, […]
Mandatory minicamp is now in the rearview mirror for the Chicago Bears with players now set to be off for the summer until training camp kicks up in late July.
The last couple weeks in Halas Hall have been encouraging for both sides of the ball while getting to know the new coaching staff.
Slowly by surely, things are coming together for this group of players learning the new schemes being implemented. By training camp, it'll be full speed ahead once pads come on and contact is allowed.
In the meantime, head coach Ben Johnson revealed which players have impressed him the most on the field during OTAs and minicamp.
Two rookies made the list in linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II and running back Kyle Monangai. While it's great to see the rooks get some praise, the other two standouts were more surprising given their expected statuses on the team.
The other two players Johnson praised by name were defensive end Dominique Robinson and tight end Joel Wilson, two players who could have easily been viewed as potential cut candidates earlier in the offseason by those looking from the outside.
Let's start with Robinson, whom the Bears drafted in the fifth-round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Robinson played a career-low six games with just one start in 2024 and spent multiple weeks as an inactive on gamedays.
Johnson noted he's not worried about what happened with specific players last season and instead wants to focus on how players are looking now.
"Even without the pads on, he's done a great job of consistently speed rush up the field or countering back to the inside. He's done a really nice job out there and of course he's got some special teams value that he takes a lot of pride in as well," Johnson said about Robinson.
Given Robinson's special teams ability and the fact his frame fits the typical Dennis Allen-type for an edge rusher, he should feel a lot more secure about his spot on the team. But, as a defensive lineman, he won't know for sure how the coaches feel about him until the pads come on and he goes up against the offensive line.
"He has popped out," Johnson added. "He looks the part for sure… He does have a quick first step off the ball and he lined up on our left tackles quite a bit here over the last few weeks and you can tell he got the edge on them."
As for Wilson, that was a surprising name to see mentioned. At tight end, the Bears already have Cole Kmet, Colston Loveland, and potentially Durham Smythe ahead of him. With Loveland out for OTAs and minicamp, Smythe has been working as the TE2 behind Kmet and had a some history with Johnson coming to Chicago.
Wilson, however, joined the Bears' practice squad in October of last season and stuck around on the roster on a future/reserve contract. He's someone who's yet to appear in a regular season game after going undrafted in 2023 and bouncing around with five different teams.
It seems like he's taking full advantage of every opportunity he's getting in Chicago.
"You saw him today with a big catch. He's had one or two of those almost every OTA," Johnson explained. "He's got a little savvy in how he moves. He's got a nice route feel about him. The test will be when we really get going in camp, how he holds up in the run game and pass pro game. But, so far in the running routes section of tight end play, I think he stood out in a positive way."
Now, there's still a long way to go for both players to secure a spot on the 53-man roster. Robinson and Wilson will have to keep turning heads during training camp and the preseason if they want to survive the roster cuts later in the summer.
