The Chicago Bears and coach Ben Johnson concluded the team's only mandatory mincamp of the offseason with what most would interpret as a lighthearted and fun set of drills that featured the offensive linemen streaking downfield and catching passes.
But make no mistake: the mad scientist play-caller that is Ben Johnson had a very intentional reason for everything the Bears did during minicamp, including the Big Uglies flashing their hand-eye coordination.
“I let those guys know we only do this once a year, and it’s an evaluation,” Johnson said. “We’ll circle back in training camp and in the season to see who we can trust to catch the ball or throw the ball. I think there’s a couple guys on the O-line that stood out.”
And get ready, Bears fans: there are going to be some fireworks this year.
“I think we’ve got some toys to work with,” Johnson said.
The most impressive catch was made by right tackle Darnell Wright, who flashed an Odell Beckham Jr. one-handed catch while contorting his 330-pound body in ways that bodies like that shouldn't.
Ozzy Trapillo wasn't bad, either. The 6-foot-8 rookie could be a redzone nightmare if Johnson deploys him in a pass-catching capacity.
Regardless of which O-linemen gets the call, it's great to see the Bears evolving into a fun and modernized offense. We got a taste of it a few years ago when Matt Nagy did his best to install a creative package of plays, but we also learned pretty quickly that the now-Chiefs offensive coordinator was in over his head.
That won't be the case for Ben Johnson, who, as the most sought-after head coaching candidate of the last decade, has already proven that he can utilize not only his skill players but also his offensive linemen in ways that other offensive minds simply can't.
