Chicago Bears’ Ben Johnson sets foundation in first practice at rookie minicamp

LAKE FOREST – New Bears head coach Ben Johnson stood on one of the two farther practice fields at Halas Hall on a sunny Friday morning. He watched as Bears rookies and other rookie minicamp invitees ran drills on both fields.

It had been a moment that was years in the making. Four months since the Bears hired Johnson as their new head coach in January.

Johnson finally got a chance to run his first practice as an NFL head coach.

So how different did it feel being a head coach?

“I’ve never blown the whistle to stop the play,” Johnson joked with reporters Friday. “I’ve got a little work to do there. I can get better in that aspect.”

Jokes aside, Johnson said he was excited to finally be out on the field as a head coach. The Bears started voluntary offseason workouts almost a month ago. But Friday was the first time he and his new coaching staff had a chance to run a practice together.

“It was great,” Johnson said. “I’m surrounded by a phenomenal coaching staff. It was fun to watch them get their hands on these players and be able to work with them like that. I’m very encouraged.”

Johnson called Friday a coach’s orientation along with an orientation for the rookies. After months of talking about how they wanted to run their practices, Bears coaches finally got a chance to put their ideas into practice and see what worked and what didn’t.

The Bears didn’t run practice Friday as the same speed as Johnson expects to later in the offseason because he didn’t want any early soft-tissue injuries. But Johnson did start a process that he believes will help the Bears players and coaches grow.

The coaching staff spent Thursday night and Friday morning installing new concepts with the rookies. Coaches then looked for the players to run those basic plays at a high level at practice.

Johnson said he expects a lot of mistakes to be made at practice, something he mentioned when he first met with reporters after his hiring. But he wants those mistakes to be addressed in the afternoon and cleaned up in walk-throughs.

“That’s really a progression,” Johnson said. “It’s nothing crazy, revolutionary.”

While that progression might seem cyclical, Johnson said his approach to practices won’t be.

Johnson brought a new energy with him to offseason workouts last month. Many veteran players when they first met with reporters mentioned how different Johnson’s energy was. It felt like a culture change for the players after they spent most of last year’s 5-12 season asking for more accountability from the previous coaching staff.

Johnson said his mentality toward practice will vary based on what he sees on the field. If he feels the energy is leaning toward one extreme, he’ll make sure to counterbalance it.

“I think you’ll see a lot of different personality styles come out,” Johnson said. “Not just with me, but with the rest of the coaching staff as well as we work to get to know our players a little bit better and what they need to be pushed.”

The Bears’ rookies were the latest to experience that energy Friday. Second-round pick defensive tackle Shemar Turner said he felt Johnson’s energy during walk-throughs, which went a little faster than what he was used to.

First-round pick tight end Colston Loveland didn’t practice Friday, but even he felt it. Loveland is recovering from a shoulder surgery he had in January. But Johnson’s energy only made him more excited to get to work when he is fully cleared.

“He can be super fired up, he can get on someone, then he’ll be super fired up on this play, like a good pass or something,” Loveland said. “He’s got a little bit of everything in him. Like I said, he’s a great coach. It’s only Day 1, but I love everything about him. He’s super determined, like I said, he’s going to take it to the top.”

Taking it to the top will take time. The Bears will finish rookie minicamp this weekend and then host four weeks of practices in May and June, highlighted by mandatory minicamp in the first week of June.

“It was great. I’m surrounded by a phenomenal coaching staff. It was fun to watch them get their hands on these players and be able to work with them like that. I’m very encouraged.”

—  Ben Johnson, Chicago Bears head coach

Johnson said starting positions weren’t going to be won until training camp starts in June. But for players such as second-round pick offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo who are looking to play as soon as possible, Johnson has set the path for how players can grow in his system.

“I think it’s great,” Trapilo said. “He has really good energy. I think all the guys are excited to be here, great energy on the practice field, lot of excitement. It was really good today.”