{"id":143063,"date":"2023-07-27T15:00:21","date_gmt":"2023-07-27T19:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=143063"},"modified":"2023-07-27T13:32:01","modified_gmt":"2023-07-27T17:32:01","slug":"bears-playmaker-turning-heads-and-defenders-early-in-training-camp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2023\/07\/27\/bears-playmaker-turning-heads-and-defenders-early-in-training-camp\/","title":{"rendered":"Bears&#8217; Playmaker Turning Heads (and Defenders) Early in Training Camp"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A quick scroll through Chicago Bears Twitter today reveals a general theme about one playmaker in particular.<\/p>\n<p>Rookie wide receiver <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2023\/04\/11\/tyler-scott-draft-profile-team-fits\/\" target=\"_self\">Tyler Scott<\/a> is, indeed, fast. This, of course, is not in and of itself a revelation. But that is exactly where the notability lies in his frequent mention on social media on the second day of training camp.<\/p>\n<h2>Rookie WR Tyler Scott has Flashed Early in Training Camp<\/h2>\n<p>Scott\u2019s speed \u2013 he ran a 4.44 40-yard dash at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nfl.com\/prospects\/tyler-scott\/32005343-4f71-9390-286c-9940bb34941f\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NFL Draft Combine<\/a> \u2013 was a selling point coming out of college. He isn\u2019t the biggest body, measuring 5-foot-10 and weighing in at 177 pounds. But you can\u2019t teach speed and he has plenty of it. He averaged 16.5 yards per reception over his final two seasons at the University of Cincinnati.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Seeing some of the straight line speed and explosiveness out of WR Tyler Scott in one on one drills. Justin Fields hit him with a deep ball and Scott had big separation on Michael Ojemudia, a third year DB out of Iowa.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Mark Grote (@markgrotesports) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/markgrotesports\/status\/1684595535859105793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">July 27, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>He enters the league as an underdog, drafted with the No. 133 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.<\/p>\n<p>Again, though, he comes fully equipped with a legitimate NFL-caliber trait. One that is critical for a Bears team that ranked 26th in air yards per attempt last season and was slow at the position after <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2022\/09\/26\/justin-fields-force-darnell-mooney-cole-kmet\/\" target=\"_self\">Darnell Mooney<\/a> went down with an ankle injury, ending his season in Week 12.<\/p>\n<p>And he has drawn plenty of <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CFCBears\/status\/1681850139185381378\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">praise this offseason<\/a>, making this more than just a flash-in-the-pan situation.<\/p>\n<h3>Tyler Scott\u2019s Potential Impact on Chase Claypool<\/h3>\n<p>The Bears did have <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2022\/11\/15\/matt-eberflus-justin-fields-chase-claypool\/\" target=\"_self\">Chase Claypool<\/a> but he was still getting acclimated after being traded to Chicago at the trade deadline and all had an injury interrupt that process. Word is that he\u2019s as locked in as he\u2019s ever been. And he has spoken out in defense of his work ethic which has been questioned since he was still with the Pittsburgh Steelers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is the biggest year of my life, and I understand that,\u201d Claypool said in his first media availability of the summer on July 26. \u201cAnd if anyone thinks my work ethic isn\u2019t matched, then they\u2019re deeply mistaken.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He and Scott offer speed in very different ways so the youngster\u2019s flash should help him more than it hurts Claypool.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Rookie WR Tyler Scott\u2019s speed and separation is another highlight so far today in Bears camp. I\u2019d like to see him against the best DBs. But you can see the wheels and deep ball ability.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/adamjahns\/status\/1684596181815455744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">July 27, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Offensive coordinator <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2022\/12\/01\/bears-luke-getsy-justin-fields-tim-boyle\/\" target=\"_self\">Luke Getsy<\/a> did note that they\u2019ve had to reduce some things to make him comfortable early on.<\/p>\n<p>He added that Scott\u2019s progress will only be a good thing for the team as a whole.<\/p>\n<p>Claypool \u2013 and Mooney \u2013 are heading into the final years of their contract amid a retooled array of weaponry around third-year quarterback <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2023\/03\/03\/justin-fields-packers-draft-jaxon-smith-njigba\/\" target=\"_self\">Justin Fields<\/a>. There could be a smaller share of the overall pie for everyone with the arrival of Scott and, more significantly, fellow wide receiver <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2023\/03\/11\/d-j-moore-fantasy-football-value\/\" target=\"_self\">D.J. Moore<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2023\/03\/16\/robert-tonyan-signs-contract-with-chicago-bears\/\" target=\"_self\">Robert Tonyan<\/a> at tight end.<\/p>\n<p>The Bears also still boast a backfield that is at least two, and possibly even three-deep.<\/p>\n<p>Everyone can still be more impactful with their touches, though. That may be easier with a defense that will have to pay close attention to Fields and Moore in particular.<\/p>\n<h3>Bears Putting Tyrique Stevenson Through the Fire<\/h3>\n<p>While Scott has been impressive, rookie <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2023\/04\/18\/tyrique-stevenson-2023-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_self\">Tyrique Stevenson<\/a> is getting tested, if not being picked on. He has been the defender targeted by Fields and Moore for <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CourtneyRCronin\/status\/1684601809271128065\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">noteworthy plays<\/a> on back-to-back days.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Go DJ, that\u2019s my DJ \ud83d\udcab <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/0QjUVr4GW7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/0QjUVr4GW7<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ChicagoBears\/status\/1684316262044770305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">July 26, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>That is not a bad thing.<\/p>\n<p>Stevenson projects to man the other outside cornerback spot when the Bears go with their nickel package. And opponents will certainly target him in those situations.<\/p>\n<p>Second-year corner <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2022\/11\/28\/bears-rising-star-sends-strong-message-as-injuries-losses-mount\/\" target=\"_self\">Kyler Gordon<\/a> was the Bears\u2019 most-targeted defender last season, beating out fellow corner <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2022\/10\/10\/bears-eddie-jackson-jaylon-johnson-return\/\" target=\"_self\">Jaylon Johnson<\/a> by 31 targets. Johnson missed three more games than Gordon but that is the kind of trend that Stevenson can expect. Especially entering the league as a later pick.<\/p>\n<p><em>Main Photo: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s early in the process but one Chicago Bears playmaker has been turning heads early and often in training camp.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2879,"featured_media":143065,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[54,23],"tags":[7657,6192,9850,9891],"class_list":["post-143063","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorials","category-bears","tag-bears-featured","tag-chase-claypool","tag-tyler-scott","tag-tyrique-stevenson"],"modified_by":"Josh Buckhalter","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143063","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2879"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=143063"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143063\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/143065"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=143063"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=143063"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=143063"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}