With the Bears working on a new defensive look and still undergoing competition at all
of its skill positions, it was unlikely that they were going to emerge from the spring
with any sweeping conclusions. Even head coach Jeff Tedford was measured with his comments
afterwards.
"I'm really happy with the team chemistry, the way we're working together, the
attitude of the team, the focus, the camaraderie, all very positive" said Tedford,
who was pleased with the progress that wide receivers Michael Calvin and Nyan Boateng made
during spring, and also mentioned tight end Tad Smith, defensive linemen Scott Smith and
Ernest Owusu, linebacker D.J. Holt, and punter Bryan Anger as other players who had good
springs.
Calvin caught two touchdowns late during Saturday's practice, and Boateng made a number
of leaping catches during 11-on-11s and in drills and were two reasons why Tedford was
pleased with the progress of the wide receivers.
"I think when things start slowing down for them mentally, they were able to
play," said Tedford. "As you install plays through spring, there's a lot on
their minds, but then, when they can just cut it loose and know exactly where they are
lined up and when they are sure about what they are doing, they can play unconscious.
That's the key."
With Calvin, Boateng, and Jeremy Ross all contending for starting spots, and all
exceeding 200 pounds, it'll enable the offense to do some things differently from last
year, when two of the starting receivers were in the 170-pound range.
"More than anything, the physical part of their play comes from their blocking on
the perimeter," Tedford said. "[Last year] guys would try to block but sometimes
they didn't hold up because of their stature. Now you're talking about guys who are 6-3
and 6-4 and 210- to 215-pounds, so they are good sized guys."
While the quarterback competition between Kevin Riley and Nate Longshore didn't come
too much closer to resolution, Longshore's pectoral injury gave the coaching staff a good
chance to take a close look at Riley and Brock Mansion. Both quarterbacks did well
during 11-on-11s, both showing the ability to throw on the run as an improving knack for
being patient with receivers to get open. During 11-on-11s and 8-on-8s, both
quarterbacks avoided throwing interceptions and fumbling snaps, with the only play that
was close to a miscue being a Brock Mansion pass that fell into defensive lineman Michael
Costanzo's hands after the play had been blown dead.
Unofficially, Riley was 5-of-10 for 80 yards for one touchdown, while Mansion, who
received more work, completed 14-of-22 passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns.
"Nate was doing a great job in his first week," said Tedford. "He really
showed well and Kevin did a nice job in the spring too. Brock Mansion also got better as
the spring went along, so now we're going to go through the summer, then fall camp, and
see how it shakes down. We're in good shape. We have two very good quarterbacks and
a young guy who has a lot of ability, so I feel like we're in good hands at the
quarterback position."
All three tailbacks ran effectively, although nobody broke any exceptionally long
gains. Unofficially, Shane Vereen had 10 carries for 48 yards, Tracy Slocum had 10 carries
for 42 yards, and Covaughn Deboskie had 7 carries for 32 yards and a touchdown.
Although the final spring practice wasn't held on Cal Day and consequently wasn't the publicized event that it's been in years past, the Bears did run fewer drills than they do in a normal practice session in favor of two extended 11-on-11 sessions. During practice, the offense wore the five o'clock gold game uniforms, while the defense wore navy game uniforms. An officiating crew was on hand to make calls during the 11-on-11s.
Saturday's practice consisted of unit drills and some special teams work, one-on-two
blocking drills featuring one defensive lineman going against two offensive lineman, and a
one-on-one tackling drill featuring a ball carrier (usually a tight end or a fullback)
coming in with a head of steam up against a linebacker and trying to reach an area that
was marked off as the end zone. For the defense, Zack Follett was successful in
stopping his man short on all three plays, stopping tight end Skyler Curran twice and
Savai'i Eselu once. Eddie Young also did well with three successful tackles,
including tackles of Will Ta'ufo'ou and Cameron Morrah. On offense, Ta'ufo'ou was a load
to tackle as he steamrolled linebacker Charles Johnson one play, and caused the collision
of the day when he ran into Devin Bishop before moving on into the endzone. Fullback
John Tyndall also did well during the drill, scoring on three of seven chances.
While Saturday marked the end of spring practice, the team will go into summer workouts until fall camp opens in August. The team will get a chance to rest up for before summer workouts begin.
That chance will come today. Summer workouts begin on Monday.
* * * * *
Spring Review
For the first time in the Jeff Tedford era, the Bears enter the fall with uncertainty
at all of the skill positions. While Kevin Riley did have several good performances
with the first unit, the quarterback competition still has to be considered open as
incumbent Nate Longshore recovers from a pectoral injury. Brock Mansion's comfort
with the offense increased throughout the spring, and during plays where he was asked to
throw on the run, he was very composed. At running back, Tracy Slocum looked throughout
spring, but an injury to Jahvid Best held him out of 11-on-11s, while Shane Vereen and
Covaughn Deboskie overcame early spring injuries to play well during the latter part of
practice.
While the Bears will be challenged to replace DeSean Jackson, Lavelle Hawkins, and
Robert Jordan; Michael Calvin had a stellar spring and showed good rapport with both Kevin
Riley and Brock Mansion in working his way open for two touchdowns late during the
Saturday practice. Transfer Nyan Boateng has played well in spurts, and sophomore
Jeremy Ross had several strong practices prior to getting hurt.
At tight end, Cameron Morrah will look to fill the role that Craig Stevens ably
occupied during the past three seasons. Tad Smith has been a revelation since switching
over from the defensive line, showing good hands and solid enough route running that he
may be a factor this season. Skyler Curran has made nice catches and has blocked
effectively, and with Garry Graffort and Savai'i Eselu waiting in the wings, the Bears
should be comfortable with their depth.
During the spring, the Bears have tried Richard Fisher, Mark Boskovich, and Matt Summers-Gavin as left guard with the first unit offense, with Mike Tepper, Alex Mack,
Noris Malele and Chet Teofilo being mainstays. Although Chris Guarnero has primarily
played center with the second unit, he has taken some reps with the first unit at right
guard. With Tepper switching positions from right tackle to left tackle, of the
offensive linemen, only Mack and Malele saw playing time at their positions last season.
Defensively, the Bears front seven will benefit from a year's worth of experience.
Defensive end Rulon Davis, who was beginning to emerge as a force as a runstopper
and a pass rusher before suffering a foot injury last season, had a monster spring.
Although Mika Kane and Tyson Alualu played well with the first unit defense, sophomores
Cameron Jordan and Derrick Hill were often merciless against the second unit offensive
line and were beginning to take reps with the first unit offensive line towards the end of
spring ball.
One of the most encouraging aspects for the Bears is the play of its linebackers.
The Bears started the spring with a core of Zack Follett, Worrell Williams, Tony
Felder, and Michael Mohamed. Injuries to Follett and Mohamed have meant first unit
work for Eddie Young, Charles Johnson, and Devin Bishop, and all of them played well.
Add in D.J. Holt, who missed part of spring with an injury, as well as Shea McIntyre, and an emerging Solomona Aigamaua, and the Bears are in very good shape at this
position.
Throughout the spring, the Bears' first unit secondary has consisted of Chris Conte and
Syd'Quan Thompson at corners and Bernard Hicks and Marcus Ezeff as safeties. As the
defense has experimented with different formations, Brett Johnson, Darian Hagan, Charles Amadi, Gary Doxy, and Jesse Brooks have all made strong cases for playing time, with the
big-hitting Doxy being someone worth keeping an eye on.
In terms of special teams, Bryan Anger was a standout during spring with several
booming punts with excellent hang time. While he needs to work on becoming more consistent
with distance, he'll be able to give the coverage unit plenty of time to get down field.
Jordan Kay was the most consistent of the placekickers, but isn't quite at the
point where 40-yard field goals can be considered automatic. It's too early to
identify who the kick returners will be, although at various times during the spring,
Syd'Quan Thompson, Nyan Boateng, Shane Vereen, Covaughn Deboskie, Jeremy Ross, and Jahvid
Best have practiced fielding kicks in drills. In limited kickoff work, the Bears'
kickoffs were consistently landing around the 10-yard line, and it remains be seen whether
that will prove to be satisfactory, whether they'll experiment with some of the
unconventional methods that opponents used against the Bears last year, or whether
different options will be explored in fall camp.
* * * * *
11-on-11 details
On Saturday, the Bears ran extensive 11-on-11s during two segments; with the defense
getting the upper hand during the first half and the offense having better success during
the latter segment.
The first set of 11-on-11s opened with Tyson Alualu sacking Kevin Riley, and was
followed by a sequence where the Cal mixed in runs with passes to the running backs and
tight ends. On the fourth play, Riley complete a pass to tight end Cameron Morrah who was
running up a seam. Morrah shook off a tackle by safety Marcus Ezeff, and ran upfield for a
21-yard gain. Riley was helped by a block by right tackle Chet Teofilo who pushed
the oncoming rusher outside enough to give Riley a good pocket to stand into.
Because the Bears were working from certain situations, the line of scrimmage was reset
after each play. It wasn't until later in the scrimmage that they began moving the ball
downfield after each play.
Mansion was two of three during his first rotation, completing two short passes to
Shane Vereen, but finished up by getting sacked by defensive lineman Justin Gates.
The Bears then worked on their deeper passing, with Riley attempting a long pass to
wide receiver Eddie Young who'd gotten behind the defense, but as the ball hung into the
air, Young was run into by cornerback Chris Conte, who was flagged for pass interference.
Four plays later, Riley threw a short pass to Calvin, who shook off the unfortunate
Ezeff and blazed up field for a 39-yard gain.
Shane Vereen then broke a tackle for a 15-yard run, Devin Bishop stuffed a Brock
Mansion to John Tyndall pass for no gain, and Gary Doxy sacked Brock Mansion on a safety
blitz. As the play was whistled dead, Mansion released a soft pass that fell into the
hands of defensive lineman Michael Costanzo who was urged by his defensive cohorts to
score, before running for a distance and then stopping.
During its second set of 11-on-11s, the Bears worked with a short field starting from
the opposing 25-yard line.
The first sequence opened with Syd'Quan Thompson knocking down a pass on an intended
post pattern pass from Riley to Boateng. Defensive end Rulon Davis then tackled running
back Tracy Slocum for a loss and then along withWorrell Williams chased Riley out of the
pocket and forced him to throw the ball away. The offense managed a first down on a
13-yard run by Slocum, but after safety Bernard Hicks broke up a short out pass from Riley
to tight end Skyler Curran, Jordan Kay was brought on to convert a 25-yard field goal.
The second sequence began with a 15-yard throwback screen from Mansion to running back
Shane Vereen. The defense then stiffened and on a 3rd-and-goal from the six, D.J.
Holt chased Brock Mansion out of the pocket. Mansion then slightly overthrew Vereen, with
Devin Bishop providing good coverage. Joe Robles then converted a 24-yard field
goal.
The offense managed a touchdown on the third sequence. Following three Vereen runs and
an offensive false start penalty, Mansion rolled out, and found an open Calvin who did a
nice job of working inside than sliding back out for an 11-yard touchdown pass.
During the following sequence, the Bears advanced 10 yards on a Mansion pass to
fullback Peter Geurts, and a 10-yard run by Covaughn Deboskie, who was tripped up by
safety Jesse Brooks. On first and goal, Covaughn Deboskie swept towards the left side, but
just as he was about to reach the end zone, the ball was stripped, and the fumble was
recovered by linebacker Charles Johnson.
Tracy Slocum showed strength and speed in cutting through holes for gains of 5 and 15
yards, giving the Bears a first-and-goal on the five. Another run by Slocum was
stopped by Zack Follett for a two-yard loss. On a 2nd-and-goal from the 7, Riley
found Calvin in the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown.
The sixth sequence belonged to the defense as Davis wrapped up Slocum for no gain, a
Riley to Slocum screen pass went for no gain, and defensive end Cameron Jordan sacked
Riley for a five-yard loss. Kay attempted a 47-yard field goal from the right hash
that sailed wide.
For sequence seven, Mansion rolled right and threw a pass which was dropped by fullback
John Tyndall. Mansion completed a 13-yard pass to Vereen who leaked out of the
backfield. Vereen was stopped for a one-yard loss by Darian Hagan. On a play
action pass, Mansion found Geurts in the flat, who then ran 13 yards for a touchdown.
Off of play action, Mansion completed a 13-yard pass to tight end Skyler Curren.
Following short runs by Vereen and Deboskie, the offense had a first and goal from the
two-yard line. Thanks to a big push from the right side of the line courtesty of
Justin Cheadle and Mitchell Schwartz, Deboskie then scored on a two-yard touchdown.
During the day's final sequence, Mansion threw a short pass to Calvin who ducked out of
a tackle attempt by Solomona Aigamaua for a six-yard gain, and a 5-yard run by Deboskie
gave the offense a first down. Out in coverage, Bishop knocked down a sideline pass
from Mansion to Geurts; Deboskie was hen stopped for a short gain by Bishop and defensive
end Scott Smith, and Mansion overthrew Deboskie on a short pass. Robles then kicked
a 30-yard field goal to end the days proceedings.
* * * * *
Unit list
While the first unit offensive line continues to consist of left tackle Mike Tepper,
center Alex Mack, right guard Noris Malele, and right tackle Chet Teofilo, the Bears
continued to take a look at different players at the left guard position. Sophomore
Richard Fisher took most of the snaps with the first unit, with sophomore Mark Boskovich
taking some snaps later in the afternoon, and freshman Matt Summers-Gavin taking a few
snaps.
Tight ends Tad Smith and Garry Graffort were sidelined during Saturday's practice.
Consequently, the Bears were down to three tight ends; Cameron Morrah, Skyler Curran, and
Savai'i Eselu.
With the Bears trio of tailbacks healthy - Tracy Slocum, Shane Vereen, and Covaughn
Deboskie - all able to take a lot of work, Peter Geurts saw work at fullback, behind Will
Ta'ufo'ou and John Tyndall.
Linebacker Michael Mohamed is still recovering from injury, so Eddie Young continued to
see a lot of work with the first unit defense as an outside linebacker.
Wide receiver Sean Young, who was held out of most of spring practice with an injury,
saw a lot of work during practice this past week.
Brock Mansion was the primary holder for Jordan Kay during field goals throughout
spring.
While Nick Sundberg is firmly in place as the long snapper, Michael Costanzo and Matt Laird got in some work snapping to the punters during drills.
Offensive line unit A (during drills): Mike Tepper, Richard Fisher, Alex Mack, Noris
Malele, Chet Teofilo
Offensive line unit B (during drills): Matt Laird, Mark Boskovich, Chris Guarnero,
Justin Cheadle, Mitchell Schwartz
Offensive line unit C (during drills): Sam DeMartinis, Matt Summers-Gavin, Todd Huber,
Kevin Bemoll, Justin Prueitt
Offensive Unit A (first 11): Michael Calvin, Nyan Boateng, Cameron Morrah, Mike Tepper,
Richard Fisher, Alex Mack, Noris Malele, Chet Teofilo, Kevin Riley, Tracy Slocum,
Will Ta'ufo'ou
Offensive Unit A (other participants): Shane Vereen, LaReylle Cunningham, Matt
Summers-Gavin
Defensive Unit A (first 11): Tyson Alualu, Mika Kane, Rulon Davis, Zack Follett,
Anthony Felder, Worrell Williams, Eddie Young, Marcus Ezeff, Bernard Hicks, Syd'Quan
Thompson, Chris Conte
Defensive Unit A (other participants): Charles Johnson, Derrick Hill, Cameron Jordan,
Skyler Curran, LaReylle Cunningham, Mark Boskovich, Gary Doxy
Offensive Unit B: Ian Albrecht, Drew Glover, LaReylle Cunningham, Michael Calvin, Sean
Young, Skyler Curran, Cameron Morrah, Savaii Eselu, Matt Laird, Sam DeMartinis, Richard
Fisher, Mark Boskovich, Matt Summers-Gavin, Chris Guarnero, Todd Huber, Justin Prueitt,
T.J. Emery, Justin Cheadle, Kevin Bemoll, Brock Mansion, Shane Vereen, Covaughn Deboskie,
John Tyndall, Peter Geurts
Defensive Unit B: Rulon Davis, Keith Browner, Ernest Owusu, Cameron Jordan, Michael
Costanzo, Scott Smith, Justin Gates, Derrick Hill, Keith Browner, Michael Mohamed, Charles
Johnson, Solomona Aigamaua, Shea McIntyre, D.J. Holt, Eddie Young, Darian Hagan, Brett
Johnson, Charles Amadi, Chris Conte, Gary Doxy, D.J. Campbell
additional reporting by Chris Avery
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