Chicago Bears rookie minicamp: Does Logan Jones have the inside track to start at center?

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Most of all, Bears coach Ben Johnson emphasized, the orientation process was “about just introducing them to our way of life.” The Bears’ way of life produced 11 wins last season, an NFC North championship and the franchise’s first playoff victory in 15 years. To sustain that success, the Bears understand the demands of drafting well, developing their talent and increasing competition across the depth chart. After rookie camp practices on Friday and Saturday, plus a plethora of interviews with coaches and players, here’s a snapshot look at several interesting storylines. Johnson has no definitive timetable for when Jones, a second-round pick out of Iowa, will earn clearance to become a major part of the offense. “Time will tell,” Johnson said Friday. “The ball is in his court as far as I’m concerned.” With an offense known for putting a heavy mental load on its center — and with the Bears aiming to aid quarterback Caleb Williams with an intelligent and experienced snapper in front of him — Jones’ climb during the rest of the spring and summer will require him to learn a lot, learn quickly and build trust. That’s trust with Williams. Trust with the rest of the offensive line. Trust with the coaching staff. And, yes, Jones understands he’ll have to find a healthy balance of urgency and patience as he works to become a serious competitor for the starting role currently held by veteran Garrett Bradbury. “It’s kind of a race against time,” Jones said. “You’re trying to get better as fast as you can, right? And be ready. It’s going to go (quickly) and the next thing you know we’re going to be in fall camp.” A blocker with vise-grip hands and strong technique — but undersized. During a pre-draft visit to Halas Hall, Johnson and the Bears felt instant chemistry, an undeniable click that should help the rookie’s growth process. Johnson came away impressed with Jones’ maturity, makeup and football knowledge. Jones, the Bears concluded, is wired in a way that is compatible with the environment he’s entering. Plus, with Jones making 50 starts at Iowa and drawing years of guidance from Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz and offensive line coach George Barnett, the Bears have confidence that he was properly trained to make this jump. “To me, it’s not, ‘We’re getting a rookie,’” Johnson said. “We’re getting a guy who’s a little bit more of a seasoned player, which really is not uncommon for those Iowa linemen.” As for Jones’ push to become a starter? “It’s going to be a lot of fun,” he said. “I know I have a long road ahead of me. But it’s something I look forward to. I’m not going to be perfect. Nobody’s going to be perfect. It’s an imperfect game. But as long as I continue to grow, learn and have fun, then at the end of the day, (you) just go out there, play some football, keep it simple, and run off the ball and block.” Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has coached a lot of standout safeties over his 24 seasons in the NFL, a crew that includes Tyrann Mathieu, Roman Harper, Darren Sharper, Brian Dawkins and Kevin Byard. One trait they all shared, per Allen: intelligence. “And it’s not just book smarts,” Allen added Saturday. “It’s being able to think and process and make really good decisions.” It’s no wonder Allen was on board with the decision to make Thieneman, a 21-year-old All-American out of Oregon, the headliner of the draft class with the 25th pick in last month’s draft. “Obviously you can see his athleticism on the tape,” Allen said. “But the biggest thing was he found his way around the ball a lot. To be able to do that, there has to be some intelligence about him and there has to be some instincts about him. “And I think when you’re looking at college safeties or safeties in general, it’s a production position. That production can come in a lot of different ways, whether it be tackles or interceptions or PBUs or any of those things. But safety is a position where you find your way around the ball. The best ones do. I thought that showed up with him.” Allen is particularly enthused to pair Thieneman with free-agent newcomer Coby Bryant, giving the Bears two playmakers on the back end with a strong combination of speed and versatility. Already, the Bears are noticing the resume Thieneman put on tape in college translating to the practice fields at Halas Hall. “When the ball is in the air, he’s got fantastic acceleration to get to that catch point,” Johnson said. “And when he gets there, he arrives with violent intentions.” Defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg has left a strong first impression with the positive energy he exudes, plus his attention-grabbing athleticism and relentless play style. After moving up 26 slots to select van den Berg in the sixth round last month, general manager Ryan Poles emphasized it was a pick made with significant approval, particularly from defensive line coaches Jeremy Garrett and Bill Johnson, who, during the pre-draft process, approached Allen with a cut-up of 60 van den Berg plays they needed their coordinator to dive into. “When you’re going through the draft process,” Allen said, “there’s a lot of (discussion) of what this guy can’t do. Well, we tried to focus on what this guy can do. And when you watch that 60-play cutup of the things this player can do, it was pretty impressive. The movement skills, the power, the athleticism, the effort, the toughness.” For whatever reason, Allen said, van den Berg “slipped through the cracks” for many teams in the evaluation process. He wasn’t invited to the combine this winter and drew knocks from some evaluators for his lack of length and his inconsistency as a pass rusher. But as a former high school linebacker who bulked up in college from 220 pounds to his current weight of 310, van den Berg exhibits good vision and a strong feel for the game. And the Bears feel strongly about investing in his development with hopes he can factor into their defensive line rotation. “I’ve always been a great team leader,” van den Berg said. “I’ve been a captain for my team. And I pride myself on my relentless effort. I’m always go. No matter what. Even when I’m tired, I’m going to be going so the fourth quarter looks like the first quarter.” The Bears have been emphatic both before the draft and since that they sculpted their board with an eye on finding DNA matches for what they’re building. Thus, in addition to seeking talented players who fit the current systems on offense, defense and special teams, the team made extra efforts to unite with naturally driven players who will eagerly respond to the demands of this coaching staff and the everyday urgency Johnson calls for. Said Allen: “We’re looking for smart players. We’re looking for tough players. We’re looking for highly competitive players. Really, there was a decrease in (discussing), ‘What’s the 40 time? What’s the height? What’s the weight? What are the athletic movement skills?’ It really was, are they above the line athletically? (If so), then let’s watch the tape and let’s let their football character bleed off the tape. And with every one of our players you look at, they have great football character. It bled off the tape at us.” • The door is open for fourth-round pick Malik Muhammad to challenge Tyrique Stevenson for a starting cornerback job. In Muhammad, the Bears see an intelligent player with good feet and fluid hips. Muhammad adds one more important line to his profile: “I’m competitive as hell.” • After cornerback Zah Frazier, a fifth-round pick in 2025, missed his entire rookie season for personal reasons, the Bears felt eager to give him his opportunity to reset his career in 2026. Alas, that reboot attempt crashed last week and the team waived Frazier on Thursday. Said Johnson: “The trajectory was off, so we decided to go a different direction. … It’s just one of those things when we’re looking at the roster and where he’s at, where we’re at, it was time to part ways.” • Among the 13 undrafted free agents who participated in rookie camp, offensive lineman Caden Barnett is an interesting prospect with a chance to stick around. A three-year starter at Wyoming, Barnett is 6-foot-3 and 316 pounds, has experience starting at tackle and guard, and has a combination of aggressiveness and drive the Bears think they can tap into. His nickname, “The Vanilla Gorilla,” is a testament to his strength. “He plays the way we want to play,” Johnson said. “There’s a physical demeanor about him.” Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms