Sharper Chicago Bears begin OTAs: What we heard from Ben Johnson on Thursday

The Chicago Bears began Phase III on Wednesday. The Organized Team Activites give the team a chance to pick up right where they left off.

So far, that's what the Bears have done.

"Yesterday was a great start for us," Johnson said.

Here's what Ben Johnson said as the Chicago Bears began OTAs with a sharper offense and earned praise for a second-year player.

Bears begin Year 2 under Johnson sharper

The details always matter for Johnson. That's been a calling card for the coach ever since Day 1.

In OTAs last season, Johnson caught the eye of reporters and onlookers when he removed the first-team offense after they had issues lining up and getting set.

This spring, not so much.

"We struggled to break the huddle at times last year in the spring and in training camp," Johnson said. "One day down, we didn't have that issue."

That's a product of having a full year under Johnson, to be sure.

The players returning for a second year under Johnson know their roles and have had an entire season executing them. It should be like riding a bike at this point.

Being sharper allows for the Bears to get ahead and focus on more advanced details.

Johnson wants the Bears to have a consistent understanding of the tempo of the offense and urgency to break the huddle for pre-snap adjustments. Those have to be the mainstays for every play.

He's been seeing that.

"Those guys have taken that to heart," Johnson said.

Luther Burden III earns early praise

One reverberation of the offseason stemmed from the DJ Moore trade to Buffalo.

The Bills got the Bears' No. 1 receiver. The Bears now have to find a way to fill Moore's shoes in the offense.

Moore was a dependable receiver. He was also tough and he set an example for how to be an NFL receiver for Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III. Now, much more is expected out of the two of those receivers.

So far, Burden has been shining in the offseason. After one day of OTA practices, Johnson gave Burden high praise.

"I'm buying Luther Burden stock right now," Johnson said. "He's been extremely coachable."

Burden's first season in the NFL started a bit slow, but it picked up as the weeks drew on. His best game of the season was the Sunday Night Football game with San Francisco, where Burden caught eight passes for 138 yards and a score. It was a breakout game for the rookie.

Entering Year 2, Burden is picking up right where he left off.

"He knows what we're trying to do," Johnson said. "You kind of see that with a number of guys who have been here."

Defensive personnel is taking shape

Johnson may have perked a few ears when he said rookie safety and first-round pick Dillon Thieneman was not playing with the first-team defense at the start of OTAs.

That's not too surprising, though. Johnson had made his players earn their spots.

That's where OTAs come into play. Thieneman gets to meet the entire team, and he gets to earn that spot. It helps that veterans are showing up, too.

Johnson said veteran cornerback Jaylon Johnson is present for OTAs. Jaylon wasn't present for the voluntary portions of the offseason, but that wasn't out of the norm for Jaylon and it's never a cause for concern.

Ben said the veteran cornerback being at Halas Hall now goes a long way with the newer players in the secondary. 

"I appreciate him being here now getting to know his teammates," Johnson said.

Ben Johnson also noted the Bears have a healthy Austin Booker participating, too. The Bears are still waiting to see some personnel get back from injuries, but it helps that Booker is here for an entire offseason of work.

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