With a new scheme and several new players, the Bears offense likely won't turn into a juggernaut overnight. But with five of 10 OTA practices in the books, quarterback Mitchell Trubisky is pleased with the chemistry that has developed.
"It's building fast," Trubisky said. "We've got so many weapons. I'm excited to get them all the ball. We've got a great tight end room, great running backs and great receivers. It's all about everyone learning the offense, building that chemistry together and getting better every day.
"It's coming along well. The more reps we get, the better off we're going to be. I just feel like the guys who have been out there going through the reps, we've gotten a lot better from Day 1 already, so we're making progress for sure."
The new offense, installed by first-year coach Matt Nagy, features key free-agent acquisitions in receivers Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel and Bennie Fowler; and tight end Trey Burton. Reserve quarterbacks Chase Daniel and Tyler Bray both were added in part because they played in Nagy's system with the Chiefs when he was quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator.
Surrounded by more viable weapons and teammates that have experience in the offense should help Trubisky grow as the second pick in the 2017 draft enters his second NFL season.
"It's going great," Trubisky said. "Getting better every day. Learning a new offense. Just grooving it. Making mistakes and trying not to make the same mistakes twice and just progressing every day. Just trying to come out here with energy and lead the guys out here."
After starting the final 12 games of his rookie year, Trubisky relishes his role as the Bears' undisputed No. 1 quarterback.
"I love the position I'm in and the leadership role I have, to know the guys are looking at me," he said. "Come out every day and bring the energy and make sure I'm taking care of my business so that everyone else's job is easier around them too. That's what I'm trying to do and I love the responsibility and I'm just very excited for the continuous opportunities to move forward and move this team."
Trubisky has especially enjoyed working with first-year offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich, who operated some of the most explosive offenses in college football history at Oregon.
"Coach Helfrich is so smart," Trubisky said. "He's a very detailed guy. He brings a lot of creativeness to this offense. Obviously, he's got tempo in his background, so we like to implement a little bit of that. Just his football intelligence and IQ and how he can help me detail plays and just think about different things from different perspectives has allowed me to grow in different areas already. He's been a huge help."
Helfrich has been impressed with Trubisky's desire to improve.
"I really like his mindset," Helfrich said. "He's a very competitive guy. He knows what he knows and he's free to admit and talk about and ask what he doesn't, and that's not always the case with some guys, whether that's a pride thing or whatever. He's been very coachable.
"[Quarterbacks coach] Dave Ragone's done an awesome job of prepping him each day and I think we all see through his eyes on a lot of things and through his brain and how he thinks through things and that's a big part of it, too, is just learning how that guy sees things and being able to talk and teach to that."
