Wondering about a player, a past game or another issue involving the Bears? Senior writer Larry Mayer answers a variety of email questions from fans on ChicagoBears.com.
What or who has stood out the most early in training camp?
Steve L.
Mundelein, Illinois
It's something I wrote about before training camp and have been writing about since arriving in Bourbonnais, but I would say the biggest thing that has stood out to me so far is how much better the defensive front seven is this year. The line and linebackers are clearly bigger, faster and more athletic than last season, with the biggest difference to me at inside linebacker with Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman. They're going to make tackles at or near the line of scrimmage, not 5-7 yards down the field. I was standing on the sideline during a recent practice and Trevathan yelled out to the defense "watch the screen" just before the ball was snapped. Sure enough, that's exactly the play the offense ran and Trevathan was there to stop it. It's also evident to me that Trevathan and some of the other players the Bears have added on defense have helped instill a new attitude that has been missing on that side of the ball.
How has center Hroniss Grasu looked in training camp?
Stan B.
Wadsworth, Illinois
I've been impressed with what I've seen of Hroniss Grasu. It's evident that he's bigger and stronger than last year, plus his familiarity with the offense entering his second season is allowing him to play faster. Asked about the 2015 third-round pick on Sunday, coach John Fox said: "I liked his growth and development during the offseason program and I like what I've seen from him so far this year. He's a very sharp kid. He's added some bulk and some strength. He is athletic already, which is why we drafted him where [we did]."
How much do veterans haze rookies at training camp?
David P.
Delaware
It's pretty tame these days. Really the only things the veterans make the rookies do at camp are carry their pads from the practice field to the locker room and occasionally sing a song. On Sunday, the Bears tweeted a photo of Roy Robertson-Harris carrying Lamarr Houston's pads, and later in the day rookie first-round pick Leonard Floyd tweeted that he had to sing the song "Just a Friend" by Biz Markie at a team meeting.
