Getting to know his new teammates has been a positive experience for receiver Taylor Gabriel.
One of the Bears' key free-agent additions, Gabriel has been participating in the team's voluntary offseason program at Halas Hall since it began last Tuesday.
"I love it, just the camaraderie with the guys and the passion they have for football," Gabriel said this week during an appearance on the Bears All-Access radio show on WSCR-AM 670.
New Bears receiver Taylor Gabriel participates in a conditioning drill inside the Walter Payton Center.
Gabriel was impressed with Mitchell Trubisky from afar last season and is an even bigger fan of the promising young quarterback now that they have worked together.
"Just seeing the things he was doing last year, it wasn't just him playing football, it was how he was under pressure, how he was when those situations did come up, how he led those guys as a quarterback," Gabriel said. "I talked to him and I told him I love his swag. I love the things that he brings to a team."
Gabriel, 27, joined the Bears after spending his first four NFL seasons with the Browns (2014-15) and Falcons (2015-16). The speedy 5-8, 165-pounder has played in 58 games with 13 starts, catching 132 passes for 1,819 yards and eight touchdowns and rushing for 110 yards and 1 TD on 16 carries.
Gabriel caught six touchdown passes in helping the Falcons reach the Super Bowl in 2016. Last year he played in all 16 games with four starts, catching 33 passes for 378 yards and one TD and rushing for 49 yards on eight carries.
Gabriel's ultimate goal is to help the Bears become one of the most high-powered and creative offenses in the league. And he thinks that's realistic given the presence of so many playmakers. The unit also features receiver Allen Robinson, tight ends Trey Burton and Adam Shaheen, and running backs Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen.
"Just to have all those guys in the same room, it's great," Gabriel said. "It's like saying, 'I have all these superheroes, which superhero do I want to use?' You want to use all of them, so that's a good problem to have; too many weapons."
