One of the biggest noteworthy moments when Chicago Bears training camp started was left guard James Daniels. A picture surfaced of the 22-year old arriving at Halas Hall with a remade body. He’d clearly bulked up and shaved off a lot of fat. It felt like a sign that the former 2nd round pick was ready to start getting serious about his NFL career after an up-and-down 2019.
By the sound of things? The Bears defense is feeling his wrath quite a bit a week and a half into practices. Center Cody Whitehair praised his teammate for the work he’s done. He’s seen Daniels moving guys often and not making a lot of mistakes. According to Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic, the evidence does indeed back those claims up.
In the Bears’ most recent practice on Wednesday, the guard pretty much dominated one-on-one drills against the defensive linemen.
“On three consecutive snaps, not only did James Daniels hold his own in one-on-one pass-rush drills, he moved the defensive player opposite him. And his coach was fired up.
Watching from about 60 yards away, it was still evident that the third-year pro won his reps. He stayed low and that leverage seemed to help him keep Roy Robertson-Harris at bay. Next up was Brent Urban, and Daniels’ quick footwork allowed him to keep Urban away from the quarterback. On his third rep, Daniels mirrored Robertson-Harris, shuffling his feet as the defensive end tried to get around him, but to no avail.”
James Daniels needs to start taking over games
Olin Kreutz said if the Bears offensive line wants to rebound in 2020, then guys like Daniels and Whitehair need to stop settling for being good and start working towards being great. That means reaching the Pro Bowl and taking over games. They were both 2nd round picks because the Bears felt they were capable of that level of play. It’s time they proved it.
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By the look and sound of things, Daniels is embracing that challenge. If he can start to realize his full potential this season, the Bears offense stands to benefit in a big way. It will come down to good health and how bad he wants it. Offensive line coach Juan Castillo is already a big fan and seems to see a bright future ahead of him.