This morning, a rumor began about Chicago Bears right guard Nate Davis. The story contains very specific details, making some people believe there could be truth to it. Many wondered why Davis didn’t attend several practices at the beginning of camp. A Twitter account named “NFL Notifications” seems to know the inside story and posted a lengthy thread. I’ll share the first tweet here, and later summarize and share my own thoughts on it.
Nate Davis Wasn’t Giving Enough Effort?
According to a recent report from NFL Notify, it seems that Matt Eberflus has a strict way of evaluating his players. During training camp, there was a rumor that right guard Nate Davis wasn’t putting in enough effort. He found a note on his jersey in his locker, which basically said that the coaches, Matt Eberflus and offensive line coach Chris Morgan, believed he wasn’t working hard enough and that he was “loafing” — which means being lazy and not giving your best during plays. Davis got really upset and tore up the note in front of his teammates, calling it unfair. The next day, Eberflus talked to Davis and told him that everyone on the team needs to fully commit to the approach they’re taking. Eberflus pointed out how Davis’s efforts compared to another player’s, Cody Whitehair, to show the difference. Whitehair was reportedly giving maximum effort in his reps. Eberflus said they should keep talking until they’re on the same page. They both decided that Davis should take a break from practice until he’s mentally ready to participate again. During this time, Eberflus took Davis out to eat a few times to get to know him better. Slowly, things started to improve. However, he was worried about the negative grades he was getting, thinking they were too subjective and intense.
Eberflus and Davis then reportedly made a deal. They would keep grading his performance, but if Davis disagreed with a grade, he could discuss it with Eberflus and they would go over it together. This made Davis feel better, and he was back on the field the following week leading the offensive line in drills and becoming a vocal leader on the team. Eberflus emphasized that his main focus is on developing the players as people first, and their development as athletes comes after that.
If This Is True, What A Story It Would Be
What stands out to me the most is the specific information provided. However, I’m uncertain whether this reflects positively on Nate Davis. I initially liked the decision to sign him and still think he can make a significant impact. However, I’m bothered by the fact that Flus had to put in so much effort to make sure he gives his best in practice. But it’s certainly possible that this report might not be entirely accurate. While this source has been somewhat successful with breaking news before, it’s best to be cautious about believing it fully until more sources come out and confirm it. Regardless, this is quite a remarkable story. It’s been a while since I’ve seen such a detailed account.
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Guess we will find out in a couple days what time it is… injured or lazy.
Wait — what? So, now, we’re making excuses for absent O-linemen?! Has anyone seen Nate Davis play, yet? No!
And, this guy (Davis) pulled the same act on Mike Vrabel. GM, Ran Carthon is not a stupid man — and, he didn’t try to stop Nate from.leaving.
Face it, GM, Ryan Poles (the O-line and D-line “expert”) blew another one. That’s nothing new.
But now we’re second-guessing the Bears’ HC for enforcing his H.I.T.S. system?
What in the “Wide-World of Sports” has happened to Bears fans?
This story is strange. Tony Dungy was well known for talking to players over a tape review and pointing out any loafing, we also heard Lovie did this. So this may be common among all the Tampa 2 D coaches including Flus. Not sure what to think about the notes. If they do these notes every day, I’m not sure if the notes are a big deal. Seems the bigger story might be telling players to “be injured” and stop playing if they are not performing in camp. The media gets pissed they can’t have any info. However, they are… Read more »
From the start, Matt Eberflus told his players what he expected: “bring your track shoes. . ”
He also told them that he hands out “Loaf” notes — after a tape review of each practice session.
That he met with this player, and tried to make sure the player understood what was expected, demonstrates both veracity and great patience.
Certainly, Matt Eberflus has the full support of Ryan Poles, in this action.
And that should give all Bears fans confidence that these two men are the right ones for their positions.
Take a few minutes to read what NY Jets’ HC, Robert Saleh told his players in an entire team meeting about the four levels of competitors that exist on any team — (from Episode 3 of HBO’S “Hard Knocks — the New York Jets): “These four levels represent a mindset that we all have complete control over. External factors like playing ability and injuries have no bearing on which level we stand. You’ve got Commanders, you’ve got competitors, you’ve got contenders, and you’ve got survivors. I promise you, everyone in this room falls into one of these categories. At the… Read more »