Veteran players left for the summer last week after mandatory minicamp, but coach Matt Eberflus held three more rookie sessions that he said allowed the coaches to slow down their teaching and explain concepts in detail.

Before they departed, Eberflus offered a message to the rookies, noting that more work needs to be done before training camp.

“Where we’re at right now is a place where we can’t be,” Eberflus said. “We’ve got to be at a level up. We’ve got to level up two spots in those four weeks in the preparation.”

After practice, Eberflus, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze spoke to reporters about the offseason and what’s next before camp. Here are highlights from those sessions.

Caleb Williams watch

The Bears quarterback has only 34 days to fill between Wednesday’s official end of the offseason program and the rookie reporting date for training camp in mid-July. Williams has vowed to find a healthy balance between continuing his growth as a player while also finding time for decompression and leisure.

“You set a plan,” he said. “You set a routine before it happens so that you’re not in the process of trying to figure, ‘Oh, what’s going to happen (next)? When am I going to come back to work? What day am I going to start working? What day am I going to do this and that?’

“You set all that in place and then you stick to it. That’s the biggest thing for the offseason I’ve gotten from the older guys is set a plan, stick to it and go from there.”

Williams has been pushing to assemble a group trip — likely somewhere in Florida or California — for key offensive and defensive players to strengthen their chemistry on the field and their bond off of it. He said Wednesday his biggest accomplishment during his first seven weeks as a Bear was establishing an early connection with so many teammates, something he will continue to prioritize.

Photos: Inside Chicago Bears minicamp at Halas Hall

He understands his own responsibility, while crossing the bridge from OTAs to training camp, to heighten his mastery of the offense and all that will be required of him. With his coaches continually reminding him to stay grounded at this stage of development, the next steps, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron said, will require Williams to absorb the voluminous offense the Bears have given him while developing “continued ownership of the scheme and of the operation.”

“There is expectation there,” Waldron said. “Because that’s studying and that’s putting in the work — even though it’s downtime — on that relentless pursuit of finding the edge.

“And for him, finding that edge going into training camp is about being better than he was when he left here today without the benefit of practices. And that will be so much focused on studying, watching tape and then throwing and working on his fundamentals.”

Player in the spotlight

Odunze may be in the NFL now, but that doesn’t mean his mom is off the hook for helping him train.

He said one of his methods for learning, along with taking notes and watching film, is having his parents call out plays while he runs routes. And that won’t stop this summer now that he’s the No. 9 NFL draft pick.

“When I go back to Vegas, Mom is going to have to go to work,” Odunze said with a smile. “She’s going to have to be out there in that 115 degrees. She already knows that. But it’s all love. They want the best for me. They enjoy it.”

Over his break, Odunze plans to spend a week or two with family and friends while also working on his strength and conditioning because he isn’t where he wants to be from a physical standpoint. Then he’ll focus on training with the intention of returning to Lake Forest two weeks before camp starts to get into a routine.

Odunze got off to a slow start in his first professional offseason program because of a hamstring issue, which he said popped up because he didn’t prepare his body for the number of reps he’d be getting with his new team after the buildup to the draft.

But he recovered fairly quickly and was able to get in plenty of work with Williams against the Bears starting defense, which he said sharpened his skills. He also thinks being around veteran wide receivers Keenan Allen and DJ Moore has helped his growth.

Chicago Bears Q&A: With greater roster concerns, why sign Marcedes Lewis? Any off-the-radar players to watch this summer?

“It’s not even measurable the impact they can make on my career,” Odunze said. “Just being in the room with them for four weeks, I’ve already learned so much. So to be in a room with them throughout a whole season, learning from them in training camp, it’s just going to take my game to the next level and something I’m super excited about because it’s not often that you get to come on to the wing of a Hall of Famer and a soon-to-be Hall of Famer.”

Eberflus and Waldron said Odunze has picked up the offense and his understanding of all three receiver spots quickly.

“Some guys just have a knack to do it, right?” Eberlus said. “They can see the pictures, the drawings in the classroom, and they can apply that right to the field. He’s able to process a bunch of information at the same time and then take it to the field. He’s really good that way.”

Heard at Halas Hall

With so many new faces on the offense, relationship building was a focus during the offseason, and one of the most important unions is that of Waldron and Williams.

Since Williams arrived at Halas Hall at the beginning of May, Waldron said he has been struck by the quarterback’s ability to listen and desire to learn every day. Waldron has seen that in Williams’ readiness in the meeting room and in his texts at “all sorts of different times” asking about the “whys” of plays.

Williams said he and Waldron have been growing together, figuring out what works for them and how they will communicate when Williams is on the field or the sideline.

“That’s one of the most, if not the most, important relationships on the coaching staff and throughout this team for me to have is my OC,” Williams said. “And for us to be on the same page throughout this process and growing and learning (is key).”

Waldron also wants to get to understand Williams off the field.

“When the season starts, when there are different ups and downs during the season, I think the closer you are with people, the more willing you are to listen and overcome hard times during the season,” Waldron said. “So we’re just building up that armor, developing that relationship and just getting ready to go for this 2024 season.”

Quote of note

Eberflus on the value 40-year-old tight end Marcedes Lewis brings to the team after he re-signed this week: “He’s a tremendous leader who has a great way about him. And he has great wisdom and discernment. He helps everyone in the building, not just the players. He helps me in terms of having the feel for the team and where everybody is. He has been a tremendous leader since I’ve known him and we’re certainly excited to have him back.”

Injury update

Third-round pick Kiran Amegadjie remained unable to participate in on-field work during the final OTA sessions as he works his way back from quadriceps surgery in October.

Eberflus said the Bears project Amegadjie will be ready to get back on the field when training camp starts next month. If that’s the case, the rookie should be in line to compete for the swing offensive tackle role.

In the meantime, Eberflus said, Amegadjie has impressed the coaching staff with his retention of information and ability to understand protection responsibilities and blocking schemes.

That also means the final offseason edition of Brad Biggs’ Bears mailbag. But plenty of topics are covered before it returns next month for the opening of training camp.

With what appear to be greater roster concerns or holes, why did the Bears choose to sign Marcedes Lewis this week? — Glen S., Channahon, Ill.

I alluded Sunday to the possibility the Bears could reunite with Lewis when addressing 10 questions ahead of training camp and the preseason, and the move did not come as a surprise considering how the team felt about him last season. Lewis, who turned 40 last month, remains a high-level blocker in the running game and was a strong addition to the locker room. He’s a great influence on younger players, who can learn from him about developing a plan to prepare their bodies on a daily basis. That has helped Lewis get to four games shy of setting an NFL record for a tight end.

My guess is Lewis has a pretty strong chance of making the roster. It does raise a question of whether the Bears will keep a fullback on the 53-man roster. A blocking tight end — which would be 90% of Lewis’ role — and a fullback might be a little repetitive for offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, who didn’t have a blocking back last season in Seattle. Perhaps there is a spot for both. The Bears also value the veteran presence that fullback Khari Blasingame offers, and he has gotten work on special teams as well. But it’s something to keep in the back of your mind.

Why Lewis and not a player at a different position? There aren’t frontline players out of work and sitting by the phone. Lewis, if he decided to suit up again this season, was going to have this kind of timeline in which he could stick to his workout plan and sign after the voluntary offseason program. It probably had been in the works for a while. Could another move be coming? It’s possible, but anything the Bears did at this point — when 32 teams can carry 90 players each — wouldn’t move the needle.

How about two players off the radar you are looking forward to seeing in training camp and one question no one is asking right now? Can we skip the rest of this Chicago baseball summer and go right to football? — Bubba, New Lenox

Nothing I can do about the baseball part. That’s setting up to be a slog on both sides of town — an epic slog for one team. Two players of interest who are a little bit off the radar? I’m definitely interested to see how third-round pick Kiran Amegadjie fares. The rookie offensive lineman has been sidelined as he finishes recovering from surgery to repair a partially torn left quadriceps suffered in Yale’s fourth game last fall. The Bears wanted to be cautious not to rush him into action, and had he not been hurt, it’s possible he would have been chosen a little higher. He is athletic and moves well, so seeing what he can do with pads on after he acclimates to the offense will be something to keep tabs on.

As for another player who maybe isn’t discussed a lot right now — a lot of players have been analyzed this offseason — how about defensive tackle Zacch Pickens? Gervon Dexter is the second-year player who has generated headlines for reshaping his body during the offseason. Pickens went through a similar learning curve as a rookie and there will be competition for playing time. How will he respond? Will he be more instinctive? He has a chance to help out. It’s about consistency.

Regarding a question that hasn’t been asked much, what about the situation behind starting safeties Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard? Not a big storyline, but in a long and very busy offseason, I feel like we’ve covered a lot of ground and even more angles about this team. In eight NFL seasons, Byard has not missed a game and says he hasn’t even been held out of a practice because of injury. He turns 31 in August, and at some point the body shows a little wear and tear. Brisker has missed two games each of the last two seasons.

The Bears have a couple of players in the mix here, and the first who comes to mind is Jonathan Owens. He started 28 games over the last two seasons with the Green Bay Packers and Houston Texans, and his signing indicated he was the leading candidate to be the third safety. Can he nail down that job and be valuable on special teams? Something to consider when you figure Byard and Brisker probably won’t combine for 34 starts at a position that can be taxing. Elijah Hicks is in the mix as well. Good luck with baseball season until football gets cranked up.

Photos: Inside Chicago Bears minicamp at Halas Hall

Originally, the biggest worry was a defensive end on the other side of Montez Sweat. But Nate Davis being out again to start training camp is a big worry to me. Is there a decent-to-great guard to be had in the free-agent market? — @bearsdfense

I don’t get the sense Davis will be sidelined when training camp rolls around. He was a limited participant in minicamp, and coach Matt Eberflus said the team was being extra cautious with anyone who had minor ailments.

I think you’re looking at this the wrong way. Sure, there are legitimate questions about DeMarcus Walker, rookie Austin Booker and whichever other ends could figure in a rotation opposite Sweat. The Bears also want to manage Sweat’s playing time. Eberflus believes in playing defensive linemen in waves and keeping them fresh so they can be impactful when a critical third down arrives in the fourth quarter. The ballpark for Sweat is probably about 75% of the snaps each game, plus or minus a little depending on game situation. So it’s also a question of who is lining up in his place when he’s taking a breather.

But as I look at this roster, both what’s ahead this season and then to the future, I don’t know how the focus strays at all off quarterback Caleb Williams. The Bears’ ability to develop a franchise quarterback and potentially nail the position for the first time in a very, very long time has to be the focus — and the worry. I’m not saying there should be concern it won’t work out. But if Davis’ availability is an ongoing matter, that wouldn’t derail the 2024 season. If the quarterback struggles throughout, there’s an issue.

As far as “decent-to-great” guards being unemployed right now? No. You won’t find a whole lot on the shelves down at the offensive line store in the middle of June. The Bears have options. Matt Pryor is a veteran with experience. Larry Borom has played plenty. Ryan Bates could slide over to guard. I’m curious if Ja’Tyre Carter can nail down a job this summer.

It’s rare for any team’s “biggest worry” to be related to an interior offensive lineman. There were multiple questions about Davis this week, and I expect him to be with the first team when training camp opens. Where it goes from there, we will see. Obviously the Bears hope he puts together a stronger season than last year.

How is Caleb Williams looking taking snaps under center? Not something he did often, if at all, at Oklahoma and USC. Could this be a problem at the NFL level? — Ed, Plainfield

He has looked fine taking snaps under center. Yes, that’s easier to do when the defensive linemen can’t get after him from the snap. Taking the snap under center is just one part of a bigger developmental bar Williams has to clear. That’s getting the play call in his helmet headset, calling the play efficiently in the huddle, getting to the line of scrimmage, making any requisite presnap reads and then getting the ball snapped.

That’s why you often hear offensive coaches talk about going to ground zero with the absolute basics for rookie quarterbacks. There’s stuff that is taken for granted every play when you watch a regular-season game that these guys have to learn and master. Most of them didn’t do the majority of this stuff in college. It seems like no big deal until the ball is snapped and it ends up on the ground or until a protection call is missed and a defender explodes into the backfield off the snap.

“It’s so interesting,” tight end Cole Kmet said last week during minicamp, “because in that position, like taking a snap under center and saying a cadence is something you would think would be so normal, but most guys aren’t doing that until they get to the league now. So getting guys in the huddle, saying the play call, doing the cadence, those are all brand-new things for him.

“In the huddle he was crisp and clear and all those things. That just comes with confidence in the playbook that he’s gaining. Kind of finding his own voice with the cadence because that’s definitely something that, if you can get going, you can weaponize.”

This is something Williams will get more comfortable with as time goes by. He should be pretty good at it by the time the preseason starts. That’s the hope anyway.

Outside of Caleb Williams struggling or getting injured, what’s the biggest threat to the Bears not reaching their potential? Coaching, injury to Montez Sweat, injury on the O-line, Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens not developing or something else? — @gp1127

Are we talking about their potential in 2024 or shortly down the road? My hunch is you’re asking about the season directly in front of us. Maybe the most exciting thing the Bears have going under general manager Ryan Poles is this isn’t a one-and-done thing. It’s a young roster with growing talent that looks likely to be better in 2024 — they have to win eight games to improve — and has a good chance to be even stronger in 2025.

As far as the season ahead, this is a tough question to answer. Football is a complicated game with a ton of moving parts. My first reaction is that Williams is going to struggle at times during his rookie season. It shouldn’t happen all the way through, but there will be ups and downs. If he’s really good, that could look like a rough game here and there. If he’s not adapting quickly, that could look like what you’ve seen from other Bears rookie quarterbacks. Injuries, especially at quarterback, can cripple a team as you know. If you were compiling a list of the top five players who need to remain healthy for a successful season, Williams and Sweat surely would be on it and might be 1-2.

It’s difficult for me to choose one player or one factor. Things that could throw off a season would include offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and the players struggling to implement a new system, even though it won’t be a whole lot different schematically from what they were doing with Luke Getsy. If the offensive line as a whole has issues, that could detour the team.

I’m a little uncertain what you believe this team’s “potential” is. Are you talking about competing for a division title through the end of the season? Ten wins? Maybe 11? Improvement is expected, but I think some people are figuring Williams will be gangbusters from the start. If he is, that would be some kind of story. If he’s not, he would be like 99% of all rookie quarterbacks and I fear those with lofty expectations would be disappointed. Give him some time to grow like all first-year players.

The start to the 2023 season was one of the worst that I have ever seen as a Bears fan, especially considering the roster improved. What has Matt Eberflus and his staff done to ensure that the 2024 season does not start the same way? — @ghawk54

Bears Week 4

That’s a good question and I think we need to dive into this a little bit. The roster was better last year than it was in 2022, no doubt, but let’s not pretend the Bears had a playoff-caliber roster to start last season. They had a really young cast of players on defense, questions at a lot of positions and legitimate concern the offense and passing game wouldn’t be up to par even with the acquisition of wide receiver DJ Moore. Folks who attempted to sell progress in the passing game last summer were wishcasting.

I will agree things got pretty dark, though, in the first two months of the season. The defense was bad from the get-go. Remember, the team was adjusting on the fly after defensive coordinator Alan Williams split. There was no pass rush to speak of before the midseason trade for Montez Sweat, and before you knew it, the Bears were 1-5 and then 2-7 after a 24-17 loss in New Orleans on Nov. 5. In contrast, other recent seasons that ended in disappointment at least floated above or right around .500 through the first five to seven games. The common theme during most of those seasons was a poor second half. This was a disastrous beginning that raised questions about the viability of Eberflus and even members of the front office.

The Bears played much better in the second half of the season. It wasn’t perfect. They still lost a couple of games they should have won in Detroit and Cleveland. But Eberflus and everyone else did enough to create some hope moving forward and build a little stability.

How does Eberflus prevent a rocky start to what should be a better season? I’m curious about that myself. Does he consider a little more preseason action for starters? I hesitate to say frontline players should play a lot in the preseason. A lot of really smart football folks have gotten away from that because it’s problematic when you lose starters to serious injuries in games of no consequence. But the Bears have to ramp up quarterback Caleb Williams and they need to be able to play with an edge from the first snap of Week 1.

The biggest problem they had in the opening loss to the Green Bay Packers last season, besides a bad passing game, was a lot of confusion in the secondary. Young teams — and the Bears were one of the league’s youngest in 2023 — need to learn how to win. It’s cliche but there’s substance to that. Veteran, winning teams find ways to close out games when it matters. I think the addition of some veterans this season will strengthen the team in that area, but we won’t really know until the season arrives and we see them in action. We’ll see what Eberflus has to add along these lines come July.

Do you have insight into just how serious the Bears are being taken by other NFL teams this year? I’d imagine it’s exponential compared to previous years but is there one word to describe how other teams are looking at Chicago in 2024 and 2025? — @windycitysp0rts

In the NFL, if you start taking an opponent lightly — I don’t care how bad the record, roster and injury situation is — you’re going to get embarrassed. This isn’t like college and high school where teams can cherry-pick a homecoming opponent and feel pretty darn good about the expected outcome. The talent level — even from the elite teams to those near the bottom — is a heck of a lot closer than you would ever imagine. So opponents didn’t take the Bears lightly the last several years. The Bears just struggled, for the most part, to play consistent football.

There’s a range of reactions around the league to what the Bears did this offseason in building upon a roster that was more competitive in the second half of last season. There is genuine curiosity about the organization’s ability to accomplish something it hasn’t done in decades: develop a quarterback. There is respect for the skill-position talent the Bears have amassed. Probably some questions about the offensive line and a feeling that the defense will be competitive. Suffice to say, the Bears will have their opponents’ attention this season, but that’s the case every week of every season. Coaches who can’t maintain that focus for their teams find themselves fired in a hurry.

What do you make of Matt Eberflus going into detail about Caleb Williams’ minicamp interceptions (the ones caused by an extra hitch)? I can’t recall Matt Nagy/Bill Lazor/Luke Getsy ever giving that level of transparency/detail regarding flaws in Mitch Trubisky and Justin Fields. Is this a Caleb-specific approach or new Flus? — @kittenromney

Eberflus was pretty open about the improvements the team needed to see from Fields over the past couple seasons and where they wanted his game to grow. The Bears hoped he would have a better command of the pocket. That’s what Eberflus meant when he talked about playing in rhythm and things of that nature. It just never clicked, and that can be a primary obstacle for young, highly drafted quarterbacks.

To a large degree, the Bears went through similar issues with Trubisky. They didn’t play fast enough postsnap in terms of diagnosing defenses and determining where the football needed to go. That led to more off-script plays than you would desire. Getsy was pretty clear about what was working well and what the Bears needed to improve on. Maybe you had to parse what he was saying at times because Getsy kept things positive and upbeat, but the messaging was definitely there.

So I’m not sure if this is a new approach, and we’re working with a really small sample size here in terms of questions for Eberflus to evaluate Williams’ play. You should expect any young quarterback, even the top pick in the draft, to have some growing pains on the practice field whether he’s going against the starting defense — which Williams has been — or the reserves. You need to see those mistakes to have teaching points so he can see the same situation again and know how to react decisively.

It’s an interesting observation and maybe something to keep an ear out for moving forward. The Bears should have high expectations for Williams, just like the fan base does, and there’s nothing wrong with some transparent evaluations. The Bears have been guilty of coddling some of their players, definitely quarterbacks, in the past. But if you really listened to the messaging at Halas Hall over the past couple years, it was abundantly clear how the team felt about Fields and the passing game, where it was and where it needed to go. And the same was true through the 2019 and 2020 seasons with Trubisky. Not everyone wanted to listen and objectively analyze what was being said. Maybe circle back on this in mid-August.

I’m curious if there are any above-average centers that are due to be salary-cap casualties The Bears still have a little cap space and could afford a solid starter looking to stay employed. Even with the additions they made with Coleman Shelton and Ryan Bates, I fear this will still be a weak point on the O-line. I also think Bates would be better at guard if Nate Davis continues to be inconsistent or Teven Jenkins remains an injury risk. — Erik H., Aurora

For the third or fourth time since the Bears acquired Bates from the Buffalo Bills, I will report that Bates is the leading candidate for the center job. Barring something unforeseen, he will open training camp as the starter and will have to perform at a starter level to maintain that role. Other teams aren’t going to just cut loose “above-average” starters. Maybe they would consider trading one, but the Bears believe they made an upgrade by getting a player they originally attempted to sign as a restricted free agent two years ago. They backed that up by signing Shelton, who has starting experience. Short of an injury — maybe multiple injuries — I don’t envision them making a move for a third center deemed to have starting ability.

Bates is probably a stop-gap player. I don’t think he will be viewed as one of the top centers in the league, but if he’s in the middle of the pack he would be above what they got from Lucas Patrick last season. If I was examining the offensive line and wondering how things will unfold, I’d be more curious about the development of left tackle Braxton Jones in a critical third season as well as the play of Jenkins as he angles for a potential extension. I’d even have greater interest in whether a bounce-back season is in the cards for Davis and what steps Darnell Wright can make at right tackle in Year 2.

To me, the other four positions are more compelling storylines because we have a decent idea that Bates is a rank-and-file player at a position where maybe the Bears will look to the future in 2025. Who knows? Maybe Bates will excel and can hold down the spot for two or three years. He will have to compete to keep the job in training camp and the preseason, but I think there are more pressing questions for the group as a whole.

With the team preparing for the 2024 season, the Bears have announced their practice schedule, with the first open practice session scheduled for July 26 at their Halas Hall headquarters in Lake Forest. The subsequent open practice dates will be July 27 and 30, and Aug. 4, 6, 7, 13 and 14. The final open session will be Aug. 15 in a joint practice with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Specific times will be announced later, according to a team spokesman, who cautioned the times and dates of individual sessions can be changed with little notice.

In 2023, attendance ranged between 1,300-1,700 people during every public training camp session, according to the team. However, while intense interest is expected this year due to the presence of Williams, the top pick in the 2024 NFL draft, capacity will remain limited to 1,700 people per session.

“We’re not increasing, as we want to provide a comfortable environment for fans to truly enjoy the experience,” the team spokesman wrote in an e-mail.

In a continuation of past procedures, parking will once again be available at Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills. Visitors will have to present a mobile ticket at the parking lot and then board a shuttle bus which will bring them to Halas Hall.

Ride-sharing or guest drop-off will not be permitted at Halas Hall and tailgating will not be allowed at Hawthorn Mall, the team said.

Tickets are free and will be available through ticketmaster.com starting on July 9. Requests can be for up to four tickets. Mobile tickets are required for everyone except children 32 inches or less who will need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Beyond watching practice, other scheduled events include children-friendly activities, virtual-reality opportunities and autograph sessions with former players.

Some current players will be available after practices to sign autographs for a limited time in sessions for both the general public and after children-only sessions.

The Bears moved training camp to Lake Forest ahead of the 2020 season. While the 2020 camp was closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, it has been open to the public since 2021.

Lake Forest Community Development Director Catherine Czerniak said the city is in constant communication with the team and the businesses in the Conway Park office complex about the operation and expects a similar approach to previous seasons.

“We are very pleased with how smooth, and how it has brought people into Conway Park and everyone seems to enjoy it,” Czerniak said. “We want to build on the success of the previous years.”

Training camp will have a new twist this year as for the first time, the Bears will be the focus of HBO’s “Hard Knocks” program.

The Bears announced the one-year deal with Lewis, 40, on Monday ahead of their final week of organized team activities.

The 6-foot-6, 267-pound Lewis played in all 17 games for the Bears in 2023, serving primarily as a blocking tight end while also making four catches for 29 yards and a touchdown. General manager Ryan Poles made it a point to single out Lewis for his leadership during Poles’ end-of-season news conference in January.

“That’s a special human being,” Poles said. “And I know he’s played a lot in this league, but he was a really key addition to our staff, our team and locker room. The leadership through some of the hard times, the things that he said to pull guys together was outstanding, and I’m really, really thankful for him.”

The Bears upgraded at tight end this offseason by signing free agent Gerald Everett to join starter Cole Kmet. They also have Stephen Carlson, Tommy Sweeney and rookie Brenden Bates on the roster.

Lewis played his first 12 seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars and five with the Green Bay Packers before joining the Bears. He has 436 catches for 5,113 yards and 40 touchdowns in his 18 seasons, including a career-best 58 catches for 700 yards and 10 touchdowns in a Pro Bowl season in 2010.

He takes pride in his role as an elite blocker at this stage of his career, and he sounded sure in January that he would return in that role with some team.

“My mental fortitude is something that I lean on and I can hang my hat on,” Lewis said as Bears players cleaned out their lockers at the end of the season.

“The stuff that I put on film this year is stuff that I can be proud of, and it’s crazy because I’ll be 40 in May, but when you watch the film, it doesn’t look like it. I just want to continue to get better this offseason. I’ve had the same routine for about 15, 16 years minus a couple things. Sometimes I add some things to my routine, but I’ll be ready to go when my number is called.”

Lewis has missed only one game in the last seven seasons, and his 268 career games rank third in NFL history among tight ends behind Jason Witten (271) and Tony Gonzalez (270) — a record Lewis appears likely to break this season.

Bears veterans left Lake Forest after the mandatory minicamp last week, and this week’s OTAs are mostly for rookies. But Lewis will be on board when training camp begins next month.

There’s palpable excitement for the team inside the building — and outside. In contrast to optimism at the end of the offseason program in recent years, this time it appears to be more rooted in reality. But as everyone from general manager Ryan Poles to middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds has said, it’s all on paper at this point.

Roster improvements and staff upgrades don’t become real until the product on the field starts winning more consistently. Everyone involved understands that. It’s a bottom-line business and the Bears appear ready to compete in what should be a rugged NFC North.

Even if the Bears will not have a lot of true position battles this summer — not for starting jobs, anyway — questions loom for the organization. Some will be answered in training camp and preseason. Some will linger into the season.

Here are 10 to ponder as the Bears hit their break — the rookies will be free after three more OTAs Monday through Wednesday.

1. Caleb Williams

The development of the No. 1 pick will be the biggest storyline of the year, and the significance of his progress cannot be overstated. If Thursday’s minicamp finale is evidence — and be really careful putting a lot of stock in 11-on-11 drills when there are no pads, no pass rush, no press coverage — he was significantly more comfortable in the red zone than he was the first OTA drills.

Coach Matt Eberflus likes the idea of matching Williams and the first-team offense against the starting defense. A lot of times, coaches will have ones versus twos in practice.

“I don’t like that,” Eberflus said. “I think that Caleb is a talent. A very good talent. His game will go to where it needs to be. I want him to see that in front of him, the windows closing, the variation of what we do on defense, and I want him to see that day in and day out so that when he gets to play somebody else it will look, ‘OK, I’ve been there done that.’ That’s how we’re going to keep it.”

Williams seems comfortable in his role as the face of the franchise, certainly more at ease than Justin Fields and Mitch Trubisky were. That matters too. Breaking through what has been mostly an 80-year franchise problem at the position doesn’t seem daunting to Williams.

“It’s pretty awesome,” he said. “I feel like there’s a light at the end of that tunnel. Right now, we’re working with our head down and we’re building. Just having that moment with myself, I do it every day. I sit there and I say, ‘We’re going to be pretty damn good.’ So just got to keep working, keep going and we’re all excited. It’s really important to have that mindset but also have the mindset of, ‘Let’s keep going, let’s keep working, let’s get after it.’ ”

2. Offensive line

The Bears know they need to be better at protecting the quarterback,  and even though Williams is athletic, he’s not expected to pull the ball down and run as much as Fields, whose production as a ball carrier propped up the team’s rushing statistics the last two seasons. So yes, the Bears will have to be better at run blocking as well.

Left tackle Braxton Jones missed the last two days of minicamp. It’s never a good thing when a lineman isn’t on the field during noncontact drills without pads, but the good news, according to two sources, is that Jones’ absence was unrelated to the neck injury that sidelined him for six games in the middle of last season and lingered even after he returned. Jones has a huge opportunity, especially after the team opted to select wide receiver Rome Odunze with the No. 9 pick instead of going for a left tackle candidate. Jones is entering his third season, and if he performs well he could position himself for extension talks next offseason.

Right guard Nate Davis was quite limited in the three days of minicamp, which meshes with his offseason last year and with his track record with the Tennessee Titans. The Bears are hopeful he can bounce back after a somewhat disappointing season, and the guaranteed money in his three-year, $30 million contract runs out this season. If Davis wants to complete the contract in 2025, he must play better.

Left guard Teven Jenkins, a second-round pick in 2021, is entering a contract year. Maybe he’ll stick with the Bears, but they’re wise to wait into the season to see how Jenkins, who has had a series of minor injuries, holds up.

Then there is the prospect of Ryan Bates stepping in as the starting center. The Bears tried to land him as a restricted free agent in 2022, and after trading for him, it’s readily apparent they hold him in high regard. He has played more guard but projects as the starting center. Can he rise above the level of being a stop-gap measure and be a true improvement?

None of these questions should overshadow the development of 2023 first-round pick Darnell Wright at right tackle. He was very good at times as a rookie but needs to be more consistent — week to week and even play to play — to emerge as the kind of foundational piece the Bears believe he can become.

3. How will all of the skill position talent work?

To be very clear, this falls under the category of a good problem to have with Keenan Allen and Odunze joining DJ Moore in the wide receiver room, Gerald Everett pairing with Cole Kmet at tight end and D’Andre Swift being signed at the outset of free agency as a running back with big-play ability.

Williams and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron will have no shortage of options, but there’s only one football to go around on game days, and it can be challenging. The receivers can have a race to 1,000 yards, and it projects as one of the better groups in the league. Bringing it all together cohesively is a challenge for Waldron and something that will give opposing defensive coordinators reason to have concern, especially when compared to most skill position groups the Bears have had over the last decade.

4. Pass rush

Even with a half-season of Montez Sweat, who led the team with 6½ sacks, the Bears still ranked 31st in sacks with only 30. The hope is it is much improved this season — defensive tackles Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens should be more prepared to contribute in their second seasons, and maybe rookie Austin Booker can create a niche in the rotation.

But the pass rush was underwhelming — and not for a lack of opportunities. Often times, teams playing with a lead in the second half of games can get more chances to hunt the quarterback. The rush defense was so good that Bears opponents attempted 617 passes, tied for the fourth-most in the league. Sweat won’t be able to do it all himself, but with a full season the Bears hope things are improved. It’s not all about sacks. Quarterback pressures and hits, anything to disrupt the opponent’s passing game, make a difference.

5. Gervon Dexter’s development

The departure of veteran Justin Jones has created a starting spot for Dexter as the three-technique tackle. He reshaped his 6-foot-6, 312-pound frame and looks leaner, and the results really struck the coaching staff after he had nine quarterback hits in a seven-game stretch in the second half of his rookie season. Dexter played in a read-and-react scheme at Florida, and the Bears want him to attack off the snap, something that was a stumbling block at times.

“That was one thing he had to work on and then pad level, because he’s such a big guy, tall guy,” Eberflus said. “And he’s worked on those things. But his movement, his athletic ability is even better now because he really worked on his body.”

A leaner and more explosive Dexter could lead to more production, and the Bears would really like to be more disruptive in the middle of the line.

6. Running back workload

If Swift can be a more explosive producer — both as a runner and receiver — the offense will have a new element. After averaging 121 carries over the first three seasons of his career in Detroit, Swift had 229 attempts last season in Philadelphia. The Eagles didn’t involve him very much in the passing game, not as much as he was accustomed to with the Lions, and this should be an expanded part of his game as the Bears seek easy completions for Williams. Swift was targeted 148 times in 2021 and 2022 in Detroit and brings an element to that part of the game the Bears haven’t had since they were throwing the ball to Tarik Cohen.

It’s also worth wondering how Waldron will stack the running backs with Roschon Johnson and Khalil Herbert behind Swift. Will there be a role for fullback Khari Blasingame on the roster? It’s a question to dive into later in the summer.

7. Kevin Byard’s impact

The team targeted Byard because they believe he can be a steadying influence for what still is a youthful secondary. The goal is to squeeze another productive year or two out of a veteran entering his ninth season. While the player he is replacing, Eddie Jackson, struggled with a string of injuries, Byard has been a model of durability. At some point, play begins to slip for every player who has been in the game as long as Byard. He might not be the impact guy he once was for the Tennessee Titans, but it’s clear the Bears holds him in regard.

“He’s special, just in terms of a leader,” Eberflus said. “People respect him just because of the man he is, and he’s been a devoted guy to this game for a long time. You can really feel that. That’s palpable. You can feel the love of the game that he has. He’s very respectful. He’s like a coach on the field. He’s got really good ball-hawking ability. That’s why I like him a lot.”

8. A payday for DJ Moore?

The Bears still need to knock out contracts for their top two draft picks — Williams and Odunze — and then the next order of business could be a pay raise for Moore. He’s signed through the 2025 season and is a bargain on the three-year, $61.88 million extension he signed with the Carolina Panthers in 2022. He’s due $16.05 million this season and next, which makes him underpaid in a receiver market that absolutely took off this offseason.

The topic has surely been broached by Moore and the team by this point, and there’s no rush to get a new deal done. File this away for late in training camp or perhaps early in the regular season, but Poles probably believes he needs to address Moore’s situation before considering any other contractual issues with veteran players.

9. Additions?

It’s worth wondering if the Bears will bring in a veteran before training camp. A pass rusher would be the most obvious addition. Jacob Martin caught Sweat’s eye on the practice field and has had some experience in the scheme playing in Houston under Lovie Smith. The Bears have to determine if Martin is a viable rotational player or if someone such as Yannick Ngakoue would be an upgrade. But they also have to answer the question as to whether Ngakoue would actually fill a void. He was underwhelming at $10 million last season and probably wouldn’t get much more than $3 million or $4 million from the Bears.

As much as Poles raved about Marcedes Lewis’ impact last season, the team could consider re-signing him. Lewis still a high-level blocker, and if the Bears opt to go without a fullback, perhaps there would be a role for him.

10. Eric Washington’s impact

Eberflus plans to continue calling the defense, and there was a noticeable change after he took over for Alan Williams last season. Opposing teams mentioned that the Bears seemed to have a more defined game plan from week to week.

Washington’s backround is as a defensive line coach, and part of the thinking in bringing him in from the Buffalo Bills is that he helps take the defensive line and pass rush to the next level.

McMichael, 66, is part of a seven-member class for the Hall of Fame, which includes former Bears Devin Hester and Julius Peppers. McMichael was voted in as a Hall of Famer in February after receiving recommendation from the Hall’s senior committee.

“In the NFL world we’ve known he should have been in the Hall of Fame a long time ago,” McMichael’s wife, Misty, told reporters at the NFL Honors event in February. “But I wanted the whole word to know. And now, finally, the whole world knows. Forever and ever.”

The Bears will play the Houston Texans in the Hall of Fame Game Aug. 1 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. The enshrinement ceremony will be held two days later. According to Shepherd, the Hall of Fame is making plans to present McMichael with his honor at his home in Homer Glen.

Earlier this week, it was announced that Jarrett Payton would present McMichael for the Hall of Fame. Jarrett’s father, Walter, was McMichael’s teammate for seven seasons, including in 1985 when the team made its iconic run win Super Bowl XX.

At age 12 in 1993, Jarrett Payton presented his father to the Hall of Fame. McMichael was also Jarrett Payton’s coach in 2010 for the Chicago Slaughter in the Indoor Football League.

Hester will be presented for enshrinement by his mother, Juanita Brown. Peppers chose longtime mentor and agent Carl Carey as his presenter.

McMichael, 66, has been in a yearslong battle with ALS, a debilitating affliction. He has lost his ability to move or speak.

During McMichael’s 13 seasons with the Bears he recorded 92½ sacks and was an instrumental part of a run in which the team won five consecutive NFC Central championships from 1984-88, winning 62 regular-season games during that stretch. McMichael also set a Bears record playing in 191 regular-season games, a mark later matched by Olin Kreutz and topped by Patrick Mannelly (245).

The Bears will hold one final session of organized team activities next week with only rookies in attendance. Coach Matt Eberflus said his staff will use the time to prepare the rookies for what they need to do before training camp.

“It’s just about relearning, reinstalling and then really setting the game plan for the summer plan,” Eberflus said. “How exactly do we go through those four weeks to make sure that our baseline is here, but now we can increase it two more steps in terms of knowledge of the scheme.”

For most of the 90-man roster, Thursday marked the end of the offseason program. After a week of competitive practices and insightful interview sessions, here are the highlights from minicamp.

Caleb Williams watch

Through the ups and downs of his first month with the Bears, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams tries to take a moment each day to remind himself that with all the talented skill players surrounding him, “we’re going to be pretty damn good.”

Then he puts his head down and gets back to work, striving for perfection when he knows it’s not possible at this stage of learning all about his new team and the offense. Williams is trying to find that balance between the confidence he needs to lead a team and the humility of understanding he has a long way to go.

Among the biggest challenges he has faced, he said after the final minicamp practice, is perfecting the cadence, an issue that has popped up in practices with false starts. He needs to nail down the verbiage, he said. And he needs to remain neutral and calm when mistakes happen.

“I didn’t come in necessarily with the expectation to seem like a 13-year vet,” Williams said. “I came in to show the guys that I’m here, I’m working my tail off, I’m progressing and trying not to make the same mistake again. … That’s been my biggest thing. And also understanding that I’m leading an organization and a team, so just having that mindset and being in that mind state and just trying to find my flow.”

Williams believes he has made progress with the cadence, making all of his reads and throwing with anticipation. He had beautiful back-to-back touchdown passes in the seven-on-seven periods Thursday, hitting DJ Moore over the middle and then perfectly placing a pass to a leaping Rome Odunze in the back left corner of the end zone amid tight coverage.

Photos: Inside Chicago Bears minicamp at Halas Hall

But later there were several incompletions in a full-team period when Williams went up against the first-team defense, as he has for much of the offseason. Eberflus said pitting Williams against the Bears starters will be beneficial, and it will be taken up a notch in training camp when the Bears have padded practices.

“Caleb is a talent, a very good talent,” Eberflus said. “His game will go to where it needs to be. I want him to see that in front of him, the windows closing, the variation of what we do on defense, and I want him to see that day in and day out so that when he gets to play somebody else, it will look like, ‘OK, I’ve been there, done that.’ That’s how we’re going to keep it.”

Through those challenges, Williams has appreciated support from teammates via texts, phone calls or words of encouragement on the field.

“Them just believing, seeing the vision that we all have,” Williams said. “And being graceful with me knowing that I’m pretty tough on myself, but they see right through it and understand that.”

News of the day

As the training camp schedule comes together, the Bears announced Thursday they will host a joint practice with the Cincinnati Bengals at Halas Hall on Aug. 15, two days before the teams meet in a preseason game at Soldier Field.

Eberflus has been collaborating with Bengals coach Zac Taylor on the logistics and said the teams will work through a variety of specific situations to squeeze the most out of the practice.

“I think it’s going to be awesome,” Eberflus said.

Last summer the Bears visited Westfield, Ind., for a pair of joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts and promoted the value of those sessions. The Bears will hold only one such practice with the Bengals but remain enthusiastic about what they can accomplish.

For the defense, the opportunity to compete against a high-powered Bengals offense led by quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins should be enjoyable.

“Those are always good tests,” linebacker T.J. Edwards said. “Those joint practices, man, they feel like games. It’s like you’re trying to see where you’re at and (how you) stack up. And that’s obviously a really good football team. So we’re excited.”

The joint practice with the Bengals will be the last of nine training camp practices open to the public. The others are on July 26, 27 and 30 and Aug. 4, 6, 7, 13 and 14. Rookies are scheduled to report July 16 with veterans reporting July 19. The first camp practice will be held July 20.

Seen and heard

There is no more appropriate category for the Bears defense, which continued to establish its presence during spring practices. Throughout OTAs and minicamp, the first-team defense consistently made plays — and then made noise, barking and chirping and creating added energy for a unit that hopes to be one of the best in the league in 2024.

“They look like a top-five defense,” veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen said. “They sound like a top-five defense too.”

Nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon noted the infectious nature of the defense’s collective enthusiasm and emphasized the value of turning up the volume for the offense to hear.

“It’s intimidating for other people,” he said. “We’re constantly running to the ball, all 11 hats. (We’re) communicating loud. I just feel like it brings a sense of ‘What are they doing?’ So I love it. Everyone’s saying something every day. Someone has some kind of energy everywhere.”

Cornerback Jaylon Johnson also used the word “intimidating.”

“It’s one thing to make plays, but when you’re talking after every play, you really start to see if somebody is going to stand up or if they’re going to fold,” Johnson said. “With execution comes energy. So I feel like for us to have that energy, we have to execute.”

Player in the spotlight

Johnson didn’t hesitate when asked what will motivate him this season after securing a four-year, $76 million contract extension in March.

“Being the best corner in the league,” he said Wednesday.

Johnson always has been forthright about his lofty goals. He reached one last season when he was named to the Pro Bowl and second-team Associated Press All-Pro for the first time. The honors came after a season in which he had a career-high four interceptions, including a pick-six, with 10 passes defended and a forced fumble.

Johnson believes growth in his football IQ and consistency helped him reach that career-best season. And he said his work and pride in his role won’t change after getting paid.

Safety Jaquan Brisker confirmed Johnson has been “the same guy every day.”

“We know what we’re going to get out of him every single day, and that’s what I appreciate,” Brisker said. “Even now, he’s working even harder. You can tell he’s not letting anything get to him. He has a chip on his shoulder. He wants to be the best and he doesn’t want any comparisons.”

Johnson and Brisker join Gordon and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson as returning starters in the secondary, which also added veteran safety Kevin Byard. Johnson believes the group is ascending.

“I feel like just having consistency within the guys, guys having a certain level of experience and a certain level of hunger and everybody just understanding what the standard is and what we want to accomplish,” Johnson said. “I feel like that allows us to play a lot faster, play a lot smarter.”

Johnson is interested to see how facing a revamped Bears offense will challenge him in practice, particularly facing six-time Pro Bowl selection Allen.

“Being able to see a guy like that and talk to him about certain things that he does and the reason why he does certain things, it’s definitely exciting for me,” Johnson said. “And then to be able to go against it because he’s a receiver that is unpredictable.

“As skillful as a lot of these guys are in this league that do a lot of great things, I feel like they are not as unpredictable, they are not as crafty as Keenan is. So being able to go against that every day, it’s something that can help me and DBs to get better.”

Injuries and attendance

Several players sat out the final day of practice, including Gordon, tight end Cole Kmet, offensive tackles Braxton Jones and Kiran Amegadjie, right guard Nate Davis, wide receivers Tyler Scott, Dante Pettis and Collin Johnson and defensive end Austin Booker.

Eberflus said the Bears don’t see any serious issues among the players who sat out.

Davis participated in a limited capacity Wednesday but was sidelined again Thursday. The Bears have used newcomers Matt Pryor and Ryan Bates at right guard with Davis out. Eberflus expects Davis to remain the starter but noted the  improved depth should benefit the Bears. Bates also has played center along with Coleman Shelton.

“The versatility there has certainly been helpful,” Eberflus said. “Ryan (Poles) did a really good job of having those pieces in there so (it’s not) like last year or prior years (when) a guy goes down and we’re like, ‘Oh, what are we going to do?’ At least we have that flexibility at the O-line position.”

The negotiations shouldn’t create any fear that Williams might report late to training camp in July, but questions about his contract are natural for a player going his own route with a trusted group of advisers and not with an agent who could communicate on his behalf with the team.

“I’ve been focused on these past three days of minicamp, the (organized team activities) before that and rookie camp before that,” Williams said after a three-day minicamp concluded Thursday at Halas Hall. “I haven’t been focused on (the contract). (General manager Ryan) Poles and my team have been focused on that.

“I have lawyers and attorneys to handle things like that so that I can be free-minded on the field, enjoying coming into work every day to work my tail off.”

Williams is expected to be back at work on the field next week. While veterans began their summer break as minicamp wrapped up, rookies have three more days of OTAs on Monday through Wednesday in what coach Matt Eberflus described as sort of a quarterback camp.

As of Thursday morning, 17 of the league’s 32 first-round picks had signed contracts, including four of the top-10 selections. New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, chosen No. 3, is the highest-drafted player to sign. Like Williams, Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (No. 2) also doesn’t have a deal.

It makes sense the sides haven’t gotten down to business yet. Because Williams hasn’t hired an agent, he has to negotiate for himself. Delaying negotiations until the end of the voluntary offseason program has allowed him to remain locked in on football and learning coordinator Shane Waldron’s offense while adjusting to the professional level.

Williams has avoided being pulled in multiple directions, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the sides launch into contract talks next week after OTAs are completed for the rookie class.

At this juncture, there’s no reason for concern that the Bears won’t sign Williams before training camp opens, which will be a week earlier than usual because the team is playing in the Hall of Fame Game against the Houston Texans on Aug. 1 in Canton, Ohio.

Rookie contracts are slotted by draft pick, and Williams’ four-year deal is expected to be worth $39,486,057 with a $25,537,132 signing bonus. The deal, which should include a club option for the fifth year in 2028, is expected have a salary-cap number of $7,179,283 for this season.

The numbers shouldn’t change, and the only thing generally up for discussion with these contracts is potentially some of the minor language.

That’s why this should be a drama-free process for Williams and the Bears. Williams representing himself is unlikely to create obstacles — something general manager Ryan Poles ran into shortly after he was hired in 2022 with linebacker Roquan Smith. Rookie contracts are simple compared with second contracts, which is what Smith was angling for at that time.

The last time the Bears had a draft pick miss significant time in training camp was in 2018, when Smith, the No. 8 selection, was the last pick from his class to sign. He didn’t sign until Aug. 13 as the sides haggled over language in the contract regarding the possible forfeiture of guaranteed money if he was ejected or suspended because of rule changes related to tackling with the helmet. At that time, Smith had an NFLPA-certified agent working on his behalf.

In 2005, Bears first-round pick Cedric Benson held out for nearly five weeks.