With the Bears completing their last of 12 installations on offense Tuesday, their plan for running the football is becoming more crystalized.
“We have a bunch of really smart individuals up front and so our volume is going to be able to be pretty healthy,” Johnson said. “I think we’re going to able to carry a lot into the games, a combination of running off the ball on our wide zone scheme and I think we’ve got some guys that can create some movement in the gap scheme game as well.
“So inside, outside, I think we have backs that can get it on the perimeter and make things happen out there. And then I think the exciting thing for me is we’ve got some quarterbacks that are pretty athletic players as well that maybe they can do some damage on the ground also.”
Asked what he has learned about Stevenson since becoming Bears coach, Johnson said: “He’s an awesome person. That stands out first and foremost. He has quite the personality. He’s good to talk to. I think he works hard. Sometimes he talks a little bit too much, and you have to tell him to be a little bit quiet.
“He’s a guy that you want on your side. He understands that this is a big year for him. Going into Year 3 is make-or-break-it for a lot of guys. He understands that, and I think he’s approaching this the right way. The competition that we’ve had in that room has been really good not only for him but for the rest of the guys. I’m excited for the direction he’s headed right now.”
Asked by a reporter about Bagent, Johnson was effusive in his praise for the third-year quarterback.
“Man, he’s been phenomenal,” Johnson said. “I mean, he’s smart as a whip. Appreciate the seriousness and intent that he brings every time he walks into a room. Meeting room, walk-through, it doesn’t matter, he’s locked in. He’s focused. I think his teammates feel that from him.
“Love the fact he’ll throw the ball and he keeps working through his progressions just so it goes home with exactly where everyone’s going to be in case he had to move on. I think he’s taken this seriously. He’s preparing the right way. And I couldn’t be more thrilled that he’s here with us.”
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