'Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Chicago Bears' Episode 2 Recap and Analysis

After a technological delay , the Chicago Bears continued their " Hard Knocks " journey Tuesday evening. Afterward, Bears On Tap broke it all down, discussing the Bears' locker room culture, whether Rome Odunze has that dog in him, how safe Velus Jones Jr.'s roster spot is, and the idea of hot dog-flavored ice cream.

We sifted through all the hot topics on the podcast, which is available on YouTube , Apple , and Spotify . In the episode, Ron and I closed the show with a few key questions, which I've detailed here!

Biggest Surprise from 'Hard Knocks' Episode 2

My biggest surprise of the episode was how much Velus Jones Jr.'s roster spot appears to be in question. Entering his third season with the Bears, the former third-round pick has yet to produce anything significant for the team. I felt he'd be a roster lock with the new kickoff rules.

Jones Jr. is an impressive athlete who does offer value as a kick return man.

But in the second episode of "Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Chicago Bears," we saw him muff the catch on a kick return in the team's preseason game against the Buffalo Bills, and the narrator spent a significant portion of the episode discussing his roster battle with undrafted free agent Ian Wheeler. Considering Jones Jr.'s issues holding onto the football and his inability to see the field regularly as a receiver, it makes sense that he's on the bubble. I didn't expect it to happen, though, especially with his increased usage as a running back.

The biggest surprise for Ron was the performance of Austin Booker in the preseason game against Buffalo. We knew he had potential coming into the NFL Draft, but he's exceeded expectations through two preseason games. The thing that stuck out to Ron was Booker's ability to play big without actually carrying very much mass. If he can add some good mass to that frame, he could be one of the biggest steals of the draft class.

Favorite Moment from 'Hard Knocks' Episode 2

The simple moments sometimes speak the loudest. My favorite moment of the episode was early in the Bears' preseason game against the Bills. The audience sees DJ Moore catch a pass and stick a defender with a nasty stiff-arm move before picking up a handful of yards after contact. After being brought down, we see Moore lying on his back, yelling, "I LIKE FOOTBALL!" to anyone willing to listen.

This moment felt so right to me. The Bears have been trying to build a culture of work and love for the game over the last few years. What could be more fitting than the player they just guaranteed $81 million professing his passion for the game after putting an opponent in the dirt?

Ron's favorite moment of the episode was when Rome Odunze took him back to 2007 with his rendition of "Kiss Kiss" by Chris Brown, prefaced by standing in front of the team and stating that he received a $13 million signing bonus. According to Ron, Odunze is young enough to pick a more modern song, but he made the right choice by throwing it back to the Chris Brown and T-Pain classic.

What to Expect in 'Hard Knocks' Episode 3

I have a few ideas about what could be coming next. First, I'm expecting a "Local Legends" segment at some point, highlighting players who grew up in the Chicagoland area such as Cole Kmet, T.J. Edwards, Jack Sanborn, Kiran Amegadjie, Doug Kramer, and Dashaun Mallory. Second, I expect to see an Austin Booker showcase after the rookie fifth-round pick produced two straight standout preseason games. Finally, I selfishly want to see details about the Bears' new UDFA signing, Jaylon Hutchings .

Ron stated that one thing we haven't seen yet is more Chicago-related topics. We've seen the Museum of Ice Cream along with some classic Chicago areas in the intro, but we haven't gotten much coverage of players doing things in the city or getting involved with the fans. He expects to see a larger dose of local activities in the third episode of Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Chicago Bears."

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