MOBILE, Ala. — It only was one play during 7-on-7 work on the second day of practice for the Senior Bowl, but Bears offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains didn’t like what he heard or saw, and he needed to fix it immediately.
So with the NFL world watching in the stands of Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Loggains called his North team’s offense back to huddle. He leaned in and eavesdropped to make sure his play call was delivered correctly and that every player went to the right spots.
It was reminiscent of moments last year during the Bears’ offseason program, after Loggains was promoted to oversee the offense after Adam Gase left for the Miami Dolphins. Loggains’ demanding ways were marked by his bark and bite then, so it wasn’t surprising that they both showed up in Mobile.
“I’ve never had the opportunity to do this before,” he said. “We’re very fortunate to do it. It should help us a lot.”
Loggains will play a vital role in arguably the most important decision of general manager Ryan Pace’s tenure: determining the Bears’ future at quarterback. Whether it’s moving on from Jay Cutler; pursuing Jimmy Garoppolo; re-signing Brian Hoyer, Matt Barkley or both; or slotting quarterbacks on the draft board, Loggains’ opinion matters.
What does he look for in quarterbacks?
“Leadership,” he said. “[It’s] the ability to handle adversity and really just being able to be the face of the franchise and being able to stand in front of the locker room, be in the huddle and call plays right and execute.”
At one point last season, Loggains became a favorite scapegoat outside Halas Hall. It was thought the Bears’ low point totals should lead to change, that coach John Fox should find a more experienced option. But Loggains was nonetheless making something out nothing, winning games with three different starting quarterbacks and resurrecting Barkley’s once-lost career. He helped rookie Cody Whitehair transition to center and ran the ball well with rookie Jordan Howard, even though top guards Kyle Long and Josh Sitton missed time with injuries. The offense found ways to move the ball despite missing receivers Alshon Jeffery (suspension) and Kevin White (broken leg) and tight end Zach Miller (broken foot).
Loggains’ ability to handle all of the above not only won over Fox and Pace but impressed others around the league.
“There were definitely areas that we were happy with, that I was happy with myself,” Loggains said. “There’s also a lot of room to get better. I’m excited about the process of getting started with that.”
Coaching the Senior Bowl helps. Beyond evaluating quarterbacks, Loggains will have three practices, a week’s worth of meetings and an actual game to work with his new assistants, running backs coach Curtis Modkins and offensive line coach Jeremiah Washburn. Loggains, of course, was involved in their vetting — part of his growing influence.
Washburn appealed to Loggains because of a similar scouting background and his year spent with Gase in Miami, where he gained an understanding of the Bears’ system.
“There’s not much transition for him coming in,” Loggains said.
Modkins stood out because of his experience with different backs and schemes. He’d previously worked with Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Scott Linehan and former San Francisco 49ers coach Chip Kelly.
“He’s seen a different perspective and different offenses. He can bring ideas to our offense and make it better,” Loggains said.
Still, everything comes back to quarterback. This week, Loggains’ priorities start with getting to know Nate Peterman (Pittsburgh), C.J. Beathard (Iowa) and Sefo Liufau (Colorado) on the North team.
“You get to sit in a room and grind tape and watch these guys live,” Loggains said. “And that’s the best part of our jobs — the football part of it.”
Follow me on Twitter @adamjahns.
Email: ajahns@suntimes.com
