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Frey continues to impress in camp

After leading the nation with 21 pass breakups last season at Nevada, Bears rookie cornerback Isaiah Frey has continued to show his ball skills throughout his first NFL training camp.

The sixth-round pick has broken up passes on a regular basis and made an impressive interception in a recent workout, deflecting the ball away from a receiver before snatching it out of the air.

“Coach [Lovie] Smith stresses turnovers and getting any type of turnover during practice is a good thing,” Frey said.

The 5-11, 190-pounder is excited about playing in his first NFL game Thursday night when the Bears open the preseason by hosting the Denver Broncos at Soldier Field.

“It’s just a dream come true,” Frey said. “It’s something I’ve been dreaming about ever since I was little. Just going out there and putting the uniform on is a blessing.”

Frey and seventh-round pick Greg McCoy are both listed third on the depth chart at cornerback behind starters Charles Tillman and Tim Jennings and second-stringers Kelvin Hayden and Jonathan Wilhite. The Bears bolstered the position during the offseason by signing both Hayden and Wilhite.

“Any NFL team you go to, they’re going to be loaded at cornerback,” Frey said. “There’s a lot of talent in the league, so you’re going to have to come out and compete every day.”

Frey turning heads early in camp

In Friday’s practice, rookie cornerback Isaiah Frey showed some of the skills that helped him lead the nation with 21 pass breakups last season as a senior at Nevada.

The sixth-round draft pick dove to the ground while reaching out with one hand to knock a Josh McCown pass away from receiver Devin Thomas.

“[Frey] is making progress every day and he’s an instinctive guy,” said defensive backs coach Jon Hoke. “He understands football. I’m excited where he’s at right now. He’s still a rookie—he’s got a ways to go—but he is showing progress.”

Hoke has been impressed with how Frey and fellow rookie defensive backs Brandon Hardin, a third-round safety, and Greg McCoy, a seventh-round cornerback, have grasped the playbook.

“When we talked about possible selections and evaluations [with general manager Phil Emery and the personnel department], they all came in as good guys and smart guys, and it shows in the classroom,” Hoke said. “They pick it up well. They understand concepts.

“Now how well they take the concepts from the classroom to the field, you have to see how quick they do that. They’ve been able to handle that, but that’s all part of it. I’m encouraged with them, and it’s kind of fun to have them in the meeting rooms with how well they’ve learned.”