It was a spirited practice down in Bourbonnais for the Chicago Bears on Friday. The team cut practice short by about 30 minutes, possibly in anticipation of some inclement weather, possibly just giving guys a chance to freshen up before putting on a show for Saturday’s Family Fest. Either way, the players responded with an intense practice. There were no huge revelations, but there were still some interesting observations:
- Kyle Long continued to miss action, but he’s expected to return for at least a portion of Saturday’s Family Fest. He’ll participate in individual drills a “possibly more” according to coach Trestman.
- Charles Tillman was given a veteran’s day off and Roberto Garza was excused from practice. Alshon Jeffery also took some reps off. Matt Slauson appeared to sit out at the end of practice.
- Chris Conte and Craig Steltz continued to reside on the PUP list. You can’t make the club in the tun fellas.
- With Kyle Long and Roberto Garza out, Michael Ola and Brian de la Puente filled in capably as the backup offensive line spots begin to take shape.
- In one on one pass rushing drills, the highlight had to be watching Jared Allen and Jermon Bushrod go head to head.
- In team drills, Lance Briggs was all over the field. He was damn near giddy as he broke up a couple of passes, one of his tips leading to a Danny McCray interception.
- It was a tough day at the office for the first team offense, especially in the red zone. The first team defense kept them out of the end zone in over a dozen attempts.
- Coach Trestman addressed the high number of batted balls that have been seen at camp, saying that the offense isn’t cut blocking or doing things to get defenders hands down. I wouldn’t read too much into this as a negative for the first team O.
- Adrian Wilson took some reps with the first team D at safety. It looks like he has to earn a starting spot to make the roster. At his age and limited ability to contribute on special teams, it’s all or nothing for Wilson.
- Shea McClellin showed some flashes at SLB, although it looked like he overran a play and got himself too far inside to make a stop on a Matt Forte run.
- Willie Young flashed some elite athleticism rotating in at DE.
- Christian Jones is turning heads with his blend of size and speed. The last couple of LB spots could be really interesting.
Being on the sidelines for Friday’s practice, you really get an appreciation for the raw size of these guys. They’re almost all monsters, except Chris Williams, who’s teeny-tiny. It’s really impressive.