Bears still can't shake concerns of a banged-up offensive line
The Bears still can’t shake concerns about the health of their offensive line.
Right guard Nate Davis, whom coach Matt Eberflus first called “day-to-day” with a muscle strain on July 27, did less work with his teammates Wednesday than he did a day earlier.
Right tackle Darnell Wright, who returned to practice Tuesday after missing time with an undisclosed injury, came out of 11-on-11 drills Wednesday and didn’t return.
Quarterback Caleb Williams’ availability to play Saturday against the Bills will depend largely on how comfortable the Bears feel with the linemen they have left. Ryan Bates, who is fighting Coleman Shelton for the starting center job, has been sharp filling in for Davis.
“You just see his quick decision-making,” offensive line coach Chris Morgan said. “He's really strong. He can hold the pocket pretty well. He's a good communicator at guard. You see a lot of stuff.”
Tuesday, Eberflus appeared to send a message to Davis, saying that players sometimes lose their starting spot because of injury. Morgan, though, preached patience.
“(Davis) is doing everything he can to get back,” Morgan said. “We're excited to get him back when that happens …
“We've still got time. He's doing everything he can to get back, and a lot of other guys are getting reps.”
A big chance
Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron said moving to running back “has been a great chance” for onetime receiver Velus Jones. The Bears shifted him there earlier this week and have committed to the experiment through at least Saturday.
The Bears, he said, are trying to find out creative ways to get the ball in his hands.
“Trying to maximize his skillset,” he said, “and also putting him in the best position to showcase that.”
Running backs coach Chad Morton is excited by the possibility.
“I wish I was that big, fast and tough,” he said,
Tackling
Bears kicker Cairo Santos thinks the new kickoff rule will lead to more opportunities for kickers to make open-field tackles.
He’s been practicing — specifically, he’s been wrapping up the legs of the returner as the last line of defense.
“Shoulder to shoulder, I'm not going to win,” he said. “Putting my head in there is not healthy.”
He joked that, after seeing a picture of Eberflus as a college linebacker on “Hard Knocks” on Tuesday night, “maybe can teach me how to tackle.”
This and that
• Collin Johnson, who caught two touchdown passes and had a star turn on “Hard Knocks,” sat out Wednesday with an injury. Bears players who remain out because of injury include safety Jaquan Brisker, defensive end Montez Sweat, running back Roschon Johnson, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, running back Ian Wheeler, linebacker Noah Sewell, long snapper Patrick Scales, center Bill Murray, offensive tackle Theo Benedet and defensive lineman Keith Randolph Jr.
• Cornerback Terrell Smith and nose tackle Andrew Billings left practice with injuries, while tight end Marcedes Lewis had a veteran’s day off.
• Third-round pick Kiran Amegadjie, who has been recovering from a torn quad injury suffered in October while at Yale, could return from the Non-Football Injury list by the end of training camp, Morgan said.
“He's getting stronger, he's getting faster every day in his rehab,” Morgan said.
• The Bears played John Legend’s “Ordinary People,” the song Williams butchered on “Hard Knocks” on the loudspeaker Wednesday morning.
• The Pro Football Hall of Fame kept the ball Santos used to launch the first-ever modified kickoff in Thursday’s game.
• Pilots from the Blue Angels attended practice as guests of the Bears.