A LIGHT PRACTICE INDEED
24 Bears sat out Sunday for major, minor reasons, making us wonder how cautious is too cautious
Caution is inflating the Bears’ injury list. But even considering their careful approach, the list was so long Sunday, you can’t help but wonder if it’s getting in the way of progress.
With 19 players out with injuries, two more limited, two resting and one out for personal reasons, the Bears were without 24 players on their 90- man roster ( 26.7 percent) on Sunday at Halas Hall. The season opener is 20 days away.
Rookie linebacker Leonard Floyd, the Bears’ first- round draft pick, was added to the list Sunday when he sat out with a “slight hamstring” injury. Minor or not — remember, Alshon Jeffery left with a “mild” hamstring injury on Aug. 4, returned a week later and has been fine since — a Floyd absence is always notable. It’s the third time he has missed practice e entirely entirely so so far. far. He missed sed all all or or part part of four practices practices with with an illnessss and and part part of of another r practice practice with with a a shoulderer injury. injury.
“Just a a precaution,” tion,” coach John ohn Fox Fox said of himhim notnot participating pating Sunday. .
The Bears Bears were without ithout six playersers expectedd toto start thisis season: guard Kyle Long ( shoulder), outside linebacker Pernell McPhee ( knee, physically-unable- to-perform list), inside linebacker Danny Trevathan ( hamstring), cornerback Kyle Fuller ( knee), running back Jeremy Langford ( foot) and center Hroniss Grasu ( out for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament). Plus there was Floyd, nickel back Bryce Callahan ( hamstring) and wide receiver Marquess Wilson ( broken foot, PUP list).
Cornerback Tracy Porter, who was rested Thursday against the New England Patriots, was rested again Sunday. Starting inside linebacker Jerrell Freeman also was given a veteran’s day off. Starting tight end Zach Miller ( concussion) and receiver Eddie Royal ( concussion) were limited. Defensive end Jonathan Bullard was excused for personal reasons.
Also out were tight end Tony Moeaki, safety Deon Bush, cornerbacks Jacoby Glenn and De’Vante Bausby, defensive end Cornelius Washington, linebacker Nick Nick K Kwiatkoski, tight end Ben Brau Braunecker, wide receivers Deo Deonte Thompson and De Derek Keaton and running ba back Senorise Perry.
2 With Fuller, Callahan and Glenn out and P Porter getting the day off, th the Bears’ cornerbacks were were rookies Deiondre’ Hall a and Kevin Peterson. Peterson figures to get a good look in the Bears’ preseason game against the the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturd Saturday at Soldier Field. ““H He hasn’t had a lot of
opportunity until we got nicked up at that position,” Fox said. “So this will be a big opportunity for him, as well as the final preseason game against Cleveland.”
3 The opportunity for the 6- 2, 201- pound Hall in the final two preseason games is even greater — he has a chance to show he might be the best alternative if Fuller isn’t available for Week 1.
It’s likely too much too soon for the Northern Iowa product, but he fits the mold of a play- making cornerback in Vic Fangio’s defense more than Fuller does. It’s up to him to prove that the inevitable growing pains are worth it.
4 Fox didn’t exactly give Hall his seal of approval, but he has been intrigued.
“He’s improved,” Fox said. “When you bring in rookies, you don’t really know. You get them out there [ and] they play. He’s played a lot. He’s actually shown up pretty good. We’ll see where that takes us.”
5 McPhee’s extended recovery from offseason knee surgery remains the Bears’ most problematic injury. McPhee is unlikely to play in the preseason, and while the Bears still contend he has a chance to play in the opener against the Houston Texans on Sept. 11, it’s 50- 50 he will do that. The bigger challenge will be staying healthy once he’s back. No odds available on that.
6 The most underrated injury might be Trevathan’s. He’s a huge part of the leap the Bears’ defense expects to take. He did not play against the Patriots and has missed both practices since. The Bears can cover McPhee’s absence better than they can Trevathan’s.
7 Preseason results often are poor indicators, but there’s little doubt the Bears benefitted from practicing against the Patriots last week. From the opening drill of the first practice, they seemed to rise to the occasion of facing a team that plays at a different intensity than most.
That usually pays off. When the Bears lost 35- 7 to the Patriots in 2010, they responded with two of the best back- to- back offensive performances of the Jay Cutler era, beating the Minnesota Vikings 40- 14 and the New York Jets 38- 34.
8 There’s a small price to pay for that kind of conditioning. Teams often thrive on routine, but with the shortened stay in Bourbonnais, the trip to Foxborough and the event at Warren High School, the Bears have played at six different venues the last 10 times they’ve taken the field.
9 The frustration has to be mounting for Royal, who still is recovering from a concussion he suffered Aug. 1. He fielded some punts Sunday but still is limited. When he was healthy at the start of camp, Royal looked like he had a lot left in the tank. But he’s looking more like the odd man out in a crowded receiver field with each day he can’t fully participate.
Marc Mariani, who made several big catches in the second half of last season, continues to build a solid rapport with Cutler and looks like a keeper. And while seventh- round pick Daniel Braverman hasn’t done much in two preseason games, he has been intriguing enough in practice and has created enough buzz that putting him on the practice squad might be risky.
10 It remains to be seen how much of a shot second- year center Cornelius Edison will get, but with Long out, Ted Larsen has played right guard with Edison at center. Fox sounded impressed.
“He doesn’t have quite the experience that Ted has, but he’s a good young prospect, and the more snaps he gets [ the better he’ll be],” Fox said. “He got quite a few snaps Thursday night, and I thought he performed pretty well.”