Sunday's practice: Reserves get a crack

Thought this would be interesting:

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LINK to the article
Reserves get a crack

DE Gibson impresses at hard-hitting session

By Vaughn McClure, Tribune reporter 8:38 p.m. CDT, July 29, 2012

BOURBONNAIS — Lovie Smith knows what to expect from guys such as Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall, Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs. Sunday afternoon, the Bears coach got a closer look at some of the talent deeper down the 90-man roster.

The reserve players, mostly third- and fourth-stringers, turned an otherwise mellow session into an all-out, hard-hitting scrimmage near the end of practice.

"There's a lot of different positions you're trying to get a look at," Smith said. "We have an idea about what the top part of our roster will look like. But you want to be able to see some of the down-the-line guys. A lot of times, you have to wait until an actual preseason game. So, (it was a chance to) get a little bit of live work for some of the younger players to get an opportunity to prove what they can do.''

Some of the those players included defensive end Thaddeus Gibson, running back Armando Allen, rookie quarterback Matt Blanchard and rookie receiver Brittan Golden.

Gibson joined the practice squad last November but was elevated to the active roster at season's end. He displayed some outstanding moves during pass-rush drills, then flashed his speed during the scrimmage.

"His gift has never been a question," veteran defensive end Israel Idonije said. "The guy has got some God-given ability that very few have. ... He was just putting on a clinic."

Back to work: Devin Hester returned to practice after tweaking his right ankle Friday. He showed no ill-effects from the injury as he caught passes with ease and fielded punts.

"It's getting better and better each and every day," Hester said. "Yeah, I was worried. But it wasn't any serious ankle injury."

Marshall (leg), safety Chris Conte (ill) and rookie receiver Joe Anderson (ill) were at full strength after missing some plays Saturday night.

Day of rest: Defensive end Julius Peppers was padded up and wore a helmet but rested during most of the practice session. Veteran Chauncey Davis worked with the first team in place of Peppers.

"We're not going to beat him up," Smith said of Peppers. "We pretty much know what he can do. So, they'll monitor his reps."

Peppers suffered a sprained knee last season but played through the pain.

Extra points: Marshall got another rousing ovation when he made a leaping catch in front of Charles Tillman during 7-on-7 drills. … As seems to be the routine, D.J. Moore picked off a pass. He stepped in front of a ball Cutler intended for Eric Weems, who slipped on the route. … Quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates took a hands-on approach, making like a defensive back to cover the receivers during individual drills. … It was Chris Williams' turn to work with the first team at left tackle ahead of J'Marcus Webb as the two continue to spread reps evenly throughout camp. ... Newly acquired defensive tackle Brian Price continued to work only in shorts as he awaits his first full day of regular practice Tuesday. The Bears are off Monday.

vxmcclure@tribune.com

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Here's another:

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LINK to the article

Bears rookie Shea McClellin goes on display with Peppers resting

By Gene Chamberlain | CBSSports.com

July 29, 2012 6:34 pm ET

Defensive end Shea McClellin got his first real chance Sunday to show what he could do with starters in a contact scrimmage, and if the Chicago Bears' first-round draft pick impressed some people, one of them wasn't himself.
"Today my pass rushing wasn't very good, so I was kind of disappointed," he said. "I'm pretty hard on myself, so I've got to do better than that."


Coming back with a day practice Sunday after a night practice, coach Lovie Smith gave veteran defensive end Julius Peppers time off and let McClellin work with the first team at defensive end.


The Bears will do that from time to time with veterans like Peppers and Brian Urlacher, particularly following a night practice.


"We're not going to beat him up," Smith said. "We pretty much know what he can do. We'll monitor his reps."
McClellin struggled at times going against the first team offensive line, then had a little success against second-team right end James Brown by shaking his blocker in scrum around quarterbacks Jay Cutler or Jason Campbell. Using that method, he did make what would have been a sack in a game. It gave an indication that scouting reports saying he had a high motor were accurate.


"I just have a mentality of never quitting and that's what I try to do," he said.


McClellin's presence changes the dynamic at defensive end. The Bears like using three ends in games to keep each player fresher -- and even have used four at times. The odd man out with McClellin's presence appears to be former Northwestern player Corey Wootton, who has had numerous injury problems while getting into just 13 games his first two seasons. It was easy to see the pressure would be on Wootton when McClellin was drafted.
"The biggest thing it meant for me was that they were looking for somebody else to fill the void of third end," Wootton said. "Unfortunately, last year I didn't really contribute like I wanted to and that's why they drafted him."


Wootton thinks he's in better position to impress coaches this camp despite having to contend with Peppers, Idonije, and McClellin. He's healthier than he's ever been after suffering from knee and hand injuries in the past, and coming into the NFL directly from a severe knee injury.


"Maybe I'll be able to stay injury-free this year and really show them what I can do," he said.
At the very least, he can provide an extra hand on days in camp when Peppers gets a day to rest.

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