Thread: McClellin needs to relax a bit

Marinelli says Bears rookie defensive end too hard on himself

By Vaughn McClure, Chicago Tribune reporter

8:16 p.m. CDT, August 1, 2012
BOURBONNAIS — Here's the assessment of Bears defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli of rookie defensive end Shea McClellin through six training camp practices at Olivet Nazarene University:

"He has the tools and he has the mental toughness to him, but he's extremely hard on himself. And it's hard to rush when you're hard on yourself. You just have to let it go.

"He's kind of thinking a little bit right now instead of just going. And every day, that will get better. The spotlight is on him and all those things. He just has to play ball, have fun, and smile.''

As the first-round pick walked off the practice field Wednesday to fans screaming his name, McClellin admitted he might be pressing.

"Being a rookie and all, you kind of do that,'' he said. "I just have to get past that and do my thing … have fun and get better.''

Different look: Brian Urlacher sat out his first practice of camp to rest the left knee he injured at the end of last season. He is expected back Thursday.

As Urlacher watched, Nick Roach moved from strong-side linebacker to Urlacher's spot in the middle while veteran Geno Hayes was inserted at strong-side linebacker with the first-team defense.

Dom DeCicco got plenty of first-team reps in the middle when Urlacher was sidelined this offseason, but the coaches opted for a different look Wednesday.

"Just looking,'' Marinelli said of the switch. "You're always developing depth. The best thing to have is position flexibility in your defense because you only get to suit so many guys up on game day. Guys have to learn more than one position.''

From the commish: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell visited practice Wednesday, as did a handful of replacement officials. Goodell addressed the ongoing labor dispute with league referees.

"We would like to get it resolved, but we're preparing ... to get replacement officials on the field," he said. "We're confident they can do the job. But we want to improve officiating overall, and we have some ideas on how to do that.

"Clearly there are economic differences. We're thinking of expanding (officials) from 121 to 142, to bring in three more crews that we can use to help develop younger officials and improve the quality and maybe be able to move them in and out. We're not going to agree to anything until we get those and the economic issues resolved."

Goodell also reiterated his previous stance on the possibility of Chicago hosting a Super Bowl.

"We're going to (have an outdoor Super Bowl) in New York (in 2014)," he said. "We're going to see how it works. We will make some evaluations from there. We do believe football is made to be played in the elements. So we are excited about it."

Extra points: Coach Lovie Smith singled out the play of defensive end Corey Wootton, who has shown much improvement as both a pass-rusher and run-stopper. … Cornerback Kelvin Hayden stripped fullback Tyler Clutts and recovered the fumble late in practice as Hayden continues to make plays behind starter Tim Jennings. … Rookie free safety Brandon Hardin intercepted a Jason Campbell pass tipped by cornerback Jonathan Wilhite and could have had another if he hadn't dropped the ball. Fellow veteran safety Craig Steltz had an interception during seven-on-seven drills. … Receiver/kick returner Eric Weems sat out practice after tweaking his left ankle Tuesday. … New defensive tackle Brian Price showed some progress but still had a tough time one-on-one against offensive lineman Edwin Williams in pass-rush drills.



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