|
 The injury carrying more significance to the team at this point,
however, is the ankle injury suffered by rookie cornerback Kyle
Fuller. It's an injury that can impact two positions in a secondary
already in question due to the team's problems at safety.
Fuller had been playing with starters at left cornerback in the
nickel defense, and Tim Jennings moved from starting left corner to
nickel back. So losing Fuller for any length of time not only
deprives the rookie of valuable developmental time, but Jennings
will be doing double duty while still trying to learn a new spot on
the interior of the defense.
Coach Marc Trestman sees Jennings as capable of doing both jobs, and
saw him as an ideal candidate to play nickel even if he lacks
experience there.
"I mean his leverage, his understanding of how to play inside was
excellent through the camp and the time that he played," Trestman
said.
Jennings, though, has missed more than half of training camp
practices with his own injury problem -- a quad strain.
"He was highly competitive covering our receivers inside during camp
before he got hurt," Trestman said. "So I think that transition is
something that he's going to be able to handle easily."
Fuller is viewed as a rookie capable of handling obstacles like
several missed practices, although the Bears hadn't said how serious
the ankle sprain was. Fuller was able to walk off to the locker room
during the game to have the ankle examined.
"He has a very good mental disposition towards competing at that
position," defensive coordinator Mel Tucker said. "He's a guy that
doesn't get too high and he doesn't get too low and those are good
traits to have at corner."
Miller had a concussion at the end of the 2010 season followed by
knee, foot and shoulder injuries in 2011 and a torn pec in 2012. But
he had begun to look like an ideal tight end to put on the field
with Martellus Bennett when the offense went to a two-tight end set.
Tight end Dante Rosario is more of an H-back type and Miller, who
caught six passes for 68 yards and two touchdowns, figured to be
more of a tight end in a classical sense.
"You guys saw him out at practice," Trestman told the media. "He had
an excellent camp. Things transitioned from the practice field to
the games over the last couple weeks. That was clear."
Backup quarterback Jordan Palmer saw Miller's abilities and injuries
first hand in Jacksonville in 2012 and said he tried to get Arizona
to sign him when he was playing with the Cardinals. He thinks the
Bears haven't seen the last of Miller though he was placed on
season-ending injured reserve.
"It's just a total bad-luck injury," Palmer said. "The way he's
handled this in the past, I know he's going to make the most of
this. He's going to heal quickly, rehab, do everything they ask him
to do. He's going to contribute somewhere. If it's here, hopefully
he comes back."
Without the budding third tight end, the Bears' other option appears
to be former Jet-Ram-Patriot Matthew Mulligan, who is weighing in
close to 280 after playing around 20 pounds lighter earlier in his
career. He views himself as more of a blocking tight end, but did
show an ability to go vertically down the field. His agility in the
open field is not close to Miller's though.
"He's shown good hands and good speed, besides his ability to block
at his point of attack, so we're excited about it," Trestman said.
"He's got great experience. He's been in good programs and he's a
good add by (general manager) Phil (Emery) and his personnel
department."
-----------------------------------------------
NFL Team Report - Chicago Bears - NOTES, QUOTES
--The Bears' safety shuffle continues, but now Chris Conte is
getting closer to entering the contest. Last year's starter missed
the second preseason game and the preseason opener, and it's
possible he'll get on the field for the first time against Seattle
after rehabbing from shoulder surgery.
So far, the only safety to make any type of statement is Ryan Mundy,
who has been on the field most since the start of OTAs. Still,
Trestman isn't naming Mundy one of the starters.
"I don't want to say that right now," Trestman said. "He's playing
well. He's making the calls. He has been in the right place. He's
certainly deep in this competition to be one of the top two safeties
on our team. And I think he has gone out there the last two weeks
and he has been out there with the ones consistently, and he has
practiced well. I think he is in a good position."
There has been no regular first and second team while coaches have
taken a look at the position. Danny McCray, Adrian Wilson, Mundy and
rookie Brock Vereen have seen the most time working with the first
team.
"What we've done with the safeties is we have worked different
combinations, moved guys around and we've stated to those guys that
we're going to continue to do that, and at the end of the day we'll
have a starting group and we'll have a rotation," Tucker said.
It will be a doctor's call whether Conte is playing against Seattle
Friday. He'd have two weeks of practices since returning.
[to top of second column] |
"We want to get him in there, we certainly want to give him a
chance to compete," Trestman said. "We'll see where he is as we come
into this week. If the trainers give him the go-ahead to start
working with the focus to play on Friday night, but we'll see this
week."
--Officials made a big emphasis on throwing flags for about anything
close to an infraction in the second preseason game, and a
roughing-the-passer penalty on the Jaguars' Jeremy Harris led
directly to the Bears driving for a big touchdown late in the game.
It also led Jared Allen to offer this blunt assessment of the call:
"Granted, I'm glad they called the roughing-the-passer for us, but
I'm looking at that replay and in my opinion that's not a
roughing-the-passer call. If it is, I'm (in trouble) because I'm
going to get about 20 of those this year."
--The Bears are playing the backup quarterback battle
conservatively, not revealing anything about how they'll use the
quarterbacks after Jay Cutler in Friday's "dress rehearsal" third
preseason game against Seattle.
"We're going to talk about how we're going to work this game,"
Trestman said. "I expect Jay and the first group to play longer. How
long I can't say. We're not going to put up a timetable on it. But
once we decide that we're going to decide how we're going to work
both Jordan (Palmer) and Jimmy (Clausen), not only this week but
next week as well."
--Brandon Marshall's hiring by Showtime's Inside the NFL as an
analyst didn't bother Trestman, even if the Bears have shied away in
the past from cable shows like HBO's Hard Knocks.
"I trust Brandon," Trestman said. "He asked me about it. I trust him
to make a decision that was in the best interest of the team first.
I know Brandon. I know he'll do that. I have complete faith that the
team has always come first, football has always come first to him. I
believe he'll work it out to where it won't distract him from doing
his job."
BATTLE OF THE WEEK: Backup offensive tackle. The continuing foot
injury problem to right tackle Jordan Mills, and Eben Britton's
hamstring injury has given Michael Ola plenty of playing time and
the former CFL player has held his own with the starters. That's
especially true in pass blocking, and not necessarily to be expected
because he doesn't have the height, arm reach or base that most
right tackles in the NFL have. He's built more like a guard at about
6-foot-3, 312. His run blocking hasn't been as effective. With
rookie Charles Leno Jr., James Brown, Brian de la Puente, Britton
and Ola all among backups and possessing the ability to play at
least two positions each, it's going to make for a difficult final
decision on the offensive line backup spots for coaches.
-----------------------------------------------
NFL Team Report - Chicago Bears - STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
PLAYER NOTES
--G/C Brian de la Puente remains out with a knee bruise and missed
Thursday's game with Jacksonville.
--CB Isaiah Frey has missed two weeks with a hamstring pull.
--WR Chris Williams remains out with a hamstring injury suffered
against Philadelphia in the preseason opener.
--T Jordan Mills remains sidelined with a foot injury, but at
Thursday's game his foot was out of the walking boot he had it in
previously.
--WR Kofi Hughes was signed by the Bears Friday (Aug. 15). The 6-0,
215-pound Hughes entered the NFL in 2014 as an undrafted free agent
with the Washington Redskins out of Indiana University. He also
spent time with the Houston Texans this offseason after being
acquired from waivers.
--TE Zach Miller (foot) was placed on reserve/injured by the Bears
Friday (Aug. 15). Miller has played in 33 games with five starts
during his NFL career, recording 45 receptions for 470 yards (10.4
average) and four touchdowns with Jacksonville (2009-11). Miller
signed a future's contract with the Bears in December and had six
receptions for 68 yards and two touchdowns in the Bears first 2014
preseason game against Philadelphia before injuring his foot
Thursday night against the Jaguars.
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