Bears Blitz

Published by Bryan Dietzler on August 20, 2010
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

The Bears just completed their last practice at training camp in Bourbonnais, and will head back to a normal routine in Lake Forest. The Bears have had what many consider to be a good training camp, but perhaps not a great one.

Injuries have been a key issue for the Bears, as with most teams in the NFL. Getting injured during training camp takes away from the repetitions that a player goes through, and that player misses learning how to function in the system. This may affect the careers of some of the guys on the Bears, including some, who many thought had no problem making the roster for the 2010 season.

Injury Update

The following players did not practice during the Wednesday session:

Safety Major Wright (finger), wide receiver Earl Bennett (hamstring), long snapper Patrick Mannelly (stinger), safety Craig Steltz (ankle), linebacker Brian Iwuh (knee), quarterback Caleb Hanie (shoulder), safety Josh Bullocks (quad), and Hunter Hillenmeyer (foot).

The Bears kept defensive lineman Jarron Gilbert (neck) out of regular drills and he practiced on the side.  

The following players did not practice on Thursday:

Long snapper Patrick Mannelly (stinger), safety Craig Steltz (ankle), safety Josh Bullocks (quad), safety Major Wright (finger), quarterback Caleb Hanie (shoulder), and wide receiver Earl Bennett (hamstring).

Linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer and defensive lineman Jarron Gilbert practiced as normal.

Comings and Goings

The Bears signed quarterback Matt Gutierrez, and he’s been doing some light work but nothing heavy yet with the team on Wednesday.

On Thursday, Gutierrez got a majority of the snaps in practice, so that he could be ready for the game on Saturday. He has a good arm and puts a lot of zip on the ball, but looked a little confused, which is to be expected from a guy who was in just his second practice with his new team.  

Cutler Report

Wednesday was an impressive day for Cutler and his receivers, as he made several big throws. He connected with wide receiver Devin Hester on a 55-yard pass, along with another pass that showed Hester’s athleticism.  

There was just one interception during practice on Wednesday night. It was thrown by LeFevour, and the recipient of the gift was linebacker Nick Roach.  

Defensive Musings

Not to be forgotten, the Bear’s defense has been making some outstanding plays of their own in practice recently. Julius Peppers would have had a monster sack on Cutler had it been a live game, after he simply rushed past left tackle Chris Williams.

Cornerback Zachary Bowman knocked down a sure touchdown pass from Cutler to Hester in the end zone. Bowman has been making some significant plays in practice and looks to be even better than he’s been in past training camps.

Rookie defensive end Cory Wootton has had a good training camp and should be a lock to make the roster.

Back to action in Thursday’s practice, linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer stripped the ball from wide receiver Greg Matthews, recovered his own fumble, and ran it into the end zone for a touchdown.

Stay tuned for a full training camp review in the coming days.  

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