Bears Return To Practice Following First Preseason Game

By Rob Winn in News on Aug 12, 2012 8:00PM

Following Thursday's preseason opener, the Bears returned to practice in Bourbonnais Saturday with a few changes. Offensive lineman Chris Williams has begun to see more reps again at left tackle following J'Marcus Webb's lackluster performance against the Denver Broncos. Coach Lovie Smith refused to go into detail about the decision, maintaining that "all positions are open."

The writing has been on the wall that the Bears have not been thrilled about Webb's play. Offensive coordinator Mike Tice gave Webb a lukewarm endorsement prior to Thursday's game and his performance didn't warrant any praise. Center Roberto Garza acknowledged the line's struggles saying, "We didn't do a lot of things good." Time will tell if Webb can hold down the job or if Chris Williams will beat him out—either way the Bears' coaching staff is waiting for someone to step up and claim the job.

In other news, Brian Urlacher returned to camp after a prolonged absence which was blamed on "personal reasons." However, he still didn't participate in practice. Lovie Smith said that he is again experiencing some soreness in his left knee following the injury he suffered in the final game last year. It's not exactly clear when he will return to practice, but Smith and Urlacher maintain that he will be ready when the regular season kicks off.

The Bears also announced they signed two free agent linebackers after it was revealed that Jabara Williams and Dom Decicco would be sitting out practice while recovering from injuries. The Bears entered camp relatively thin at linebacker and the recent injuries have only highlighted that weakness. The additions are two veterans Xavier Adibi and K.C. Asiodu, who both are experienced special teams players.