The Chicago Bears were back for the 18th practice of training camp on Tuesday, which was the final open practice at Halas Hall this summer ahead of Thursday's joint practice in Tennessee against the Titans.
The Bears held a practice that lasted roughly two hours, and once again it was all about the injuries. Right tackle Darnell Wright and defensive tackle Gervon Dexter were among those players who exited practice early with apparent injuries. That resulted in some interesting shuffling for the first-team offense and defense, where there were some notable position battle updates at safety, defensive tackle and left tackle. There were also some standout performances, most notable for two offensive starters.
Here's what we learned from the 18th
practice of training camp:
Darnell Wright, Gervon Dexter among injury headlines
Once again, injuries were the biggest headline from a Bears training camp practice, which included injuries to two starters in right tackle Darnell Wright and defensive tackle Gervon Dexter. Wright went to the sideline after a team period, where he was having his arm looked at by trainer Andre Tucker. According to Brad Biggs, it's the same elbow where he suffered a torn UCL last season. Nicholas Moreano added that, while walking back to Halas Hall with Tucker, "he was flexing his right arm, moving it while he was being looked at by Tucker."
It was also reported that Dexter had exited practice with a trainer, per Biggs, but there wasn't word of what kind of injury it could be. Interesting, during Tuesday's practice it was reported that the Bears were having trade discussions involving Dexter. Could that be why he left practice early? Elsewhere, tight end Hayden Large and cornerback Dontae Manning also left practice early with apparent injuries.
Jordan van den Berg saw first-team reps alongside Grady Jarrett
Rookie Jordan van den Berg has been one of the biggest standouts during training camp and preseason, as he's made a strong case for playing time. After Dexter exited practice early, it was van den Berg who saw first-team reps alongside Grady Jarrett, according to Adam Hoge. Before Tuesday's practice, head coach Ben Johnson praised van den Berg. "He's a beast. He's an incredible athlete. He has been the same guy every single day. It's a good thing to see right now. He's firmly in the mix."
Cam Lewis worked exclusively at safety opposite Dillon Thieneman
When the Bears signed Cam Lewis this offseason, they were getting a versatile defensive back who could play multiple positions. And, looking back, it was a key addition amid injuries in the secondary, namely safety Coby Bryant, who will miss four to six months after knee surgery. According to Brad Biggs, Lewis worked exclusively at safety opposite rookie Dillon Thieneman with the first-team defense during Tuesday's practice. Lewis started at nickel cornerback this summer, with Kyler Gordon still nursing a calf injury on the PUP list, but he switched to safety with Bryant's injury. It's certainly notable that Lewis was at safety considering head coach Ben Johnson highlighted that as a position that needs resolution with the season just weeks away.
Braxton Jones continues to be front runner at left tackle
It's no secret that Braxton Jones didn't have a good showing against the Cincinnati Bengals in limited action last Saturday, but he remains the frontrunner to win the left tackle job. Before practice, head coach Ben Johnson indicated the battle is ongoing, saying "I don’t know that we’re 100% sold on who that guy is going to be in Carolina for us." And yet, it's once again Jones who gets the work with the first-team offense. You certainly have to wonder if things were to change if Ozzy Trapilo was 100 percent ready to go. Trapilo was in pads during Tuesday's practice, but he didn't participate in team drills. We could very well see a repeat of what happened last season at left tackle: Braxton Jones "wins" the job, is then replaced by Theo Benedet, who is then replaced by Ozzy Trapilo. For what it's worth, it worked last season.
D'Andre Swift and Rome Odunze had impressive days
The Bears had a couple of offensive standouts from Tuesday's padded practice, including running back D'Andre Swift, who had several big runs. During a 9-on-7 period, Swift had three of four runs that went for nice gains, per Brad Biggs. During a red-zone drill, Swift also ran for a 14-yard touchdown, per Adam Jahns. Greg Braggs said Swift has "looked very good at camp this year" and that he'd probably be the MVP of training camp if not for tight end Colston Loveland, who also had a dominant summer. In the words of Mark Carman, "D'Andre Swift is ready for the season."
While Luther Burden has been receiving a ton of hype and praise this offseason, receiver Rome Odunze has quietly flown under the radar. But he's had a solid camp, and Tuesday was another example. According to Matt Zahn, the offense had its share of struggles, but Odunze had a "good day." Odunze's connection with quarterback Caleb Williams was on full display, including a touchdown on third-and-1 in a red-zone period and over the middle for a 30-yard gain on third-and-10, per Zahn.
Attendance report
The Bears lost four players to apparent injuries during Tuesday's practice with right tackle Darnell Wright, defensive tackle Gervon Dexter, tight end Hayden Large and cornerback Dontae Manning. But, believe it or not, there was some good news on the injury front. Cornerbacks Tyrique Stevenson and Terell Smith were back at practice, as well as backup quarterback Tyson Bagent and cornerback Jaylon Jones while left tackle Ozzy Trapilo suited up in pads. But running back Kyle Monangai, defensive end Marcus Davenport and defensive end Austin Booker weren't spotted at practice. Chicago also activated safety Elijah Hicks and rookie linebacker Keyshaun Elliott from the PUP list.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 6 takeaways from final open practice at Chicago Bears training camp
