Chicago Bears training camp notes: Roquan Smith is back, now he must get up to speed

LAKE FOREST – Returning to practice was step one. Next comes the hard part for Bears linebacker Roquan Smith.

Prior to Saturday, Smith hadn’t participated in a practice since veteran minicamp in June. In his first two practices back on the field over the weekend, Smith participated in individual drills but did not play in any team sessions.

Smith has three weeks to prepare himself to play the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 11. The Bears have one more preseason game remaining on Saturday at Cleveland, but it sounds as if they still have to determine whether Smith will play.

“We all would [like to see him], but you know what?” defensive coordinator Alan Williams said. “I’ll talk with [head coach Matt Eberflus]. I’ll talk with [general manager Ryan Poles] and see. I think that will be a collective effort. I know Roquan will have a say so in that, but that will be a collective effort. What we think is best for Roquan, the defense, the team, and we’ll make a decision.”

Smith is a fifth-year veteran who has played a ton of football. He’s also healthy and injury free, so it shouldn’t – in theory – take much to get him physically ready. Three weeks of practice should help with that.

Another wrinkle, however, might be the scheme. The Bears are implementing a new 4-3 defensive scheme under Eberflus. Smith is going from playing smack dab in the middle of the defense in a 3-4 scheme, to playing weak-side linebacker in a 4-3 scheme.

With that comes a different vantage point for the linebacker and different responsibilities. Smith did participate in OTAs and minicamp in the spring, so he does have some familiarity with the scheme already.

“There’s a time clock,” Williams said. “There’s a shot clock. If you don’t have a fast processor, which he does, it’s a little bit different. You just need that processor to be warmed up and tested, which he hadn’t had yet, but we’ll get him those reps.”

So the Bears would like to see Smith play in Cleveland on Saturday, but that will depend on how he feels and what they’re seeing from him in practice during the week leading up to the game.

Defensive tackle Justin Jones said Smith has continued to be a vocal leader in the locker room, even with the contract dispute.

“He’s still a real vocal guy and he still makes sure guys are staying to the standard, even though he’s not on the field, which is good to have because that’s a guy that everybody trusts,” Jones said.

[ 2022 Chicago Bears training camp: Offense, defense grades for Aug. 15 ]

Montgomery’s return?: Like Smith, running back David Montgomery also has yet to play in a preseason game. He went as far as to say he feels like he needs to play Saturday in Cleveland in order to feel ready for the season.

“Just getting hit and just actually getting tackled, seeing different looks, kind of getting the pace of the game,” Montgomery said. “It’s completely different from practice.”

Montgomery appeared to be a full participant in practice over the weekend after sitting out with an undisclosed injury earlier in the week.

Transactions: The Bears placed receiver David Moore on injured reserve. Moore appeared to hurt his knee during a practice at Soldier Field on Aug. 9. Eberflus called it a “lower leg” injury. Moore needed to be carted off the field that day.

In a corresponding move, the team signed fullback Jake Bargas. Bargas went undrafted out of North Carolina in 2020 and spent the past two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, primarily on the practice squad. He has appeared in two NFL games.

The Bears now have three fullbacks on the roster with Bargas, starter Khari Blasingame and backup Jake Tonges.

Attendance: Running back Khalil Hebert returned to practice and participated Saturday, one day after it appeared that he left practice due to an injury. Receiver Nsimba Webster and cornerback Jaylon Jones both sat out Sunday after participating on Saturday.

Several players continue to sit out with injuries: receiver N’Keal Harry (ankle), safety Jaquan Brisker (hand), receiver Byron Pringle (quad), cornerback Tavon Young (undisclosed), cornerback Thomas Graham Jr. (hamstring), running back Trestan Ebner (ankle), center Lucas Patrick (thumb), receiver Tajae Sharpe (undisclosed) and linebacker Caleb Johnson (knee).