Kevin White signs autographs in Bourbonnais. (Brian Cassella, Chicago Tribune)
BOURBONNAIS, Ill. — Ten things you need to know from Thursday’s activities at Olivet Nazarene University:
1. Bears general manager Ryan Pace revealed that injured rookie wide receiver Kevin White will resume running early next week. Pace told WSCR-AM that White would do some “light running,” presumably after Sunday’s off day.
“There’s a plan in place to kind of bring him back at the right pace. We don’t want to rush him back. There’s a long time before we play. He’s too valuable of a player,” Pace said.
While anxiety over the seventh-overall pick’s injury grows by the day, it’s important to keep in mind that there are over five weeks until the start of the regular season and the Bears are being cautious in an effort to ensure that White plays against the Packers Sept. 13.
2. The Bears concluded practice with another live tackling session, this one occurring at the goal line. The last play of practice was particularly entertaining, as running back Daniel Thomas ran over rookie safety Anthony Jefferson at the goal line to score a touchdown.
“The guys enjoy it,” Fox said. “It’s a hard thing to practice unless you walk it through. Short yardage or goal line. Because it’s such a tight play. Just with experience, you learn that you’re better off just going live .”
Fox is right, as it’s nearly impossible to evaluate talent in short yardage situations if players can’t go all-out.
“A little bit toughness, how guys are at the point of attack. It’s pretty much a grunt play. So we enjoy watching it,” Fox said.
Former head coach Marc Trestman did not utilize any live tackling in training camp the last two years.
3. Saturday’s live scrimmage at Soldier Field will consist of 36 plays. Each unit will get 12 reps and the entire field will be in play.
“We don’t have a preseason game this week, so this kind of mirrors it to some degree,” Fox said. “It’s a little bit of a taste for us to see how they operate under pressure.”
4. Jared Allen said he is getting more comfortable dropping into coverage.
“The drops are way better than they were the first day,” he said. “And at some point you can’t let it be too big. It’s still football. I’m just lining up in a slightly different spot and I’ve got some slightly different responsibilities. You still have to understand the game of football.”
5. Rookie Eddie Goldman seems to be making a positive move at nose tackle. Jeremiah Ratliff had been receiving the bulk of the work on the inside of the line, but Goldman has been in there the last couple of days with Ratliff kicking outside.
That move has been a welcome relief for center Will Montgomery, whose history with Ratliff goes back a ways.
“Ratliff’s a stud,” he said. “When I was with the Redskins and he was with the Cowboys I had to play him twice a year for many years. He was always somebody you marked on your calendar and now I see him every day, although he’s been playing end the last couple days so I got some time off from that. But Ratliff is definitely one of the top noses that I’ve ever played against and I’m glad he’s on our team.”
As for his first impressions going up against the rookie instead, Montgomery said:
“(Goldman) is smart, he’s strong. He’s got long arms. He knows how to play every block perfectly. He never gets out of position. The guy is a stud.”
6. Montgomery joked that he was a package deal with Fox, offensive coordinator Adam Gase and offensive line coach Dave Magazu. All four of them came over from Denver.
“They weren’t going to accept their jobs unless I came too,” Montgomery said.
7. The quarterbacks have been busy studying film of Peyton Manning running Gase’s offense.
“We watched a lot of the Broncos tape and Peyton, from when they break the huddle, going to the line of scrimmage, how he handles everything at the line of scrimmage,” backup quarterback Jimmy Clausen said.
8. Offensive lineman Michael Ola’s knee injury is not serious. Fox called it a “strain” and said Ola should be back in about a week.
9. Fox also indicated that David Fales is on a similar timetable as Ola. The quarterback hasn’t practiced in camp because of an illness.
“His deal is just to rest, not any sudden movements,” Fox said. “He went from not walking around at practice to now he is walking around at practice. So I would say shortly.”
10. Rookie offensive tackle Tayo Fabuluje suffered his second asthma attack in two days Thursday.
“We’re going to monitor that, hopefully get that right,” Fox said.
Meanwhile, defensive lineman Ego Ferguson was excused from practice for personal reasons.
Adam Hoge covers the Chicago Bears for WGN Radio and WGNRadio.com. He also co-hosts The Beat, weekends on 720 WGN. Follow him on Twitter at @AdamHoge.