July 27, 2008

 With WR Devin Hester yet to practice due to a tweaked hamstring, easily the most impressive receiver in the first few days of the Bears’ training camp was Rashied Davis. Davis hauled in two deep passes on Thursday, and daily team observers are starting to think he could be much more of a factor in the passing game than initially expected.

 Four key Bears players were sidelined at the start of camp, but sources on the scene in Bourbonnais, Ill., tell us none of the injuries afflicting WR Devin Hester (hamstring), OLT Chris Williams (back spasms), C Olin Kreutz (Achilles) and DT Dusty Dvoracek (calf) was considered serious.

 Although the Packers’ plan at left guard heading into training camp is to give incumbent Daryn Colledge and promising sophomore Allen Barbre an equal number of reps, team insiders tell us they think the job is Barbre’s to lose. Regarding the Packers’ backup situation at tackle, we hear fifth-round draft pick Breno Giacomini will remain at right tackle while Tony Moll and Orrin Thompson will see action at both OT spots.

 Michael Hoffman, the agent for Packers SLB Brady Poppinga, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that his client’s new four-year contract extension is comparable to those signed by free agents Boss Bailey and Kawika Mitchell in the offseason. Both of those contracts were worth $17.5 million over five years and included about $3.5 million in signing bonuses.

 One underrated element of the Lions’ new approach offensively will be featuring the bootleg pass more. QB Jon Kitna is a pretty good athlete, and he has shown an ability to throw on the move outside the pocket, but most of those plays the past two seasons have come on broken-down pass protections. Expect Kitna to be allowed to play-action fake more and throw on the move outside the pocket.