Sutton makes the grade with Chicago Bears coach Fox

When training camp began, 2014 third-round draft pick Will Sutton was potentially a man without a position.

Drafted to be a 3-technique tackle in a 4-3 defense, Sutton seemed miscast in the Bears' 3-4.

But Sutton's 3 tackles against the Cincinnati Bengals in Game 3 were second among linemen trailing only tackle Ego Ferguson, who was selected one round before him last year. Sutton's 9 tackles through the first three preseason games were third among all Bears and first among the linemen.

"I think Will had a good camp," coach John Fox said. "I wasn't really too sure what to expect from anybody being new and being a new staff. So we just evaluate and do our best to pick the best players. And I think he's proven that he's moved up the depth chart. They get rewarded on how they perform."

Sutton's reward Thursday night was that he didn't have to play.

Tunnel vision:

Potential is a major reason Kyle Long was drafted in the first round (20th overall), since he started just five games at Oregon.

But it's a word that means little to the 6-foot-6, 328-pound guard, who has made it to the Pro Bowl in each of his first two seasons.

"I hate the word potential," Long said after practice earlier in the week. "When we go in here after lunch and we look at this film, that's really what I'm concerned with - what you put on tape.

"I had a terrible showing last week against the Bengals. It was uncharacteristic of me. I couldn't get going. I think I'm speaking for a lot of us when I say that."

Long also prefers not to look back.

"If you look in the rearview too long, you're going to run into something in front of you," he said. "If you look too far down the road, you'll run into something (right) in front of you. I try to focus on the next little dotted yellow line on the road and take it one at a time."

The waiting game:

Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery suffered what was described as a "day-to-day" calf injury in a walk-through Aug. 11, five days before the Bears left training camp in Bourbonnais.

He missed the entire preseason, but coach John Fox is more interested in getting the Pro Bowl receiver and his many skills back for the start of the regular season. Fox didn't need a preseason game to see what Jeffery adds to the offense.

"I saw a guy who's a big target and has a way of separating that's a little bit unique," Fox said. "He's a good ball-getter, both underneath and deep. He's a guy we've missed in the preseason.

"But the whole goal of the preseason is getting guys to the regular season because that's when they start really keeping score."

Jeffery played catch with teammates before Thursday night's game, but he was not observed doing any running.

Quick study:

Pro Bowl tight end Martellus Bennett stayed away from all of the optional off-season work in a failed bid to get a new deal just halfway through his four-year, $20.4 million contract.

But Bennett doesn't appear to have missed a beat in adapting to the new offense. Through the first three preseason games Bennett led the Bears with 11 catches and 94 receiving yards.

"He's a pretty good physical specimen to both block and run routes," coach John Fox said of the 6-foot-6, 273-pound Bennett. "Marty's been outstanding. He didn't get all of our off-season, but he's a guy who's picked up the offense quickly. I think he's adapting to our new schemes and doing a very good job."

Taking a pass:

Among the non-starters who did not play Thursday was undrafted rookie wide receiver AJ Cruz, who left Tuesday's practice with a foot injury and was wearing a protective boot on the sidelines.

Quarterback Jimmy Clausen (concussion), rookie nose tackle Eddie Goldman (concussion), linebackers Sam Acho (knee) and Jon Bostic (ankle) and cornerback Tracy Porter (hamstring) also did not play.

Veteran backup tight end Zach Miller also did not play, as Bear Pascoe and Dante Rosario started in a two-tight end formation.