As Bears camp moves on, McPhee continues his rehab

Other than the occasional sighting at the cafeteria, outside linebacker, Pernell McPhee has been conspicuous by his absence from training camp, as he continues to rehab from arthroscopic knee surgery.

"That's because he's not healthy," coach John Fox said. "When his knee's healthy, obviously he'll be more impactful when he's out here. We saw a bit of that a year ago, and we're trying to get back to that."

McPhee attends meetings and works with trainers away from the practice field. But there appears to be a good chance McPhee will not play in the preseason.

Looking on the bright side, Bears general manager Ryan Pace says that, other than not being able to practice or play, McPhee showed up at camp in "really good shape and at a really good weight (upper 270s)."

"We've just got to acclimate himself into football activities," Pace said. "I know he's been working hard over the summer, so that's very encouraging."

Especially after knee surgery, the 6-foot-3 McPhee, who has played at up to the 290-pound range in the past, should benefit from carrying less weight.

"Naturally he's a bigger guy," Pace said. "Naturally, he can get big. I just think the lighter you are, the less pressure on your knees. He's always going to be strong. We just feel if he can play in the 270s, he's going to be quicker, better on his knee and still maintain the same power."

Moeaki looking good:

With No. 1 tight end Zach Miler going through concussion protocol, coaches have more opportunities to evaluate a large group of backups jockeying for position behind the starter.

"It's huge," coach John Fox said. "You get sick of hearing it, but I'm going to keep using it, and that's 'Next man up.' It's the old Wally Pipp story. Everybody starts off a nobody. Sometimes you don't know that until they get the opportunity. So it gives you a chance to look at other guys, and we don't wait for anybody."

Among the leading contenders behind Miller, the one with the most NFL experience is former Wheaton-Warrenville South standout Tony Moeaki, who has made his presence felt as a pass catcher in early practices. The 6-foot-3, 250-pounder was a third-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2010, when he had his best season, catching 47 passes for 556 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Moeaki has just 11 catches in the past three seasons, but they've accounted for 192 yards (17.5-yard average) and 2 TD catches.

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