Responding to absences, Fox says mincamp voluntary

The handful of Bears who weren't at Tuesday's first voluntary minicamp practice were more notable than the many who were.

Three former Pro Bowl players; running back Matt Forte, tight end Martellus Bennett and defensive tackle Jeremiah Ratliff skipped the workout at Halas Hall.

Asked specifically about Forte, new head coach John Fox said: "It's voluntary. I know where he is, I know what his thoughts are, (but) I'm not going to share them with the world.

"I prefer he'd be here, just like any player, but I understand this is the offseason, and when guys got things that they have to take care of or maybe commitments that they've made, this is the time to do it, they can't be doing it in season."

Forte answered critics who suggested he was angling for a new contract with an Instagram of himself doing speed training and said he wasn't "holding a grudge."

Fox had essentially the same response when asked about Bennett and Ratliff.

This week's minicamp is the first of two the Bears are allowed, one more than usual because they have a new coaching staff.

Linebackers Jon Bostic (back), Willie Young (Achilles) and Lamarr Houston (knee) were at Halas Hall but did not practice.

Under scrutiny:

Veteran defensive lineman Ray McDonald was cut by the San Francisco 49ers last season after a pattern of unfortunate incidents, but he was signed by the Bears after he flew to Chicago to make his case for another chance.

McDonald, a nine-year veteran and impact player on the 49ers' outstanding 3-4 defenses, was arrested on charges of felony domestic violence in August but not charged. Four months later, an accusation of sexual assault punched his ticket out of the Bay Area. He has not been charged or cleared in that case.

"I was honest with them," McDonald said of his talks with the Bears that included chairman George McCaskey. "I told him what happened, and you see that I'm here now, so that should say it all." Not by a longshot. McDonald knows he will be under the microscope.

"I had two incidents as to where I feel like I didn't do anything wrong," McDonald said. "But still it's in the spotlight. It was in the national spotlight for quite some time. I'm just trying to move forward from it. I'm a Bear now, and I'm here to try to help this team win football games.