Kyle Long remains at tackle on Day 1 of Bears' final minicamp

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Kyle Long spent the first day of the Bears’ final minicamp just where he was last week: at right tackle. Any position change won’t become close to official until training camp opens July 29, and not necessarily even then, but with the new-offense Bears seeking to give players as much work in their intended positions, the prospect of Long moving to tackle took another small step toward becoming fact.

Two-year starter Jordan Mills remained out of practice with an unspecified health issue, and left tackle Jermon Bushrod was likewise watching practice rather than participating.

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As he did at last week’s OTA’s, Charles Leno filled in at left tackle, with Long at the opposite end of the line. For what that was worth, Leno is a tackle and worked as an occasional tight end in a Bears “heavy” package last year. The Bears might in fact be still just evaluating Long at tackle, and like flexibility along the line, but Long is not going to be a swing player regardless of whether or not he can play multiple positions.

Quarterback Jay Cutler is in the process of learning the system of a fifth offensive coordinator in his six Chicago seasons. But the most difficult part of the process is less the incoming system than discarding the specifics of the one no longer in place.

"You've got to try to forget the last one as quickly as possible and just wipe the slate clean,” Cutler said on Tuesday. “Maybe I've gotten better and that over the years, maybe not. I feel great about the offense we're in right now. I know the guys like it. I know the receivers like it.”

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