LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Chicago Bears’ offense — especially the first team — has looked disjointed in the early portions of training camp. That’s not a judgment or an extrapolation about the future or anything like that. It’s just a fact.

Quarterback Caleb Williams has had more bad moments than good to this point. Again, fact. Head coach Ben Johnson contextualized it a bit Saturday, providing depth to the discussion about a quarterback who’s learning an offense that requires precision in technique and timing.

“He’s always been very comfortable as a shotgun quarterback going back to college and even last year,” Johnson said in a pre-practice press conference. “He’s very comfortable in a two-minute setting. He’s very comfortable with tempo-type plays, and so now we’re asking him to be a little bit more structured in terms of the play calls. Sometimes there’s multiple calls.

“You know, there’s shifts, there’s motions, there’s a lot more going on mentally than probably there’s ever been for him. And so at some point, this thing will start slowing down, and he’s going to be able to catch up and his physical ability will take over from there, but right now, because mentally it is what it is, he’s playing a little bit slower than what he’s capable of.”

What Johnson said must factor into the evaluation process playing out in camp. He also was quick to point out that not every offensive error is on the quarterback, though the first team is struggling with the basics more than others.

It still wasn’t a major deal to the Bears, who have seen improvement but are demanding far more.

“We’re not frustrated at all,” Johnson said. “We’re right where we need to be.”

Johnson spoke before Saturday’s practice. What came after that wasn’t perfect, but it was a far better first-team offense that what we’ve seen before. Third-down work was the central focus of team drills, and the first-team offense was sort of OK.

Williams put it together, though, in a two-minute end-of-half scenario. He worked the ball down the field with smart, short passes to Olamide Zaccheaus and Cole Kmet, and also had a signature arching jump-throw to D’Andre Swift for a big gain. He finished the drive with a quick pass to Rome Odunze on the left for a touchdown.

“It was just an up-and-down play, kind of quick, 1-on-1 man out there,” Odunze said. “Caleb gave me a shot, (and) I was able to execute the ball. Obviously need to continue to build that and have that as a weapon in our offense — something that I did a lot in college as well. So, just building that connection, which I think we’ll show this year.”

Colston Loveland ramps up

Bears rookie tight end Colston Loveland participated in team drills for the first time, working with the first and second units in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills, including a few run plays in which he had to crash into the mix.

The No. 10 overall draft pick’s first reception in a team setting came on a Caleb Williams pass in the left flat. Loveland ran smooth routes and showed no signs of setback from his shoulder injury as he worked through the practice.

Loveland wasn’t used as much as fellow first-team tight end Cole Kmet, but having him back at this point is a major step forward, leaving him plenty of time to find great sync with Williams. That’s a plus for the Bears’ offense, as it adds to their litany of threats in the pattern.

“He’s been great, you know,” Odunze said of Loveland in his post-practice press conference. “Great in the locker room, he’s been great in the meeting room, I’m sure. The guy’s on the field doing everything possible he can.

“He wanted to get back on the field, and now that’s getting the good reps in, it’s been awesome to see. Great hands, very agile, can block. He’s got everything you desire in a tight end. So, really looking forward to his development in the years ahead.”

Injury updates

The offensive line suffered two in-practice setbacks. Left tackle Kiran Amegadjie left the field after being banged up, slowly walking with a trainer to the locker room. Amegadjie was sharing first-team time with Braxton Jones as part of an ongoing position battle — Ozzy Trapilo is involved there, too — when he was hurt.

Center Doug Kramer Jr. went down a little while later, and he came up grabbing his lower left leg and seemed to have a tough time putting pressure on it. He also went to the locker room with a trainer. Kramer primarily had been the second-unit center, with rookie Luke Newman behind him.

Rookie wide receiver Luther Burden didn’t practice, either, but Johnson said he’s hopeful the No. 39 overall pick will be back soon.

No other players returned to action, with two rookies — defensive lineman Shemar Turner (ankle) and cornerback Zah Frazier (personal) — still out. 

Practice notes

Jones participated in team drills for the first time following a scheduled rest day, working with both the first and second teams but never for many reps in a row. Trapilo generally worked with the third team, but he took over the second-team reps with Amegadjie went out. … The Bears worked a ton on third downs, with mixed offensive results. Rookie RB Deion Hankins made two nice catches for long gains, though he also was stripped of the football by Jonathan Ford and managed to recover his own fumble. Rookie RB Kyle Monangai continually shows an ability to weave through traffic, and did so again after a short pass from Williams. … RT Darnell Wright was given a rest day, and Theo Benedet took over for him on the first team.