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Chicago Bears: Backup RT Aaron Gibson, who was replacing injured starter Marc Colombo, missed another practice Tuesday because of a swollen right knee. An MRI showed no serious damage, but even when Gibson returns, he likely will be limited to one practice a day. Right now, third-stringer Steve Edwards is the starter. The timetable on the return of Colombo is constantly changing and a player of Gibson's weight can't be counted on to play with a nagging knee injury. The Bears are hoping that Colombo can return from the dislocated kneecap he suffered last year in time to start the regular season, or there could be trouble on the offensive line.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: G Jason Whittle, who came over from the New York Giants as a free agent, participated in his initial practice Tuesday. Whittle fractured his right leg May 2 during minicamp. He worked out lightly Tuesday morning in shorts, riding the bike in the afternoon. "I did a little individual work with the offensive line,'' Whittle told the Tampa Tribune, "just to get back in the groove. Obviously, I'm not 100 percent.'' Whittle expects to play in the final two preseason games ...CB Ronde Barber returned to practice after being held out of the preseason opener because of a swelling right knee. Barber had off-season surgery on the same knee, but didn't seem to favor it in practice.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Four different kickers were employed by the club last year, and right now it looks as if a fifth different kicker currently has the inside track on starting the season opener. Undrafted free agent Seth Marler is listed as the starting kicker on the depth chart released by the coaching staff Tuesday. Marler, a rookie from Tulane, has exhibited the most leg strength between incumbent Danny Boyd and James Tuthill, but he doesn't have the job sewn up yet. "Those guys are battling, and it's still wide open," coach Jack Del Rio told the Florida Times-Union.

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