The Bears held their second training camp practice Sunday at Halas Hall, another non-contact session that was closed to the public. Here's what transpired:

Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron lauded quarterback Caleb Williams for gaining a firmer grasp of the offense in the weeks leading up to training camp.

"I think Caleb did a great job ending OTAs, ending that portion of the rookie segment at the end [of the offseason program] and then showing up back here at training camp a step ahead of where he left," Waldron said.

"It shows that he did a great job during his time away from the building owning the offense, understanding different calls and [being] able to come out here these first two practices and operate at a much higher level than what we left it. We know it's not where the final product is, but every day we see these incremental improvements leading up to that first game. That's our main goal on offense."

Williams looked sharp at times Sunday. In one 7-on-7 drill, he connected with tight end Cole Kmet over the middle, completed a long pass to receiver Tyler Scott and hit receiver Freddie Swain downfield. Williams later opened an 11-on-11 session by completing passes to receiver Keenan Allen, Kmet and receiver DJ Moore.

Welcome back

After missing Saturday's first practice due to a personal reason, rookie receiver Rome Odunze was eased back into action Sunday, limited to individual drills.

"It was great to have Rome back out there working his way back into it," Waldron said. "I think he's a guy that picks up right where he leaves off every single time, getting a little bit better just like Caleb did from the time off to getting back here with his knowledge of what we're doing."

Great Scott

With Odunze not participating in 7-on-7 or 11-on-11 drills, Scott made the most of expanded reps. After catching 17 passes for 168 yards last season as a rookie, the 2023 fourth-round pick from Cincinnati returns to a deeper receiver room that was bolstered in the offseason via the additions of Allen and Odunze.

"Since I've been around Tyler, he has put his head down and worked hard," Waldron said. "You can see his twitchiness, his speed that he can use to get into the defense. He has done a great job as far as his knowledge of the playbook and the system, transitioning from one offense to the next this year. He's right in the mix and making some nice plays in practice and ready to go and he'll have his shot."

Men in the middle

After Ryan Bates worked with the No. 1 offense at center Saturday, it was Coleman Shelton's turn Sunday. The two veterans are competing for the job after being acquired by the Bears during the offseason.

Asked if Williams' comfort level with the two centers would factor into the decision, Waldron said: "We've got two guys that are just great pros and have a great overall understanding of it. Caleb's got a great comfort level with either/or right there. He's at that point of the learning process where he's worried about his own area right there. As he grows and continues to learn the offense and the system, he'll have input as we go, I'm sure.

"Right now, I know both those guys have been a good help to him with their professional approach and their ability to communicate to Caleb and to Tyson [Bagent], to 'Ryp' (Brett Rypien), to Austin [Reed], to all the quarterbacks: 'What do we like, what we don't like,' from the huddle to the cadence."

Play of the day

Second-year cornerback Tyrique Stevenson produced a highlight-reel play Sunday with a sliding interception to end a two-minute drill. It was reminiscent of Stevenson's diving pick near the goal line last season against the Browns' Joe Flacco in Cleveland. As a rookie in 2023, the second-round pick tied for the Bears' lead with four interceptions.

"When he made the play [Sunday], it was awesome to see," said veteran safety Kevin Byard III. "Tyrique's a young guy who had a really good end of last year, four picks. Really excited for him this year to go out there and get some more turnovers. You just see the energy of the defensive backs and how hungry we are to go out there and make plays every single day."

Talking the talk

The DBs aren't shy about vocalizing that energy and hunger throughout practice, but their trash-talk is being volleyed back at them by an unlikely source.

First-year running backs coach Chad Morton—a former NFL player—playfully chirps at the defense, often entering their huddle during breaks in practice.

"He's actually my favorite offensive coach just because of that," Byard said. "Just the energy that he brings every single day, that's what you want. It's just fun and you need that during training camp because it gets long. You want to be able to have some fun throughout."

Asked how often Morton ventures into the defensive huddle, running back D'Andre Swift said: "Every single day. Today right before the 7-on-7, Tremaine [Edmunds] kind of looked at me like, 'Go get your coach.' He's talking to the defense, got to get those guys going. But it's cool.

"It's cool seeing a different personality like that; real energetic every single day, exciting coach to play for, going to bring that juice and energy every single day."

Morton played in 93 NFL games as a running back and return specialist with the Saints (2000), Jets (2001-02), Commanders (2003-04) and Giants (2005-06). He spent the past 15 years as an assistant coach with the Packers (2009-13) and Seahawks (2014-23).

Roster moves

The Bears on Sunday activated veteran tight end Gerald Everett off the active/non-football injury (NFI) list and signed linebacker Javin White.

White spent training camp with the Bears in 2022. He has appeared in six NFL games with the Raiders (2020-21) and Jets (2021), recording four tackles and one tackle-for-loss. The UNLV product also played for the United Football League's Michigan Panthers earlier this year.