BOURBONNAIS — Maybe after a game later this season, the Bears will be able to have a collective chuckle about all the batted passes in practice Tuesday.

That's if defensive tackle Henry Melton can tip a pass to himself and return it for a touchdown as he did during a team period, one of four interceptions for Jay Cutler. The Bears pride themselves in having an opportunistic defense and returned eight interceptions for touchdowns last season, the second-most in NFL history, but only one side got a kick out of it Tuesday.

Melton also deflected a ball at the line of scrimmage that fill-in nickel back Isaiah Frey intercepted, and defensive end Shea McClellin made one of the most impressive plays of training camp, leaping to snare an interception on a screen attempt. A miscommunication between Cutler and Brandon Marshall led to a ball sailing directly to free safety Chris Conte in 7-on-7 drills.

It was the deflected balls at the line that had the offense upset. The pass rush isn't live, and the Bears don't want linemen piling up around the feet of the quarterback. So the defensive linemen pull up, and when they do, they're not in a natural position to be knocking down balls.

In a game, defensive linemen wouldn't be stopping to swat balls; they would be bearing down on Cutler. On short drops, the offensive linemen are not cutting the defenders, allowing them to stay on their feet and jump — another thing that should not happen regularly in a game.

"The rule was you are allowed to put your arms up as long as you don't jump," Melton said. "So if we get a tipped ball, it's game-like. I'm going to keep doing it. (Cutler) never likes when I do it. I tell him every morning I am going to get a couple, just to make him mad."

Cutler was peeved after an uneven practice for the offense, but McClellin's play was simply a great read by the defender and had nothing to do with any unwritten rule about linemen going for balls.

"I think we need to remind them again," Cutler said. "The passing lanes … usually the linemen are not there.

"A few batted balls, it's frustrating offensively because it's probably not going to happen in a game, but got to battle through it and we know we're going to the right guy, going to the right spot, just we're getting tipped here and there. Couple bad decisions, but like I said, it's camp and we just have to keep working on the things we're struggling with and keep doing all the good things."

Said offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer: "One of our rules is really don't bat a ball in practice. So guys get excited and they can't help but put their hands up and swat at them. You live with it and you go on to the next play."

The exhibition season begins Friday at Carolina, and that will provide a glimpse of where things stand. Coach Marc Trestman has not revealed a game plan for using his starters, but left tackle Jermon Bushrod (right calf) is iffy and projected swing tackle Jonathan Scott (right knee) seems unlikely to play.

Scott was out again Tuesday following his return to individual drills Monday after a six-day layoff. Scott has swelling in the knee, and it's possible he'll be headed for arthroscopic surgery with the goal of getting back before the regular season.

If those two are out, how long would Trestman want Cutler to have Eben Britton, a career right tackle and guard, protecting his blind side? Probably not long, and it's not like Cutler has elaborate goals for his first appearance.

"Just getting in and out of the huddle, make sure everyone has their assignment down and just run the plays like they're drawn up," he said. "It will be good to get out there with this group and hear the calls in my helmet and just go through the process."

Getting it all sorted out doesn't happen immediately. Even Cutler and Marshall were miffed at one another on the field — not something you expect to see often.

"We'll have a talk after practice and get back on the same page," Cutler said. "It's a long camp. Today didn't go exactly our way, but that's how it is. We have to rebound and fix the problem and keep it going."

Whether the linemen are knocking down passes or not.

bmbiggs@tribune.com

Twitter @BradBiggs