CHICAGO -- Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler began working out with a handful of offensive teammates on Tuesday, according to a league source.
The group, which included roughly eight skill position players, took part in a basic workout which included running routes.
"It's important," coach Lovie Smith said during an interview on ESPN when told Cutler had planned the workouts. "The skill guys can get together, but what's really important right now is all of our players are out working out."
No defensive players were present.
Players from teams such as the Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers, New York Jets and New York Giants, featuring high-profile quarterbacks, have been practicing on their own to work on such things as timing and route running. They can't practice at team facilities because of the lockout, so some have gone to colleges, while others have used high school facilities.
The workouts were held at two undisclosed locations in the Northwest Suburbs in relative close proximity to the Bears training facility in Lake Forest.
Bears backup quarterback Caleb Hanie told ESPN 1000 last week that several players were planning a workout.
"We've exchanged emails with numerous guys, just back and forth, talking about it," Hanie said Thursday on "The Waddle & Silvy Show." "But we really just want to make sure that if we do have something -- or when we do have something -- that it's very beneficial and not just a waste of time.
The NFL and its locked-out players will resume talks June 7 just days after a June 3 hearing in a federal appeals court regarding a lower court's ruling that temporarily lifted the lockout.
Jeff Dickerson covers the Bears for ESPNChicago.com and ESPN 1000.