article
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2009-05-18T14:50:00-04:00
Playerpress
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<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">This past weekend in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Chicago</st1:city></st1:place>, the Bears held their annual Expo on Sunday at Soldier Field. It gives the fans a chance to see the inner shells of Soldier Field such as the player’s locker room. It also gives the fans a chance to meet their favorite players, get some autographs, and ask questions of the Bears brass as well.</p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Bears president and CEO Ted Phillips told fans that the acquisitions of Cutler, Pro Bowl tackle Orlando Pace and others have established an unprecedented buzz.</p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">“I think we’re expecting about 5,000 fans,” Phillips said. “It’s incredible. People were lining up at 5:30 this morning to get in at 10 a.m. It’s our chance to give back, show them a little insider information. They love the autographs. I think we have more players this year, current and alumni, than we’ve ever had. That’s a tribute to our team, too, that they get it. They understand what the fans are and what it’s all about, so we appreciate that.”</p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">“The energy level in the office, the players, the coaches, the staff, after what we’ve done in the offseason has never been at a higher level in the 26 years I’ve been with the club,” Phillips said. “We can’t wait for the season to get started and I’m sure you can’t either.”</p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">To no ones surprise, quarterback Jay Cutler received a vigorous ovation when he was introduced to the crowd. Cutler’s presence helped make the Bears Expo a tremendous<span style=""> </span>success this year.</p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Even though Cutler-mania has encompassed Bears fans, the biggest question that came up concerns who he will be throwing the ball too.</p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">During Q&A sessions with Bears general manager Jerry Angelo and head coach Lovie Smith, an enthusiastic crowd raised many concerns concerning the Bears inexperienced group of wide receivers. Nevertheless, Angelo unflinchingly defended the team’s current receivers.</p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“We like our receivers,” Angelo said. “Our receiving corps will not be the weak link of our football team. If things don’t materialize the way we want on offense, I don’t feel that it’s going to be because we felt like we shorted ourselves at the receiver position.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Angelo stated that converted cornerback Devin Hester will “take another step,” and last years third-round draft pick, Earl Bennett, will excel during his second season with the Bears.</p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Even though Bennett did not get many opportunities to contribute last season, the Bears are counting on him a lot this season. The 6-foot, 203-pound receiver is the very tough SEC conference’s all-time receiving leader with 236 receptions. As a freshman, his quarterback was no other then Jay Cutler. Needless to say, Bennett’s best overall season came as a freshman with Cutler behind center and he is thrilled that Cutler is now the Bears quarterback.</p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">“He has had an awesome offseason,” said coach Lovie Smith. “He was pretty excited having his old quarterback become a Bear. But he is a good football player. Sometimes as rookies you don’t really get an opportunity to prove what you can do. But we saw him improve a lot the latter part of last season and we’ve seen the same things right now, and I think he’s a guy that will come onto the scene and everyone will like quite a bit.”</p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Angelo also stressed that tight ends Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark, along with running back Matt Forte, are all key contributors in the Bears passing game. Forte led the Bears last year with 63 receptions, while tight ends Olsen and Clark contributed with 95 pass receptions for 941 yards and 6 touchdowns.</p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Angelo officially stated that the Bears did in fact discuss a trade with the Arizona Cardinals prior to the draft concerning disgruntled wide receiver Anquan Boldin. However, after offering the Cardinals a second round draft pick and getting turned down, they drafted three receivers during the draft with Juaquin Iglesias in the third round, Johnny Knox in the fifth round and Derek Kinder in the seventh round. All three of these receivers made very good impressions on the staff at the Bears rookie camp following the draft with their catching ability, route running, and overall speed.</p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The Bears will definitely have lots of receiver competition in training camp. Besides Devin Hester and Earl Bennett, they have veteran receiver Rashied Davis, along with Devin Aromashodu, John Broussard, Eric Peterman, and Brandon Rideau on the roster.</p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Granted, none of them are household names around the league, however, competition always brings out the best in people, especially pro athletes eyeing a roster spot in the NFL.</p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">If anything, it should be an intense battle throughout OTA’s and training camp. I feel good that the cream will rise to the top and make some surprising contributions this season. Especially with a pro bowl quarterback throwing the pill. <span style=""> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Even though the Bears are always looking to improve their roster and the possibly of adding a veteran receiver could still happen sometime before training camp, they feel that with a quarterback the caliber of Jay Cutler, that it is not a high priority necessity at this point and time.</p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">“If we go to camp with the hand we’re dealt right now, we feel very confident about it,” GM Jerry Angelo said. “Really it starts with the quarterback.”</p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I am still under the notion that the quarterback makes the receivers, not the other way around. Good quarterbacks make wide receivers better with more notoriety by getting them the ball on a consistent basis. Good receivers do not make bad quarterbacks better, just ask Randy Moss about his time with the Oakland Raiders.</p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Since being acquired by the Bears on April 2<sup>nd</sup>, Cutler has been working hard and has not missed any of the Bears offseason workouts and he will also be on the field this Wednesday when the Bears hold the first of 14 scheduled OTA workouts.</p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">“Jay has been everything we wanted him to be, becoming a leader in the locker room, showing up for voluntary offseason workouts every day,” Smith said. “We’re getting a lot of great work done, but we’re anxious to get to this next phase.”</p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">“Jay has a track record,” Smith said. “He’s mobile. He has a strong arm and he’s the type of guy that you can believe in, and that’s what I’ve seen. He’s had a chance to work with our receivers, our running backs and just our entire football team, and he’s making the entire team a lot better right now.”</p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Cutler has been working with all the receivers in workouts so far and not only has he liked what he has seen, but his presence has also stepped up the abilities of the receivers as well.</p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Even with the addition of Cutler, coach Lovie Smith was persistent in stating that the Bears will not dramatically change their blueprint for success. </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“I don’t think anything will change as far as our philosophy on winning football games,” Smith told reporters. “We have to be able to play great defense; not good defense, great defense. And we plan on doing that. Special teams are a big part of what we do, and then the offensive part comes into play. Most fans and most people in general want to know exactly how the offense will do, and we plan on winning games with our offense too.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The exhilaration with Bears fans that was produced by the Cutler trade is obviously creating commanding expectations.</p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">“The expectations are very high and rightfully so,” Smith said. “Any quarterback in the NFL, especially a quarterback here in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Chicago</st1:city></st1:place>, there are big shoes to fill and Jay came here knowing all of that. But you can’t worry about all that. He just has to do what he’s done all his life; play great football at the quarterback position, and we expect him to do that.”</p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Is it September yet?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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2009-05-18T14:50:00-04:00
bears-like-the-receivers-they-have
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Bears like the Receivers They Have!
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Bears like the Receivers They Have!
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