NorthIowaToday.com

Founded in 2010

News & Entertainment for Mason City, Clear Lake & the Entire North Iowa Region

Bears poised for big production from receivers this season

By Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune –

CHICAGO — No longer will wide receiver be an afterthought in the Bears’ offense.

There’s really no other way to summarize the lack of performance from the position since Marty Booker departed in a 2004 trade leaving the memory of a single Pro Bowl season.

Perhaps you rolled your eyes when you heard what former offensive coordinator Mike Martz used to say about the Bears receivers and the grandiose predictions he made.

But Brandon Marshall should be able to deliver in a big way this season now that the physically-imposing pass-catcher is reunited with quarterback Jay Cutler and the Bears have their first legitimate No. 1 receiver in about forever. Bold predictions are not needed.

Matt Forte led the offense in receptions last season with 52 despite missing the final four games. That’s more of an indictment of the other skill players on offense than it is a testament to his versatility.

Johnny Knox and Roy Williams tied with 37 receptions, the lowest production for the team’s leading wide receiver since Willie Gault had 35 in 1987. That season was shortened to 15 games because of a strike.

In 2010, Knox and Forte tied for the team lead with 51 receptions. In 2009, tight end Greg Olsen, yet to make a Pro Bowl, was tops with 60 receptions. In 2008, Devin Hester was the only wide receiver among the top four on the team in catches along with Forte, Olsen and Desmond Clark.

The Bears have not had a 1,000-yard receiver since Booker in 2002 (1,189), the longest active streak in the NFL. The 49ers are next as Terrell Owens’ last 1,000-yard season for them was in 2003.

So, those who criticize new general manager Phil Emery for not addressing the offensive line in the draft need to consider the pressing need that was there in the second round when the club traded up five slots to 45th overall to select Alshon Jeffery out of South Carolina. Cutler long has lobbied the front office for help and with Marshall and Jeffery it’s possible the position will look totally different very soon. Consider it a request granted.

Adding another big target in the 6-foot-3 Jeffery gives the Bears two physical performers on the outside, something that has been sorely missing. The club tried to capture it with Muhsin Muhammad when he was added as a free agent in 2005, but he was on the back side of his career.

Emery has had success drafting wideouts, although it’s impossible to say how hands-on he was in the selection of Roddy White for the Falcons and Jonathan Baldwin for the Chiefs. The bottom line is he has shown he’s not afraid to make plays for playmakers and that is something Jerry Angelo seemed to shy from, especially after whiffing on Mark Bradley in the second round of the 2005 draft.

A peek ahead: There is no disputing Marshall will have a lead role in the Bears’ passing game this season and he should flourish.

He has put up big numbers with any quarterback, not just Cutler when they were paired with the Broncos. That’s what makes 167 receptions for 2,228 yards and nine touchdowns over the last two seasons in Miami so impressive. The Dolphins have been experiencing the kind of quarterback carousel those who follow the Bears know all too well.

What remains to be seen is how the receiver group will stack up after Marshall. This is something worth watching in detail during training camp at Olivet Nazarene University and in exhibitions.

Everyone talked up Hester during the offseason about how he has improved and has been making plays. Maybe it’s an annual thing where people sort of forget about Earl Bennett.

Chances are good those two could wind up with similar playing-time statistics when the season is over. Both probably will see time in the slot, and you could see Marshall there as well as the Bears will seek to move him all over the field to create matchups they prefer.

Hester should be at his best in the slot but he hasn’t proven dynamic in that role yet. Bennett, at least before Marshall’s arrival, was the player Cutler trusted most. Maybe Bennett will remain that guy. According to Pro Football Focus, Marshall had 14 dropped passes last season, exceeded only by the Falcons’ Roddy White with 15 and White had 19 more receptions for the season. Marshall had 95 catchable passes thrown his way and had 81 receptions, meaning he dropped 14.7 percent of catchable passes. Yes, interpreting these statistics is somewhat subjective and there isn’t a perfect system for tracking drops but it’s something that has dogged Marshall.

Bennett seems poised for a breakout season. He got a big pay day when the Bears signed him to a four-year extension, with $9 million guaranteed, Dec. 2. Bennett has more flexibility to play inside now and has proven tough over the middle even though he missed five games after a big hit from Saints safety Roman Harper in Week 2 a year ago. He’s elusive enough to get deep down the seams and could put it all together in his fifth season. His best season was 2009, when he caught 54 passes for 717 yards.

How things shake out after the top three will be interesting. Barring rapid improvement by Knox since the offseason program concluded in mid-June, it’s difficult to imagine he will be cleared to participate in training camp. He’s still rehabilitating from surgery after the gruesome back injury he suffered against the Seahawks last season. It’s unlikely he will play this season.

All eyes will be on Jeffery. But, remember, rookie wide receivers can be slow integrating into offenses. Consider Jeffery left South Carolina a year early, and that could add to his developmental time. But he should get on the field and be an asset in the red zone, something the team focused on when scouting him.

Eric Weems was signed to help on special teams and can work in some packages, likely in the slot. With the Falcons, he didn’t do a lot on offense but he did play on 24 percent of their offensive snaps last season. Plus, he’s shifty and explosive.

Thus five receivers are virtual locks to make the roster. If the Bears keep a sixth, he will come from a crowded field.

Devin Thomas was signed to a minimum-salary benefit deal. He has proven to be solid on special teams but never really panned out as a receiver since the Redskins selected him in the second round. Dane Sanzenbacher was a Cutler favorite for a while last season but drops plagued the rookie’s season and he doesn’t have a role on special teams yet. Undrafted rookie Brittan Golden flashed a lot of speed during the offseason program and could be worth watching.

Glass half-full: The Bears could catch up to the times with their first 1,000-yard wide receiver since 2002 and Marshall, who was the Pro Bowl MVP after last season, may get to return to Hawaii for an encore performance. Bennett and Hester could combine for 100 receptions and Jeffery could do enough to look poised for a starting role in 2013.

Glass half-empty: The Dolphins didn’t trade Marshall for two third-round draft picks as much as they dumped him. Make no mistake here, they wanted nothing more to do with him despite the production and the Dolphins became the second franchise to bail on him.

The Bears are adamant they have done exhaustive background work on Marshall and we’re talking about his fit in the locker room and on the field as much as anything, not the long list of off-field issues that have plagued him.

If issues surface here, it’s going to be hard to envision a long-term solution no matter how productive Marshall is. If he fails, the Bears are just about back where they were, pinning future hopes for the position on a second-round pick.

Bottom line: Cutler finally has the weapons the Bears need to get him back to about 2010. This is a good start in a division that has receiving stars already in place with the Lions and Packers.

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Even more news:

Watercooler

Need help with your website?
Call your local professional,
Breakthrough Web Design:
515-897-1144
or go to
BreakthroughWebDesign.com

Copyright 2024 – Internet Marketing Pros. of Iowa, Inc.
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x