Chicago Bears Preseason Roundup: Who Wants To Play QB?
Published by Bob Warja on August 18, 2010
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
Who Wants a Job?
It has been an interesting 48 hours for Bears GM Jerry Angelo and his staff, as they tried several times to land a backup QB for Jay Cutler before apparently finding a taker in former Michigan quarterback Matt Gutierrez.
Since Caleb Hanie went down with a shoulder sprain, the Bears offered contracts to (and were rejected by) Trent Green and Todd Collins.
Technically, this is just a temporary position anyway, mainly because the Bears don’t want Cutler to play extended minutes in preseason and have only rookie Dan LeFevour in camp.
Still, if the team had been able to sign a veteran with a solid track record, Mike Martz is known to prefer that to a guy like Hanie. But you can’t blame a guy for not wanting to risk getting hurt in camp without a guaranteed contract in place.
Meanwhile, Brett Basanez and Mike Teel are both unavailable after receiving injury settlements from the Bears.
So enter Mr. Gutierrez, who, if signed today, will have just a few precious days to pick up Martz’s complicated offense, as he will likely see playing time Saturday night against the Raiders.
Given that Gutierrez was on the verge of joining the UFL’s Omaha Nighthawks before the Bears called, you’d have to assume that he is excited for the opportunity.
Hanie’s injury may be a blessing to LeFevour, whose workload has greatly increased in practice, though he threw six picks in Monday’s practice.
Major Wright is Right Again
Bears rookie safety Major Wright had his fractured left index finger surgically repaired and is back with the team in practice. Coach Lovie Smith reiterated that the team has not ruled him out for the season opener, though that seems like wishful thinking to me.
Wright showed promise in his first game before hurting the finger, and he could be a valuable piece in the Bears otherwise very shaky safety situation.
Fullbacks Need Not Apply
Unlike previous years when the Bears reserved a roster spot for a blocking fullback, under the Martz offense a fullback is not required.
After the release of Jason McKie in March, the Bears now technically have two fullbacks on the roster, Will Ta’ufo’ou and Eddie Williams.
But both are long shots to make the team, as the Bears might decide to keep just four tight ends and no fullbacks on the final 53-man roster.
Brian Iwuh Impresses Lovie in Camp
If the Bears keep seven linebackers on the final roster as expected, one of those spots could go to Brian Iwuh, who returned to practice Monday after suffering a knee injury and ankle sprain on the fifth day of training camp.
Iwuh has impressed Lovie Smith in practice and had two of the six picks against LeFevour on Monday.
But it’s his play on special teams that will likely earn Iwuh a spot on the team. In four seasons with Jacksonville, Iwuh recorded 61 special-teams tackles.
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