The Chicago Bears Training Camp Preview: The Wide Receivers
Published by Bryan Dietzler on June 16, 2009
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
Most fans and experts would agree, heading into the Bears 2009 Training Camp, the weakest unit on this team just may be their wide receivers. This unit has just two players with starting experience, Devin Hester and Rashied Davis and of these two, Hester is still developing at the position, while Davis is notorious for dropping the ball.
The Bears other receivers have never started an NFL game, leaving some gaps and unpredictability in the Bears offense. Can they make it through the season with their current group of wide receivers?
The following is a player by player look at all of the wide receivers that the Bears are taking into training camp this summer. There is a look back at where they left off in 2008, how they have looked so far in 2009 and where they stand going into training camp in July.
Devin Hester: The great experiment to convert Hester to a wide receiver continues and he will attempt to become a more complete receiver in 2009. Hester should now be helped out by having a strong-armed and accurate quarterback in Jay Cutler who should be able to connect on those deep passes.
Right now, he is the best receiver that the Bears have on their roster right but he needs to step it up in 2009 if he plans to play the position for the long term. Hester has learned a lot in the past year that he has been playing the position and the Bears, along with their fans will hope that he ends up becoming much more productive. It’s a make or break year for Hester.
Rashied Davis: Davis is the only other player at the wide receiver position aside from Hester who has real game experience. Last year wasn’t a good year for Davis as he didn’t get into games that often and when he did, he would often drop passes at critical times. Because of this and the potential of other wide receivers, Davis may end up being the odd man out at the end of training camp.
His experience is vital to this team however and he will at least help out a little bit with the development of some of the rookies and the younger players on the roster but he just may get beat out by one of these guys before the end of training camp.
Earl Bennett: One of the happiest guys on the team (when the Bears announced that they had acquired Cutler) had to be his old teammate Bennett. The two played with one another during Bennett’s freshman year at Vanderbilt and connected on a lot of passes in college.
The Bears will hope that this old magic will return and that a Cutler-to-Bennett connection will once again be something that ends up becoming very productive. Bennett didn’t see any action in the regular season last year after a pretty decent preseason but questions still abound in regards to his accuracy to run routes and learn the offense.
If he can step up, learn the position, and play well, the Bears should have a decent and reliable receiver available. However, if he falters, it could be a big set back to the Bears and their wide receiving corps.
Brandon Rideau: Rideau has been a career practice squad player, although there are many people that feel that Rideau deserves a shot as an active wide receiver on the team.
While Rideau does have good size, he doesn’t quite have the ability that you would like to see in a starting wide receiver. His role on the team will be in question heading into training camp. With the talent ahead of him, it will be difficult for Rideau to make the squad, but the coaching staff says that everyone has a shot at making the active roster. We shall see if Rideau can hang on one more season at least and make the active roster in 2009.
Derek Kinder: It’s not likely that Kinder will be part of the Bears active roster in 2009 but will sit as a developmental player and get his chance to make the roster in 2010. Kinder has good size but is still somewhat underdeveloped and wasn’t tabbed to start right away this year as it was. He will help provide some competition in training camp but that’s about all he will do in 2009. Kinder will get a much better shot at making the roster in 2010.
Johnny Knox: Following an impressive combine where he ran faster than almost any player there, the Bears drafted Knox with hopes that he would be able to develop into a top of the line speedster. The biggest “knock” on Knox is that he played at a Division II school (Abilene Christian) and hasn’t faced some of the best competition in the nation (like some of the other receivers).
However, word from training camp is that Knox not only has great speed, but also soft hands and can run routes well enough. He may have a chance to make the active roster in 2009 and play some role this season.
Joaquin Iglesias: The Bears first offensive selection in the 2009 NFL Draft may turn out to be one of their better selections. Like any other rookie wide receiver, Iglesias has a lot to learn but he may be the most NFL-ready receiver in this rookie class.
Many believe he could contribute right away and he may have to given the dearth of talent at the position. He is a strong possession receiver and someone who could become one of the more reliable receiving prospects on this team. It will be an interesting training camp for Iglesias.
Devin Aromashod: Aromashodu was signed at the end of the 2008 season to help bring in some depth at the wide receiver position and that is just about all he may provide heading into training camp. The odds on him making the team are long, but he will get his chance to compete.
John Broussard: Broussard, like Aromashodu, will probably be on the outside looking in this summer although there are some who rave about Broussard’s skills as a pass catcher. He will have to have a great training camp if he plans to stick with the team on the active roster in 2009.
Eric Peterman: Peterman, a rookie out of Northwestern, will try to make an impact in training camp this summer. With all of the other rookie talent ahead of him, unless he shows something spectacular, he many not make the active roster in 2009. Peterman may be the best of the “lower tier” of wide receivers, and could end up on the practice squad.
As of this writing, it is not out of the question that the Bears may look at signing former New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress. Thanks to a court hearing just this Monday, it looks like it may be possible that Burress could avoid serving jail time during the 2009 NFL season so this will make him a hot commodity right now.
There are three teams interested in Burress, the Bears, the New York Jets and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Let’s see if the Bears want to roll the dice with Burress and get a strong veteran presence in at the wide receiver position.
