Earl Bennett Looks To Grow from a Cub to a Bear in 2009

Written by Mike Summa of Bleacherreport.com

To many, it was like he was not even on the roster.

Throughout 2008 and into the offseason, many Chicago Bears fans have speculated about the absence of third-round rookie pick Earl Bennett.

The Vanderbilt superstar set numerous SEC receiving records, but during his rookie season in the NFL, Bennett did not catch a single pass and saw little offensive playing time.

Not knowing what to make of the it, fans have been speculating about the situation ever since the lack of talent at wide receiver grew from a hot topic to a raging inferno late last season.

Some fans feel the Bears are such poor evaluators of offensive talent that they overlooked Bennett and were more awe-struck by guys like Marty Booker and Rashied Davis.

Others say Bennett did something to anger the coaching staff.

But it was Bennett himself who cleared the air this week in a Chicago Tribune article.

"I struggled [learning] the plays last year," Bennett said Wednesday. "I was lethargic because of it. It probably took me until Week 6, Week 7 to pick them up.

"Toward the end, I started grasping the concepts. Once you put things aside and just play, you can play a lot faster."

The Bears are very thin at wide receiver at this point.

With veterans Brandon Lloyd and Marty Booker out of the picture, the up-to-speed Bennett has been working with counterpart Devin Hester in this week's veteran mini camp, the team's first set of organized activities this off season.

Hester, Bennett, and Davis are currently the team's top three receivers, along with longtime practice squad enigma Brandon Rideau, former Indianapolis Colt Devin Aromashodu, and reserve/futures contract signee John Broussard.

Further depth will likely be filled through next month's draft and the post-draft free agent market, but the coaching staff has promised a more prominent role for Bennett in 2009.

Then again, the same was also said about the injury-prone Mark Bradley during every offseason he spent in a Bears uniform.

Bears sign WR

According to ESPN.com, the Bears signed wide receiver Devin Aromashodu off the Washington Redskins' practice squad.

Devin Aromashodu took the roster spot of Dusty Dvoraceck, who officially went on the injured reserve today.

Devin Aromashodu won a Super Bowl ring with the Indianapolis Colts.

Devin Aromashodu was originally drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the 7th round of the 2006 draft out of Auburn.

He had 71 receptions, 1,333 yards receiving, and nine touchdowns with the Auburn Tigers. (2002-2005)

He is a 6'2" wide receiver, who weighs about 200 pounds.

Last year he saw his first action of his career, where he appeared in six games and caught seven passes for 96 yards for the Colts.

He has also been apart of the Houston Texans and Washington Redskins practice squads.

Maybe, this means the Bears are fed up with the production of Rashied Davis, Marty Booker and Brandon Lloyd.

Booker left last game with bruised ribs, and there was no update on his status for Thursday's nights' game.


Booker on possibility of playing Thursday night:

`This game here, I would say, will be a game-time decision, but we don't know. Definitely I'll probably only sit out one game.''

``I knew it [was cracked] as soon as I did it, Sunday night was unbelievable. I didn't get any sleep. I'm still having trouble sleeping. But I'm able to move around. Yesterday, I was like Frankenstein. But today, I'm able to move around a little bit better.''

Rashied Davis has dropped more balls, than he has caught in the last three games and Brandon Lloyd is flat out invisible.

They need to give Earl Bennett and Brandon Rideau a shot because besides Devin Hester they have no receivers.

I think Rideau will be active for this game, if Booker can't go.

Rideau is 6'3" and looked to be a weapon during the pre-season.

Why sign Devin Aromashodu?

Maybe, this Devin Aromashodu guy is pretty good.

Hopefully!

We need him to help Kyle Orton and the offense out.

Mike Hass Signed to Practice Squad

The Bears re-signed receiver Mike Hass to their practice squad.

Hass, who was caught in a numbers game during final cuts, had a tryout scheduled with the New York Giants.

Earl Bennett will likely suit up if Brandon Lloyd can't go and if Marty Booker can't play look for Brandon Rideau to get some time as well.

Bears Release WR Mark Bradley

The Chicago Bears have announced the release of former second-round pick WR Mark Bradley today.

Bradley was injured in his first two years, from 2005-2006. He injured his knee, ankle, and ACL in the time span.

Last season Bradley played in 15 games, catching just six passes for 71 yards and one touchdown. He primarily played on the special teams.

I always thought Bradley had the big play ability, but I guess the Bears didn't see that.

DT Tommie Harris, who is coming back from knee surgery, didn't agree with his former teammate's release.

"I don't feel like he had a fair chance," Harris said. "I feel like he just had his job taken from him. You know how it goes: He had a knee surgery, then he lost his job."

Bradley knew his release was coming; he thought during the preseason that he would be waived. He was surprised he even made the 53-man roster.

Harris said he had a conversation with Bradley in the preseason, where Bradley indicated he asked the team for his release.

"Mark understood that this was going to happen from the beginning," Harris said. "He asked for his release so he would have a fair chance to be on somebody else's roster. But I guess they wanted to wait until week four for whatever reason."

Bradley was inactive for the opening game against the Colts, and he played on special team against the Panthers and Buccaneers.

Bradley had 36 catches for 583 yards and four touchdowns in his three seasons with the Bears.

What's Next for Bradley?

Harris believes Bradley's future is bright.

"He's a great receiver, he'll get picked up by another team and do well," Harris said.

Harris and Bradley were teammates at the University of Oklahoma and developed a good relationship in their time together in Chicago.

What Now?

Lovie Smith said in the preseason that Bradley would have the No. 1 WR spot to start the season, but then Bradley had knee surgery and he lost his spot.

The Bears expected Bradley to take over for Muhsin Muhammad (released) and Bernard Berrian (signed with the Vikings).

Expect the Bears to promote WR Brandon Rideau from the practice squad if Devin Hester stays out of the lineup for a while.

So, Hamilton Played Against Us Four Days Ago and Now He Is on Our Team?

Yes, after spending his entire rookie season on Tampa Bay’s practice squad last year, Marcus Hamilton made his NFL debut Sunday against the Bears, recording one tackle and two pass breakups.

The seventh-round draft pick from Virginia forced the Bears to punt on their first two possessions of the second half by breaking up third-down passes intended for Brandon Lloyd and Marty Booker.

Hamilton was brought in to help a struggling secondary.

Did You Know?

Bradley's release leaves quarterback Kyle Orton as the lone member left from the Bears' 2005 draft class.

Bradley is also the second second-round pick Jerry Angelo has cut in the last month, following Dan Bazuin out the Halas Hall door.

Why Was Bradley Released?

Obviously Bradley couldn't stay healthy and when he played he struggled to keep focus. Look for the Dolphins or Seahawks to pick him up.

Bears sign Brandon Rideau and Jason Davis to practice squad

The Bears added two players to their practice squad today, signing wide receiver Brandon Rideau and fullback Jason Davis.

Brandon Rideau led the Bears in receiving in the preseason with 127 yards and three touchdowns.

In the final preseason game, Rideau caught three passes for 63 yards, scoring the Bears’ only TD on a 19-yard pass from Rex Grossman.

Rideau, who spent parts of the past two seasons on the Bears’ practice squad, was waived Saturday during final cuts.

“It was a tough thing to deal with, but I was able to stick around,” Rideau said. “I didn’t really want to move and I’m comfortable here, so I got a chance to come back and continue to do what I do.”

“I really wanted to make the team and I still feel like I have an opportunity,” Rideau said. “I’m glad they didn’t close the door for me. As long as my foot is in the door, then I can come in and take advantage.”

Davis, 5-10, 245 pounds, spent much of the last three years with the Philadelphia Eagles. He spent last season on the practice squad with the Eagles and was one of the club's final cuts on Saturday.

Chicago Bears Cut Rideau and Keep Hanie.

The Chicago Bears had to trim there roster down to 53 today and they decided to keep three quarterbacks, four running backs, and six wide receivers.

They cut one guy, who everyone thought showed great promise and it could be a huge mistake.

Brandon Rideau, has been on the Bears practice squad for a couple of years now and in four games this preseason he caught three touchdown passes.

Rideau had 127 yards in those games, he totally outplayed veteran WR Marty Booker, who in my mind was the guy to go.

The Bears are looking to establish their eight man practice squad and they better put Rideau on that list.

Rideau is a big kid at 6'3" and I hope they add him to their roster this season, if they get him through waivers.

The Bears had talks about keeping only two QB's this season, but realized rookie QB Caleb Hanie from Colorado State showed too much this preseason.

Hanie is the QB of the future for the Bears, not only does he have a decent arm, but he is athletic and he can scramble for the first down, if you need it.

Hanie combined for 29/49 on passing attempts, 321 yards through the air, three touchdowns and two interceptions.

Hanie had this to say about making the 53 man roster "After a couple of [exhibition] games, I figured I had at least a shot at making it."

"It just really depended on the numbers for me. I'm just thankful to be in this position now."

"[Coach] Lovie Smith gave me a call and said, 'Usually these calls are bad, but I just wanted to let you know you made it."

Veteran Fred Miller has been offered a one-year deal, but has yet to act on it.

Also, rookie LT Chris Williams is likely out for the season and Terrance Metcalf doesn't know how long he will be out.

The Bears have only seven offensive lineman on their roster, with John St. Clair replacing Chris Williams at LT and Josh Beekman replacing Terrance Metcalf at LG.

Aslo released to get the roster down to 53 were offensive linemen Anthony Oakley and Tyler Reed, tight end Fontel Mines, long-snapper Thomas Gafford and nine rookies in punter Zacrey Atterberry, defensive end Ervin Baldwin, tackle Cody Balogh, cornerback Trey Brown, defensive ends Joe Clermond and Nick Osborn, linebacker Joey LaRocque, guard Ryan Poles and tight end Marcus Stone.

So here is the breakdown of the Chicago Bears 2008-2009 roster in alphabetical order:

Quarterbacks (3): Rex Grossman, Caleb Hanie, Kyle Orton

Running backs (4): Matt Forte, Kevin Jones, Adrian Peterson, Garrett Wolfe

Fullbacks (1): Jason McKie

Wide receivers (6): Earl Bennett, Marty Booker, Mark Bradley, Rashied Davis, Devin Hester, Brandon Lloyd

Tight ends (3): Desmond Clark, Kellen Davis, Greg Olsen

Offensive linemen (8): Kirk Barton, Josh Beekman, Roberto Garza, Olin Kreutz, Terrence Metcalf, John St. Clair, John Tait, Chris Williams

Defensive linemen (9): Anthony Adams, Mark Anderson, Alex Brown, Dusty Dvoracek, Tommie Harris, Marcus Harrison, Israel Idonije, Adewale Ogunleye, Matt Toeaina

Linebackers (6): Lance Briggs, Hunter Hillenmeyer, Darrell McClover, Nick Roach, Brian Urlacher, Jamar Williams

Cornerbacks (5): Zackary Bowman, Corey Graham, Trumaine McBride, Charles Tillman, Nate Vasher

Safeties (5): Mike Brown, Danieal Manning, Brandon McGowan, Kevin Payne, Craig Steltz

Specialists (3): Robbie Gould, Patrick Mannelly, Brad Maynard

The Bears want to get some other veteran offensive lineman in the mix, atleast as backups, just to help out the current line, which is shaky right now.

Also, they might regret the release of Rideau, but who knows, maybe Booker will wake up and have a big game.

Taking a Look at Their Final Preseason Game

At the end of the Bears final preseason game against the Cleveland Browns, the Bears came out the winners.

The won 16-10 and held the Browns to zero points in the second half.

But, Head Coach Lovie Smith had this to say about his defense "I'm disappointed."

"The plan was to get a couple of three-and-outs and then take the players out, but it didn't turn out that way. We didn't play well. Believe me, if we could put our finger on it we would have done something about it before now. We've got a little bit more time to get it right.

"We haven't played well. That is all you can say about it. We have not made all the effort we need to play well. All the things that go into playing well, we haven't done. Once we get all our guys going, I feel we will have a very strong defense."

Starting CB Charles Tillman was aksed about the D's bad play this preseason and he had this say "If I had an answer I'd tell you right now, we have to get this cleaned up."

Keep in mind the Bears did rest two key starters on the defense, S Mike Brown and DT Tommie Harris.

They also kept G Terrance Metcalf, who has been injured for a while on the sideline and TE Desmond Clark out.

Backup G Chester Adams was injured on the last play of the first half and reportedly went out with a knee injury.

That is why they need to get Fred Miller in uniform as a backup, just to get a veteran presence in there.

Read my Fred Miller article for more info, http://bleacherreport.com/articles/52003-fred-miller-waiting-to-make-decision-with-bears.

Offensively:

On the bright side for the Bears, 3rd string QB Caleb Hanie finished the game 12/17, for 115 yards and led the Bears down the field for two field goals.

Grossman led the Bears to there only TD drive, in a 19 yard pass to Brandon Rideau.

Orton was 4/7 and threw a bad ball because John St. Clair missed his block.

P.J. Pope, who was on the practice squad last season, carried the ball eight times for 34 yards in the second half.

The last WR spot on the Bears roster could come down to Marty Booker, Mark Bradley or Brandon Rideau.

This will be a tough call because the Bears depth at WR looks like this, Brandon Lloyd, Rashied Davis, Devin Hester, Mark Bradley, Marty Booker, Brandon Rideau.

Don't forget 3rd round pick Earl Bennett from Vanderbilt.

I think Rideau and Bradley should both make the team, because last night they combined for eight catches, 105 yards and one TD.

I don't know what you do with Marty Booker, he hasn't showed much this preseason.

This will be a tough call for the Bears, but for sure you have to keep Mark Bradley, because he is the type of play maker Bernard Berrian was.

Did you know?

Because the Bears beat the Browns last night, they prevented themselves form going 0-4 in the preseason for the first time since 1998.

Good Stuff:

On a fourth and goal for the Browns in the 4th quarter the Bears Craig Steltz tipped the ball and stopped the Browns from scoring.

Before, that play S Leonard Peters, who was on the practice squad last season, forced a fumble, which was later overturned.

Also, undrafted free agent CB Trey Brown who took Cedric Benson's #32 picked off Ken Dorsey in the fourth quarter.

Lastly, the Bears K Robbie Gould looked "good as gold" last night, he kicked he made all three field goal attempts he had and his longest was a 48 yarder.

Heading into the regular season:

Cutting there roster to 53 men, is going to be tough for the Bears.

They must make there moves by Saturday.

The D is dissapointed in themselves, and they should be, they gave up an average of 25 points, 326 total yards, 161 of that on the ground per game.

If they want to be the D they were in 2006, they better step it up a couple of notches