July 29, 2007

Bears showcase offensive weapons

By Rob Laird

rlaird@daily-journal.com
815-937-3390

Thousands of fans showed up at Olivet Nazarene University wanting to see some excitement during Saturday night's practice at Ward Field.

The Bears' offense did its best to give the fans what they wanted.

The unit once again showcased its two newest weapons in rookie tight end Greg Olsen and first-year offensive player Devin Hester.

"Those guys make us faster," coach Lovie Smith said. "We have a long way to go, but I like where we are at this stage."

The two both caught numerous passes in an 11-on-11 drill at the end of the workout.

On one series, Hester ran a slant pattern and found a soft spot in the defense, where Rex Grossman found him in stride. Hester made the catch and then showcased his blazing speed in turning the corner down the left sideline.

On the next play, Olsen found himself in a one-on-one situation with safety Adam Archuleta. Archuleta, known more for his run-stopping and tackling prowess than for his cover skills, did his best to stay with Olsen, who was running a fade. However, the taller Olsen was able to bring down the catch with an athletic leap.

* * *

Hester had an adventurous workout.

In the 11-on-11 drill, he slipped on the Ward Field turf, but was able to make a nice catch from flat on his back.

Earlier, during a drill that pitted wide receivers one-on-one against cornerbacks, Hester was paired against Danieal Manning, another player in a position switch. On one rep, Hester burned Manning, but the pass was a bit underthrown and Manning recovered to disrupt the pass just enough to have it bounce out of Hester's hands.

Last year, Manning was the starting free safety for the final 14 games and lined up at that position for the first day of practice. However the team is strongly considering using him as a cornerback this year.

* * *

Smith and the coaching staff has a good problem on its hands at defensive end. The team has three Pro-Bowl caliber players in Alex Brown, Adewale Ogunleye and Mark Anderson, but only two starting positions.

Brown was apparently the odd-man out entering training camp and he auspiciously wore a T-shirt featuring Grumpy of Snow White and Seven Dwarves to move-in day.

On Saturday, however, he was with the first unit, starting on the right side. When Anderson entered, Brown then replaced Ogunleye on the left.

* * *

The Bears had their first bout with the injury bug. Defensive tackle Antonio Garay and running back Garrett Wolfe (hamstring) both suffered minor injuries during the morning practice. Neither is expected to miss much time, though no exact timetable was given for their returns.