Reminder: Training camp is 3 to 5 p.m. today at Olivet Nazarene University. There is no training camp scheduled for Olivet for Friday and Saturday. The team will be practicing at Soldier Field in Chicago on Friday. The event starts at 5 p.m. and the practice starts at 7 p.m.
By Rob Laird/The Daily Journal
Entering training camp, the Chicago Bears’ position battle at wide receiver was already quite jumbled.
After eight days of practices, things seem more unsettled than ever.
A little over a week ago, four receivers — Marty Booker, Mark Bradley, Brandon Lloyd and Rashied Davis — were thought to enter camp as contenders for the No. 1 receiver spot on the team.
Quickly, two more names emerged in Devin Hester and rookie Earl Bennett. Now, and perhaps most surprising, little-known Brandon Rideau is making his case. And that’s not even mentioning fan favorite Mike Hass, who is having a strong camp for the second year in a row.
Rideau, a 6-foot-3 receiver from the University of Kansas, has sparkled in camp once again and received several repetitions with the first team during Wednesday’s Family Night practice on Ward Field. He made a spectacular catch on the left sideline on a ball thrown by Rex Grossman.
Rideau, who also had a strong training camp last season, just missed making the team out of camp after injuring himself in the preseason. Until that point, he was in a tight competition for the final wide receiver spot on the team with Hass, who eventually won out.
Rideau spent the 2006 season on the practice squad and was on the Browns’ active roster for nine games in 2005, though he was listed as inactive in all nine of those games.
Rookie class
Rideau is still an extreme long shot to take over the top receiver spot, as is Bennett. However, both have shown during practices thus far that each wishes to be more than just an afterthought in the receiving corps.
Bennett, an undersized yet productive receiver from Vanderbilt, has been relegated mostly to the second unit, but has seemed to developed a nice rapport with both Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton due to his crisp routes and good pass-catching prowess.
“It’s the little things that counts,” Bennett said. “Coming out of your breaks quick knowing your routes. Those are things are the things that help you no matter how tall or fast you are.”
Bennett, flashing a broad smile during nearly every answer to a post-practice interview, said he has enjoyed competing with the rest of the receivers so far.
“It’s great to compete with these guys,” he said. “There’s a lot of good receivers in this corps and we’re just going out and trying to do our best.”
In his first NFL training camp, Bennett is learning to adjust to life as a professional football player, not as a student who also plays football.
“You’ll be doing football day now because it’s a job now,” he said. “We’re up at 7 a.m. and don’t end until 9 p.m. We’re up all day just playing football and learning.”
Most NFL teams keep only five or six wide receivers on the roster. Last season, the first in which Hester was listed as a receiver, the Bears kept six, something the team seems likely to do this year as well.
That could leave both Hass and Rideau on the outside looking in, though each have practice squad eligibility.
Camp notes
James “Big Cat” Williams made an appearance at camp and signed autographs before practice along with kicker Robbie Gould … A minor scrum broke out involving tight end Fontel Mines, safety Josh Gattis and linebacker Jamar Williams, but several teammates quickly intervened, stopping the tussle before it escalated … NFL officials attended the practice, including crew chief Ed Hochuli. The officials will hold meetings today with the team and the media to explain the rule changes for the 2008 season … Safety Mike Brown missed an easy interception off quarterback Kyle Orton, failing to secure a ball that hit him directly in the chest. After the ball hit the ground, Brown let out a scream, jokingly punted the football and then did 10 pushups as penance … The Bears signed tight end Matt Stone on Wednesday, just a few days after releasing him.
Injury watch
Tommie Harris sat out the practice for undisclosed reasons. Fullback Jace McKie (hamstring) also sat out, as did, safety Kevin Payne (hamstring), offensive tackle Chris Williams (back), receiver Mark Bradley, running back Garrett Wolfe and defensive end Dan Bazuin. Coach Lovie Smith suggested that none of the injuries were thought to be serious.
