Thread: WR Davis says Bears hinted that he'll return

WR Davis says Bears hinted that he'll return with a new deal

By Brad Biggs, Tribune reporter 2:07 p.m. CDT, July 10, 2011

Rashied Davis hasn’t had any communication with the Chicago Bears during the NFL’s lockout, that is now four months old.

But before Halas Hall became off limits to the free agent wide receiver, the veteran got enough of a hint from management to feel confident he’ll return for a seventh season with a new deal. The Bears did not attempt to re-sign Davis, who turns 32 later this month, before the 2010 season ended.


“I got a feeling from them that they will be offering me something,” Davis said Saturday when he volunteered at the free youth football camp put on at Northwestern by Position Tech. “Everything is talk until it is actually offered. It sounds good until it actually happens. I am hoping. Hopefully, I don’t have to pick my family up and move somewhere else.”

Davis has been durable during his career and has played in 16 regular season games for five consecutive years. He started to get a bigger role in Mike Martz’s offense near the end of last season although he played in only 12.3 percent of offensive snaps for the year.

Davis has been a core special teams player and has 28 tackles over the last two seasons. With so much up in the air on special teams because of free agency, it makes sense for the Bears to bring Davis back because he has an established role in the offensive scheme. The top six special teams tacklers from 2010 -- Corey Graham, Garrett Wolfe, Brian Iwuh, Davis, Rod Wilson and Josh Bullocks -- are all free agents.

“It’s a good thing I don’t have to worry about that,” Davis said. “I just have to get a contract. They’re going to have to make a decision of who is most important to keep and what they want to pay everybody. Obviously, you are going to have to try to bring some young guys along because we won’t be able to get everybody (back).”

Davis suggested the labor impasse might make some players reluctant to change organizations.

“It depends on how long this lockout goes,” he said. “No guy wants to go to a team overnight and not know anybody or the system. Really, it’s the system. Nobody wants to go and have to learn a totally new system and just hope that they can get it down quick enough to be successful through the year.”

bmbiggs@tribune.com
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