Thread: No QB Controversy, We Have a WR Controversy................................

Darryl Drake blasts newspaper story on Johnny Knox

By Mark Potash on August 11, 2011 2:23 PM| No Comments| No TrackBacks


Ever-passionate Bears wide receivers coach Darryl Drake was irked by a Chicago Tribune story Thursday that cited sources indicating Johnny Knox will ask to be traded if he doesn't beat out newcomer Roy Williams for the starting ''X'' receiver job in the Bears' offense.

''I don't even know where this crap comes from,'' Drake said outside the mess hall at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais. ''Johnny Knox never said one word [in the entire story]. "Nothing ever came out of his mouth.

''If you guys keep making this stuff up and bringing this stuff up, you're going to deal with me and it ain't going to be real nice.''

Knox was the Bears' leading receiver last season, with 51 receptions for 960 yards and five touchdowns. Williams, a former Pro Bowl receiver signed as a free agent after he was released by the Dallas Cowboys, supplanted Knox as the No. 1 ''X'' receiver early in training camp.

''Guys like Johnny need to learn to be consistent,'' Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz said. "He certainly has the ability. He just is still learning to play, adjust and do the things we ask him to do."

Nice to see a bear coach laying the smack down....

Apparently this is the article in the Trib that the trade rumor came from. Typically I like Brad Biggs and what he has to say but this stinks. Even if Knox did say something to someone in frustration making something out of it one day after is happens is crappy journalism in my book. My respect for Biggs just dropped several notches.

Martz says Knox not ready for starting job

Bears offensive coordinator urges wide receiver to work to earn playing time


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By Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune reporter 12:21 a.m. CDT, August 11, 2011


BOURBONNAIS — Johnny Knox is confident when the preseason ends he will be back in the starting lineup for the Bears, but offensive coordinator Mike Martz says the speedster isn't ready.

The demotion of Knox behind newcomer Roy Williams creates an interesting situation. By no means does it remove Knox — who played on 88.2 percent of the snaps in 2010 — from the offense entirely. But it dramatically reduces his role at wide receiver.

If he can't displace Williams for the Sept. 11 opener against the Falcons, there's a better than fair chance he will push for a new home, according to a source.

This is a guy, after all, who thought he would be talking contract extension before the end of the season and now has to surpass a competitor coming off three mediocre seasons with the Cowboys.

"He just has to get better. He has to play better," Martz told the Tribune on Wednesday. "That's all. It's just like when Johnny came in, Earl (Bennett) was the starter. We pushed Earl aside for Johnny because of the speed. We kind of gave that job to Johnny. That wasn't really earned. And once you get in this league, you should earn.

"He just was not ready, not because he can't do it or he's not talented. The preparation, the consistency that's required … he does a lot of good things, but they have to be good all the time. That's what Roy is.

"You just don't get there in a year. Not at the 'X' (primary) receiver. That's the position. Not only does he have to prepare better. Just with everything, he has to be a perfectionist. And young players feel like it's given to them, when it's not. So he's learning that, just like everybody else."

Perhaps it's no coincidence NFL Network analyst Marshall Faulk criticized Knox shortly after last season, making you wonder if he was talking to his former coach with the Rams.

Maybe the Bears are trying to light a fire under Knox. That would be a best-case scenario for him, because to hear Martz tell it, the fifth-round pick from 2009 was thrust into a role because the team had no one else.

General manager Jerry Angelo told Knox at the start of camp he was expecting big things from him. Knox had 960 receiving yards last season, 40 shy of becoming the team's first receiver since Marty Booker in 2002 to have 1,000.

Knox, who got stronger in his upper body, has been slowed by a minor back injury but is back in the mix.

He was the big-play target for quarterback Jay Cutler last season when he averaged 18.8 yards per catch, fifth in the NFL. One-third of his catches went for 20 yards or more and you have to wonder if Williams, who played well for Martz on the Lions, can be that threat downfield.

"He made some really good plays, and he's going to be a heck of a player in the league," Martz said of Knox. "But there's a process that he has to go through yet."


Copyright © 2011, Chicago Tribune
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Bears receiver Knox intent on reclaiming starting spot

• NFL.com
• Published: Aug. 11, 2011 at 02:25 p.m.
• Updated: Aug. 11, 2011 at 03:03 p.m.
• Liked: 1 | Comments: 44

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Johnny Knox is ready to fight for his starting job. He's also not ready to leave Chicago.

Amid a report in Thursday's edition of the Chicago Tribune suggesting Knox could push for a trade after being demoted, the Bears wide receiver took to Twitter vowing his commitment to the team.

Watch preseason games LIVE online in HD. Get the Back to Football special at NFL.com/preseasonlive.

"If y'all think ima give up that easy y'all crazy!!!!!!," Knox tweeted, adding "Ima put all that small talk to rest."

The potential trade talk comes as Knox learned this week that he will begin the year behind newcomer Roy Williams on the depth chart. That makes Knox the team's No. 4 option, with Devin Hester the starting flanker and Earl Bennett playing in the slot. Knox reiterated his feelings on any plans to seek a trade on Thursday.

"I’m a Bear, and I want to stay a Bear for life," he said, according to the Chicago Tribune.
It's all quite a turn of events for Knox, who was Chicago's leading receiver last year. In just his second season, he finished with 960 yards and five touchdowns.

Offensive coordinator Mike Martz elaborated to the Tribune why the decision was made.

"He just has to get better. He has to play better," Martz said. "That's all. It's just like when Johnny came in, Earl (Bennett) was the starter. We pushed Earl aside for Johnny because of the speed. We kind of gave that job to Johnny. That wasn't really earned. And once you get in this league, you should earn.

"(Knox) just was not ready, not because he can't do it or he's not talented. The preparation, the consistency that's required ... he does a lot of good things, but they have to be good all the time. That's what Roy is."

Bears receiver Knox intent on reclaiming starting spot

• NFL.com
• Published: Aug. 11, 2011 at 02:25 p.m.
• Updated: Aug. 11, 2011 at 03:03 p.m.
• Liked: 1 | Comments: 44

• Email
• Like
• Print

• Read
• Discuss

Johnny Knox is ready to fight for his starting job. He's also not ready to leave Chicago.

Amid a report in Thursday's edition of the Chicago Tribune suggesting Knox could push for a trade after being demoted, the Bears wide receiver took to Twitter vowing his commitment to the team.

Watch preseason games LIVE online in HD. Get the Back to Football special at NFL.com/preseasonlive.

"If y'all think ima give up that easy y'all crazy!!!!!!," Knox tweeted, adding "Ima put all that small talk to rest."

The potential trade talk comes as Knox learned this week that he will begin the year behind newcomer Roy Williams on the depth chart. That makes Knox the team's No. 4 option, with Devin Hester the starting flanker and Earl Bennett playing in the slot. Knox reiterated his feelings on any plans to seek a trade on Thursday.

"I’m a Bear, and I want to stay a Bear for life," he said, according to the Chicago Tribune.
It's all quite a turn of events for Knox, who was Chicago's leading receiver last year. In just his second season, he finished with 960 yards and five touchdowns.

Offensive coordinator Mike Martz elaborated to the Tribune why the decision was made.

"He just has to get better. He has to play better," Martz said. "That's all. It's just like when Johnny came in, Earl (Bennett) was the starter. We pushed Earl aside for Johnny because of the speed. We kind of gave that job to Johnny. That wasn't really earned. And once you get in this league, you should earn.

"(Knox) just was not ready, not because he can't do it or he's not talented. The preparation, the consistency that's required ... he does a lot of good things, but they have to be good all the time. That's what Roy is."

Originally Posted by soulman

Bears receiver Knox intent on reclaiming starting spot

• NFL.com
• Published: Aug. 11, 2011 at 02:25 p.m.
• Updated: Aug. 11, 2011 at 03:03 p.m.
• Liked: 1 | Comments: 44

• Email
• Like
• Print

• Read
• Discuss

Johnny Knox is ready to fight for his starting job. He's also not ready to leave Chicago.

Amid a report in Thursday's edition of the Chicago Tribune suggesting Knox could push for a trade after being demoted, the Bears wide receiver took to Twitter vowing his commitment to the team.

Watch preseason games LIVE online in HD. Get the Back to Football special at NFL.com/preseasonlive.

"If y'all think ima give up that easy y'all crazy!!!!!!," Knox tweeted, adding "Ima put all that small talk to rest."

The potential trade talk comes as Knox learned this week that he will begin the year behind newcomer Roy Williams on the depth chart. That makes Knox the team's No. 4 option, with Devin Hester the starting flanker and Earl Bennett playing in the slot. Knox reiterated his feelings on any plans to seek a trade on Thursday.

"I’m a Bear, and I want to stay a Bear for life," he said, according to the Chicago Tribune.
It's all quite a turn of events for Knox, who was Chicago's leading receiver last year. In just his second season, he finished with 960 yards and five touchdowns.

Offensive coordinator Mike Martz elaborated to the Tribune why the decision was made.

"He just has to get better. He has to play better," Martz said. "That's all. It's just like when Johnny came in, Earl (Bennett) was the starter. We pushed Earl aside for Johnny because of the speed. We kind of gave that job to Johnny. That wasn't really earned. And once you get in this league, you should earn.

"(Knox) just was not ready, not because he can't do it or he's not talented. The preparation, the consistency that's required ... he does a lot of good things, but they have to be good all the time. That's what Roy is."

I'm glad that Knox is taking the right approach and has the right attitude about it. I think Mike Martz is showing again why he should just keep his f'n mouth shut and coach. He has the "bedside manner" or an undertaker and the team should hire a PR guy just to follow him around and make his press statments for him. It would save a lot of trouble.

Publicly putting Knox down the way he did was completely uneccessary as far as I'm concerned as was letting us know for the umpteenth time just how sweet RWill's more experienced jockstrap smells. Just make out the lineup card Mike and spare us your obviously biased explanations ok!

What's funny to me is that while Martz is crowing about his boy and pandering to his huge ego an independent an unbaised observer comes to watch camp as states that Knox is the best pure route runner in the group. Go figure?

Originally Posted by The Benjamin

Are we really talking about a report in a news paper about a player requesting a trade? Are we really doing this again? We went through this when the reports on Olsen came out that he wanted a trade. We went through this when there was a rumor that he was gonna be traded to the Pats for a pick or two. It was denied, and years later, now that he has been dealt, all those things turned out to be true according to reports.

I will not so quickly say the report is BS. We have all seen articles one day saying a player is requesting a trade, only to see an article the next day saying that he never said that.

Point is, maybe he did, maybe he didn't. Do yo actually think we will get the truth no matter what it is? Likely not until a deal is made, if there is one.

When everyone but his mother is denying that it was ever said and that's not what he wants then yeah, I call bullshit on the reporter.