Bears Extensions

**WindyCity** · 11-10-2011, 10:09 AM

Bennett could be next in line for payday

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- With Roberto Garza now under contract through 2013 and the Matt Forte negotiations at a standstill, fourth-year wide receiver Earl Bennett seems to the next logical candidate to receive an extension from the Chicago Bears before his original rookie deal expires at the end of the season.

Bennett, a third-round draft pick in 2008, caught five passes for 95 yards and a touchdown against the Eagles, his first game back after he suffered a serious torso injury in Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints. The wideout made a combined 100 regular season receptions the past two seasons, establishing himself as the most consistent and reliable pass catcher on the roster.

Just don't expect Bennett to make his desire for a new contract a public ordeal.

"I'm under contract right now with the Bears to go out and play hard and help this team win," Bennett said Tuesday on ESPN 1000's "Football Night in Chicago". "I don't have time to think about that. All I can think about is trying to help us win.

"I love playing here. If they came to me, I would tell my agent, 'Hey, let's get it done.' I really love playing here, I love my teammates. The organization is great and I just love playing [here]."

The biggest variable for Bennett is health. He's become the Bears best weapon on third down - all five of his catches versus Philadelphia either moved the chains or resulted in a touchdown - and carved out a solid niche for himself in the Mike Martz system.

Bennett's only downfall has been a few injuries, the most notable being the torso injury that kept him on the sidelines for the five games prior to the Eagles matchup. He was also hurt for much of the 2010 preseason which contributed to his slow start in Martz's first season calling plays in Chicago.

If he can avoid missing any more time, Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, a former teammate of Bennett's at Vanderbilt, believes the wideout will eventually get locked up to a new deal. In fact, Cutler told "The Waddle and Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000, he plans to force the issue with Bears management.

“Someone is going to throw some money at that dude," Cutler said. "He can do it in all phases. Obviously, I want to keep him here, and I’m going to make a push for him, but we’ll see what happens.”

Chicago Bears Blog - ESPN Chicago

**WindyCity** · 11-10-2011, 10:10 AM

Earl Bennett [4 years 14 million/ 6 guaranteed]

Amobi Okoye [2 yaesr 6.5 million/ 3 guaranteed]

These are a couple of extensions that I feel should be included in the Bears plans this season. Bennett is a no brainer and Okoye has out played Adams.

**motownbear** · 11-10-2011, 11:24 AM

I wouldn't be surprised to see okoye and Jennings getting extensions

**blinddeafmute** · 11-10-2011, 12:00 PM

Yeah, I'm all for Okoye getting a deal. Jennings also if it isn't too rich. I think Bennett needs a few more games to nail down a price for him. I'd hate to see anything be based solely on one game.

**soulman** · 11-10-2011, 12:11 PM

There isn't any doubt that they'll make a decent offer to Bennett. He's really the mainstay of that receiving core. He may not have the physical gifts of a #1 WR but he's as close as we're gonna get to it for now. I don't even think the injury issue should be brought up. What happened in that NO game was not something you could look at and says "well he's injury prone". He got slammed in the chest and people can die from a blow like that to the area around the heart.

He's our version of a Hines Ward and we need to hold on to this guy until he retires. It seems to me like he and Cutler are joined at the hip. They took Olsen away and without Bennett too the pass game suffered. Bennett comes back and all of a sudden we click. You don't find better players and team guys than an Earl Bennett. Now if some of that would only rub of on RWill we'd have a really nice pass catching duo to offer Jay.

**blinddeafmute** · 11-10-2011, 12:19 PM

Originally Posted by soulman

There isn't any doubt that they'll make a decent offer to Bennett. He's really the mainstay of that receiving core. He may not have the physical gifts of a #1 WR but he's as close as we're gonna get to it for now. I don't even think the injury issue should be brought up. What happened in that NO game was not something you could look at and says "well he's injury prone". He got slammed in the chest and people can die from a blow like that to the area around the heart.

He's our version of a Hines Ward and we need to hold on to this guy until he retires. It seems to me like he and Cutler are joined at the hip. They took Olsen away and without Bennett too the pass game suffered. Bennett comes back and all of a sudden we click. You don't find better players and team guys than an Earl Bennett. Now if some of that would only rub of on RWill we'd have a really nice pass catching duo to offer Jay.

How do you figure? He has had one good game this season, and had very mediochre seasons before this one. Why would he get a decent extension after one good game? I'm not saying that it isn't a possibility, but doing so after one good game is ignorant.

**soulman** · 11-10-2011, 12:39 PM

Originally Posted by blinddeafmute

How do you figure? He has had one good game this season, and had very mediochre seasons before this one. Why would he get a decent extension after one good game? I'm not saying that it isn't a possibility, but doing so after one good game is ignorant.

The guy has been a clutch receiver for two years now but his stats as far as yardage and number of catches are limited because of the games he missed with injuries and as a result being underused by Martz. Do you recall that he led the NFL last year by not having one drop on a catchable ball? Didn't we see that same player on Monday night?

So far Earl Bennett's real value to the Bears isn't gonna be found in glowing stats other than the ones that say 1) he gets open, and 2) he catches everything that's thrown at him. What we need to do is give him an extension and go out and find two more WR's just like him.

You're not looking beyond his stats when you say that he's been mediocre bdm. He's been anything but that or do you have another explanation for why we suddenly began to convert 50% plus of our 3rd down passes once we got him back in the lineup. Sorry man but if you don't see that you don't see the true value of Earl Bennett.

**Dagan81** · 11-10-2011, 01:26 PM

Earl Bennett should be our #1 go to receiver, and he should be utilized like Wes Welker because he has exactly those capabilities. He's a possession receiver, which is essentially what Welker is, and we could use him on short to intermediate passing downs like Tom Brady does in New England.