Bears receiving corps boasts size, speed
Bears receiving corps boasts size, speed
By: Larry Mayer | Last Updated: 5/16/2012 4:07 PM
With newcomers Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery joining Devin Hester, Earl Bennett and Johnny Knox, the Bears may have the best combination of size and speed at the receiver position in the NFL.
After playing together with the Broncos from 2006-08, Brandon Marshall has reunited with Jay Cutler.
“I think we’ve totally balanced it,” said receivers coach Darryl Drake. “We’ve got two giraffes outside and we’ve got some cheetahs inside. I’m looking forward to those guys doing things they’re capable of doing.”
While the “cheetahs” were already in place, the Bears added the “giraffes” this offseason in the 6-4 Marshall via a trade with the Dolphins and the 6-3 Jeffery in the second round of the draft. The two figure to create match-up problems against smaller defensive backs.
“When you have guys with that kind of ability and that kind of size, the ball doesn’t always have to be perfect,” Drake said. “Jay [Cutler] doesn’t always have to put it right there. He can throw the ball up in the air, and the guys have the ability to go up and get it. It makes a difference.”
A three-time Pro Bowler, Marshall is one of just three NFL receivers to catch at least 80 passes for more than 1,000 yards each of the last five seasons. His 494 career receptions in six seasons are two more than Bears all-time leader Walter Payton and 138 more than the top wide receiver on the list, Johnny Morris (356).
Participating in the Bears’ offseason program, Marshall has impressed his new coaches and teammates.
“It’s been a joy to have Brandon Marshall out there,” Drake said. “He’s just a joy to be around, period. He’s a joy in the meetings. He’s a student of the game first and foremost. He is the one that’s forcing Earl and Devin and Dane [Sanzenbacher] and those guys to raise their games.”
Drake is equally excited about the opportunity to work with Jeffery, a young dynamic playmaker who ranks second among receivers in SEC history with 3,042 yards.
“He’s a very confident young man. I saw that early,” Drake said.
“He took some games over in the SEC. I’ve been part of that family for six years when I was at Georgia, so I know how they throw the football there and I know the type of competition and the level of defensive backs that have come through that conference. He did those things against Alabama, he did those things against LSU, he did those things against Georgia.”
As far as Hester is concerned, Drake believes that the Bears' record-breaking return specialist can also thrive as a receiver if he’s utilized correctly.
“The talent has always been there,” Drake said. “It’s just a matter of not having him play 70 plays a game and throw to him twice. Play him 15 and let him touch it 13. That’s always been my stance. If he’s going to play 70, the ball needs to come his way 10, 12 times a game easily.
“For him to be effective, we don’t need to have him out there playing that many plays. We need to have that package and I promise you [offensive coordinator] Mike Tice is going to do it and let him do things. When he’s out there, put the ball in his hands.”
With the deepest and most talented group of receivers he’s had to work with since joining the Bears as part of Lovie Smith’s original coaching staff in 2004, Drake is eager to see how the competition unfolds.
“I’m very excited about this group because I think there’s an awful lot of talent, there’s an awful lot of potential, and it’s my job to make sure that potential comes out,” Drake said.
“Competition breeds success and I really do think we’ve got some competition out here. We’re going to put the guys out there that are going to do things right and are going to make plays. If you want to play, go out there and make plays and do things the right way.”
Bears wide receivers possess size, speed
