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Hayden Happy to be with the Bears.................
Hayden happy to be home
Veteran cornerback grew up a Bears fan and wants to contribute to enhancing team tradition
Dan Pompei On the NFL June 1, 2012
In an offseason full of babble, hardly a word has been spoken about a player who has a decent chance of starting at cornerback for the Bears.
What's more, the player grew up about 20 minutes from Soldier Field. He starred at Hubbard High School, Joliet Junior College and the University of Illinois.
He is 6 feet tall. He has made big plays on football's biggest stage.
Three years ago, he signed a contract that made him the eighth highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, with more than $22 million in guarantees and an average per year of $8.6 million.
Oh, and he has played ahead of incumbent Tim Jennings in an almost identical defensive system.
Maybe we should stand up and take notice of Kelvin Hayden now.
He practiced for the first time as a Bear on Tuesday but was going every other day in organized team activities this week as he is returning from a plantar fasciitis injury that forced him to go on injured reserve last season. He hopes to be able to practice every day starting next week.
That will be important for Hayden because availability likely is the only thing that could hold him back. He missed half of last season with the foot injury. The year before, he missed five games with a neck injury. And the year before that he missed seven games with a knee problem.
Hayden has played in 16 games only twice in seven NFL seasons, and he has started 16 games only once, in 2007.
The durability factor is why the Bears could sign him to a one-year deal for $825,000, the NFL minimum for a player with his experience.
"You know (injuries come) with the territory and you try to battle through those things. Of course you want to be a starter. I just want to be a productive player. Make plays, have fun."
The Bears have had their eyes on Hayden for awhile, certainly since he intercepted a Rex Grossman pass and took it back 56 yards for a touchdown in Super Bowl XLI. Hayden has heard about that play a time or two since setting foot in the Bears' locker room.
"They all gave it to me," Hayden said of his new teammates. "They tell me everyone around here would have a ring if it wasn't for me. I think it's time for these guys to get one."
Hayden hopes he can help them accomplish that. The 28-year-old wanted to sign with the Bears last summer. He visited the team in camp and took a physical, but the Bears were not comfortable with his medical status. Hayden was coming off anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. It was the same surgery former Colts teammate Peyton Manning had, and they shared the same surgeon.
Like Manning, Hayden drew interest from a number of teams post-op, including the Bears, Redskins, Vikings, Broncos, Panthers, Eagles, Seahawks and Chiefs. The same Chiefs for whom new Bears general manager Phil Emery was college scouting director. Most of those teams ended up shying away from Hayden because of his neck issue. The Falcons took a chance on him, and were glad they did.
"He's solid," Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said. "He still can play and start."
Of most importance, Hayden showed his neck was no longer a reason not to sign him. Hayden says he can't even tell he had surgery. The Falcons wanted him back this year, and the Bears were quick to let him know of their interest.
But in March, Hayden could not pass a physical because he still was rehabbing his plantar fasciitis injury. The initial plan was to see how the rehab went. Then the Saints got involved, bringing him in for a visit. The Bears decided not to take a chance. They got Hayden's name on a contract that included a medical waiver.
It did not take much convincing for Hayden to sign. He has had a house in the southwest suburbs for a number of years. His fiance lives here and is from the suburbs. His children, mother, sister, grandmother, nieces, nephews and cousins all live in the area.
"It feels really good coming home," he said. "I was a Bears fan growing up, knowing the meaning and tradition behind Bears football, it means a lot."
If Hayden can play like he used to, he could enhance that tradition.
dpompei@tribune.com
Twitter @danpompei
I'm getting to that age where a lifetime warranty just doesn't mean as much to me anymore as an afternoon nap. 
Honey Badger Don't Care. Honey Badger Don't Give a Shit.
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It was worth picking him up for as little as he costs against the cap ($540k). He knows the system and can play in it with very little prep so if he can heal and stay healthy we got ourselves a much bigger LCB than Jennings.
One thing I like about what Emery has done is he's gotten some experienced vets in competing for jobs with our vets. Jennings job is far more threatened by guys like Wilhite and Hayden than by rookie 6th and 7th round picks.
He's done that at a number of positions, not just CB. Guys like Hayes, Rachal, Thomas and Weems all vets looking to keep their careers alive.
I'm getting to that age where a lifetime warranty just doesn't mean as much to me anymore as an afternoon nap. Honey Badger Don't Care. Honey Badger Don't Give a Shit.
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If nothing else, we seem to be a team with QUALITY depth this season. Several positions will be hotly contested for players to get a roster spot this year. I've come to realize that it's not the best team that wins the Super Bowl as much as the team that can weather the waves of injuries and persevere - continuing to have solid talent in spite of injuries.
We are becoming that kind of team thanks to Emery.
Last edited by JustAnotherBearsFan99; 05-31-2012 at 09:36 PM.
Trestman - Kromer - Tucker - DeCamillis
I'm looking forward to seeing these guys coach. Hope they're good.
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Originally Posted by
soulman 
It was worth picking him up for as little as he costs against the cap ($540k). He knows the system and can play in it with very little prep so if he can heal and stay healthy we got ourselves a much bigger LCB than Jennings.
One thing I like about what Emery has done is he's gotten some experienced vets in competing for jobs with our vets. Jennings job is far more threatened by guys like Wilhite and Hayden than by rookie 6th and 7th round picks.
He's done that at a number of positions, not just CB. Guys like Hayes, Rachal, Thomas and Weems all vets looking to keep their careers alive.
TJ is a decent #2 CB but nothing more (he's quick and a good tackler but lacks size and ballhawk skills). If Hayden or Wilhite can win the starting job on merit, I'm all for it. With Frey and McCoy, we have 7 CBs and will only keep 5 I assume so the latter two don't look likely to make the final roster.
Similar situation applies with Roach and Hayes. NR is decent but nothing spectacular so if Hayes can outplay him for the starting job, all the better. At least then we would have one backup LB on the roster with substantial experience. Last year there was pretty much nothing behind our starting 3.
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High Fives / Like - 1 BEAR DOWN!, 0 Dislikes
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He can go eat a ****. He's this generation's Ricky Manning jr. in terms of DBag CBs.
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I wish I was more excited about Hayden, but he's never really been that good of a player. Hayden is to CBs what Chad Pennington was to QBs, subpar and expendable.
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Well either he out duels Jennings for LCB or he provides vet experience as a backup. He's a good cover-2 guy but he'd never rank as a top all round CB. His size should make him more effective in press coverage than Jennings but Jennings can hit and tackle very well for his size and he has the speed to stay with most receivers and at least get there to defend the pass.
One way or another I think he makes the roster. Wilhite will be battling the rookies for his spot.
I'm getting to that age where a lifetime warranty just doesn't mean as much to me anymore as an afternoon nap. Honey Badger Don't Care. Honey Badger Don't Give a Shit.
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Hayden may be a good fit for our defensive scheme. If nothing else, he gives us good veteran depth. He's only 28 years old.
Hayden has size and good quickness, agility and body control along with adequate downfield speed. He is a good tackler both in space and coming forward in run support. He is quick in transition and shows a decent burst to close on the ball in front of him. He shows good route awareness and the ability to read the quarterback's eyes. He is more effective in off or zone coverage.
Trestman - Kromer - Tucker - DeCamillis
I'm looking forward to seeing these guys coach. Hope they're good.
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Originally Posted by
JustAnotherBearsFan99 Hayden may be a good fit for our defensive scheme. If nothing else, he gives us good veteran depth. He's only 28 years old.
He's a perfect fit at LCB which is why they tried to land him last year but got scared off because of his neck injury. He appears to have gotten a clean bill of health on that but the Bears still had him sign an injury waiver. Jennings will most likely get the nod as a starter but Hayden is a great choice for a backup and he came cheap.
I'm getting to that age where a lifetime warranty just doesn't mean as much to me anymore as an afternoon nap. Honey Badger Don't Care. Honey Badger Don't Give a Shit.
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Agreed, Soul. We did get some much needed depth at CB after the departure of Graham and Bowman. Seems pretty likely that Hayden will be a LCB (backup or starter) and either Wilhite or Frey (prob the former) will make the team as a backup nickel. I assume we will keep 5 CBs.
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