Thread: Sanzenbacher hopes to avoid cuts

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Sanzenbacher hopes to avoid cuts

August, 31, 2012 Aug 31
12:19
AM CT

By Jeff Dickerson | ESPNChicago.com

• CLEVELAND -- Dane Sanzenbacher hopes his cell phone stays quiet on Friday as he awaits word whether or not he made the Bears final 53-man roster as the No. 6 wide receiver. That's because the worst noise an NFL bubble player can hear on cut-down day is the sound of his cell phone ringer.

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Eric P. Mull/US PresswireDane Sanzenbacher will know by Friday night if he made the Bears' roster.

"It's a terrible way to go about it," Sanzenbacher said. I don't know how the way it's still done. They should let you know either way. I was thinking the same thing last year, 'why don't you call me either way'. Hopefully it doesn't ring."
Sanzenbacher stated his case one final time Thursday night when he hauled in a 30-yard touchdown pass from Josh McCown in the first quarter of the Bears 28-20 preseason victory over the Cleveland Browns.
"Dane is a good player," McCown said. "Unfortunately for Dane, he finds himself on a deep roster that's got some great players at the wide receiver position. But I'm telling you; Dane could be up there (on the depth chart) for a lot of teams. We really like what he brings to the table. He made a great catch on that (touchdown)."
It remains to be seen if Sanzenbacher's performance this summer swayed the Bears to keep a sixth receiver on the active roster, but if they do, the second-year wideout from Ohio State figures to be the guy.
"I don't know," Sanzenbacher said of his roster chances. "It's been different in the sense that last year I played a little more offense and no special teams at all, so it leaves that question out there. This year I played more special teams and a little less offense over the span of the camp. I'm not reading too much into it. I feel like I came out and don't have any regrets about the camp. I was given plenty of opportunitiesby this organization to go out and make plays. It's on me either way."
Some believed Sanzenbacher essentially made the team on Wednesday when the organization released veteran Rashied Davis, who missed practice earlier in the week due to an injury. But Sanzenbacher doesn't view it that way.
"Maybe last year I would have read more into it," Sanzenbacher said. "But being in a camp where you've seen so much shuffling around...guys retire (Devin Thomas), you never know. You can never read too much into it.'
"There is so much that goes on with personnel and stuff behind closed doors; I didn't even know Rashied was gone until we went out for our walk thru."
Bears head coach Lovie Smith praised Sanzenbacher's hands in his postgame press conference. However, both Smith and general manager Phil Emery have mentioned in the past that the team could be inclined to go with five receivers, which would leave Sanzenbacher on the outside looking in.
"Typical Dane, when we thrown him the ball he's got great hands," Smith said. "You expect him to make some plays. Whenever you have a chance to come back home, being a Buckeye, I know it's special to play in front of all the people that saw you play growing up. But Dane is a good football player. He's been like that since we brought him in last year."