BOURBONNAIS, Ill. (AP) -Every deep pass Jay Cutler unleashed drew oohs and ahhs, not to mention loud cheers from the large crowd watching the start of the Chicago Bears’ training camp on Friday.
Some 6,000 came to see the quarterback with the rocket arm, the man whose arrival from Denver sent expectations soaring like a Hail Mary pass.
It has been decades since the Bears had a cornerstone quarterback player, and Cutler did not disappoint.
The reception, he said, “has been absolutely tremendous from Day 1.”
Yet for all the excitement, there’s one lingering question, Can his wide receivers catch the ball?
“We’ve got a lot to prove,” said Devin Hester, who led the team with 665 yards receiving last season. “For the guys that were out there saying we don’t have any receivers, I don’t blame them because we haven’t proven anything yet.”
Tight end Greg Olsen predicted they will, saying, “I think the group is going to surprise some people.”
The vote of confidence aside, that group certainly has something to prove.
Cutler has reliable targets in Olsen and tight end Desmond Clark along with running back Matt Forte, but those wide receivers? He could be excused for cringing when he turns to them, at least for now.
Only two have more than seven career catches, and one (Hester) showed some promise but struggled to grasp the position while the other (Rashied Davis) had trouble hanging onto the ball. Throw in the fact that Earl Bennett did not catch a pass as a rookie last season after being drafted in the third round out of Vanderbilt, and it’s easy to see why there was so much talk in the offseason that the Bears needed an upgrade.
They made a big one when they acquired Cutler from Denver after two straight non-playoff seasons.
“I think every NFL quarterback in this league has high expectations,” he said. “I think the team, the organization and the city all put a lot on their shoulders to go out there and compete and find ways to win ballgames. I’m in the same boat as 32 other guys right now.”
He is also in a new place, getting a chance to start over after a major blowup with management and coach Josh McDaniels in Denver. But Cutler’s success also hinges on his receivers, line and the defense.
play in general that led coach Lovie Smith to assume play-calling duties this season. A healthy and effective Tommie Harris and Brian Urlacher could spark a turnaround, assuming a secondary with question marks holds its ground.
Urlacher said he’s in much better shape than he was a year ago, when he spent the offseason rehabilitating from neck surgery.
Harris, limited by knee and hamstring problems the past three years, had little to say about his health on Friday.
Asked how he’s feeling, he responded: “Trained hard.” When asked again, he gave the same answer: “Trained hard.”
If he performs as advertised, Cutler probably will take some of the pressure away from a defense that failed to register a sack in five games and ranked 30th against the pass last season. And a re-energized defense could ease the burden on an offense with a rebuilt line and huge question marks at wide receiver to go with the top-tier passer.
In Denver, Cutler had plenty of protection behind a line that allowed just 12 sacks with one of the best young tackles in the game in Ryan Clady on the left side. He also had his pick of top receivers, including fellow Pro Bowler Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal. It added up to a franchise-record 4,526 yards, 25 touchdowns and 18 interceptions last season.
In Chicago?
o Pace, who signed with the Bears on the same day they made the trade with Denver. If Pace stays healthy and Chris Williams develops after being limited by a back problem as a rookie last season, Chicago’s line figures to hold its ground.
That is fueling Hester’s belief that the wide receivers will do a better job this season.
“We feel great with Devin and Earl and some of the young guys, and Rashied and Greg and Matt coming out of the backfield,” Cutler said. “Like I said since I first got here, I think we’ve got the pieces offensively to compete.”
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