Young Duo Rise to Challenge in Chicago Bears Camp

A few young Bears with something to prove stood out in the team’s most physical practice to date on Friday.

Defensive end Mark Anderson and wide receiver Brandon Rideau made statements despite a constant rain.

It was nothing new for either in this camp, as they’ve stood out since Day 1, but both stepped it to another level.

A different Anderson has been noticeable since the third day of training camp.

On that day, when Bears defensive linemen ran through drills making contact with a gauntlet of tackling dummies, Anderson completely destroyed the drill.

He ran hollering through the gauntlet, applying blows that made him look like Bruce Lee fighting off a regiment. Then he finished in great time to encouraging yells from teammates and defensive line coach Rod Marinelli.

As the Bears started their second full week of practices Friday, Anderson registered the big defensive run stop of camp. Anderson broke into the backfield and took out running back Kevin Jones with a hard, low tackle four yards behind the line.

Anderson capped off his fun-filled Friday with a practice fight against starting right tackle Chris Williams.

“It’s all love,” Anderson said. “At the end of the day we’re all still brothers.

“It was just a little brotherly love, a little hand tap here and there. It’s all love, though.”
Anderson is showing the kind of physical, aggressive style the Bears saw when he played as a pass rush specialist during his rookie year of 2006.  That’s when he recorded a dozen sacks, fourth most in NFL history by a rookie.

Now in a contract year, Anderson wants to show he can be a starter rather than a mere pass rush specialist. He bombed out in that regard when the Bears tried converting him to a starter in 2007 and in 2008 wound up watching more than he was playing. He has only two sacks in his last 26 games.

“I want to try to be more complete about my game, so I’ve just been working harder in the weight room and off the field to try to get a little stronger so I can try to hold up against the run, too,” Anderson said.

Management has to be pulling for him. It would seem unlikely they’re going to eventually keep both Anderson and veteran defensive end Wale Ogunleye after this season when they’re scheduled to become unrestricted free agents.

Keeping a younger player who has had two bad seasons followed by a good 2009 would likely be cheaper than retaining Ogunleye, whose agent is the irrepressible Drew Rosenhaus.

Anderson is getting good attention in practice from new defensive line guru Rod Marinelli and so far the former Lions head coach is happy with what he has seen.

“He’s working extremely hard,” Marinelli said. “I think his take-off is excellent. This guy can come off the rock now.

“He’s got a couple of real good base moves. You want to add to it a little bit, not much more than that, and then we’ll just work from there.”

Coach Lovie Smith called Saturday’s play nothing new, but games will reveal more.

“Mark has had a good camp...not only today, throughout,” Smith said. “Good competition, going against a good tackle a lot of the time in Chris Williams.

“Again, both of them making each other better.”

On offense

Rideau and rookie receivers Juaquin Iglesias and Johnny Knox took advantage of extra playing time resulting from Devin Hester sitting out due to what Smith called “general soreness.”

Rideau made a long fingertip catch in stride on a go route up the sidelines behind Trumaine McBride for a touchdown, then several plays later quarterback Jay Cutler hit him with a similar route on the opposite sideline. Rideau pulled in two other passes in tight quarters and had one pass drop when rain turned heavy.

It was easily the best practice of camp by a wide receiver. Both Knox and Iglesias flashed at times with difficult catches, as well.

Those who don’t remember much about Rideau, it’s because he only has played in only four NFL games despite coming into the league in 2005 as an undrafted free agent with Cleveland.

The former Kansas player is 6-foot-3, 198 pounds and gives quarterback Jay Cutler another tall target to pick out besides his tight ends.

Rideau, pronounced Ree-doe, not Rideau (as Rideau himself pointed out for reporters following practice) hasn’t caught an NFL pass yet and has followed the Tom Waddell method into the league by being cut four times, including twice by the Bears.

Coach Lovie Smith liked the way Rideau fought for Cutler’s passes in the air.

“I think you have to say some of it is Jay,” Smith said. “Jay has thrown some good passes, put the ball in position for a big guy like Brandon to go up and get it.”

Whether it’s more Cutler’s passing or Rideau is the real deal will be decided in preseason games. Rideau already has been a preseason phenom. Last year he had a team-high 25.4-yards-per-catch average in preseason and had five catches for 87 yards in preseason 2007.

“Another year in the system, so I’m a little more comfortable with it,” Rideau said. “I did a little bit of training in the off-season to help myself get a little bit more physically ready and I think that’s what’s helping me out this camp.”

Rideau wouldn’t discount Smith’s theory about Cutler’s passes providing him the opportunities.

“I feel like he’ll find you if you get open, and he’ll give you a chance if he believes in you, so right now I guess he’s feeling like I can make a couple plays so he wants to come at me,” Rideau said.