Hurd more than just receiver for Bears

BOURBONNAIS — When the Bears signed unrestricted free agent Sam Hurd to a three-year, $5.15 million deal at the end of July, they got the NFL version of a 2-for-1 deal.

The 6-foot-3, 208-pounder adds depth and brings experience and size to the wide receiver position, and he's also a standout special-teams player who had a career-best 21 tackles last season.

Special-teams coach Dave Toub targeted Hurd early in the off-season as a guy who could be a difference-maker on coverage teams. And even though he had just 45 catches in five seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, Hurd is a welcome addition to the offense.

“He brings experience for one thing,” Drake said. “He's a guy who has a high energy level, a high motor, and a guy that's a pretty good football player.

“He adds some maturity in the room; he's a guy who's vocal, a guy who's not afraid to express himself. He can do a lot of different things. So far I've been very impressed.”

The part about being vocal and expressing himself is dead on. Hurd is seldom at a loss for words. Sometimes he even makes up his own words, like when he said, “I do have a little ‘vetness' in me,” meaning the experience that comes with being a veteran.

Sometimes Hurd gets to talking so fast that he has to make sure his words are completely understood, like when he was asked about working with quarterback Jay Cutler.

“Obviously has a cannon on him, and he has precision with his throws, and he's on time with it, too,” Hurd said. “So it's not on him, it's all on me, and I have to make him look 10 times better than what he is.”

After a pause, Hurd, almost in a panic, quickly clarifies, thinking he may have inferred that Cutler needs to get a lot better.

“Now don't take that and make that sound wrong,” he said, smiling. “(Cutler) is great. Do not say that (wrong), you hear me? He's great. It's just our job to make sure he stays great.”

Hurd went undrafted out of Northern Illinois in 2006 but used his blend of good size, nice quickness, decent speed, a lot of hard work and a willingness to play special teams, the NFL's version of manual labor, to stick with the Cowboys.

Hurd still maintains that free-agent mentality that is devoid of job security. He's an ideal role model for younger players just trying to make it in the NFL any way they can.

“All I can do is add to the special teams, and I'm going to try my best, especially to bring the young ones along,” he said. “The moment you're done (working), they've got another guy coming in who's going to work harder than you.”

Hurd and cornerback Corey Graham will give the Bears ideal punt-coverage gunners, the players who are split wide at either end of the formation who are essential to preventing return yardage and are often double-teamed.

Graham was the NFL leader in special-teams tackles, which takes a certain skill set.

“It's all about quickness and speed, (but) I don't think I'm big on either one of those,” Hurd said. “I just think I work harder than most other guys.”

It's uncertain how Hurd will fit into the offense, but he's eager to be more of a factor than he was in Dallas, and he likes his chances in coordinator Mike Martz's system.

“I love it because I get to be in the slot, outside, shifting, running out of the backfield,” he said. “I don't like being stationary. If I am stationary, I get to see what the defense is doing, and I don't mind murdering somebody that way.

“But if I get to move, I get to shift and have a guy off balance already. I'm tall, but I'm very shifty, more like a quick running back, a (jitterbug) guy, so I can get in and out of break pretty good.”

In a recent practice, he also showed the ability to stretch out in the red zone, catching a Cutler pass for a touchdown.

“I've done it in Dallas, I'll do it anywhere,” he said. “As long as the ball's in the air, I'm trying to get it. I just want to help out any way I can, put numbers on the board.”

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