Deja vu in battle for Bears’ starting cornerback spot

BOURBONNAIS — There is an odd dynamic at work in the Bears’ secondary, where former Colts teammates Tim Jennings and Kelvin Hayden are competing to start at the other cornerback spot alongside Pro Bowler Charles Tillman.

The two contestants played together in Indianapolis for four years (2006-09), during which time Jennings started 21 times and Hayden 35. Hayden was the Colts’ second-round pick (60th overall) out of Illinois in 2005, while Jennings was their second-rounder (68th overall) the following year out of Georgia.

“He’s like my brother,” Hayden said of Jennings, who started 15 games for the Bears last season and 13 in 2010. “It’s good to see him doing well, seeing him go out there and make plays and see the progress that he’s made from being a rookie until now.”

Now the two are competing again, but Hayden, a graduate of Chicago’s Hubbard High School, says it’s not an awkward situation.

“It’s just part of the game,” he said. “A lot of people bring that up, but I look at it like you’re (always) competing, it’s just that I happen to know the guy. We don’t have any bad blood with each other. That’s what we do for a living is compete.”

Of course, there’s room on the roster for both experienced veteran cornerbacks, who have 96 starts between them (49 by Jennings), but few NFL players aspire to be backups.

“Everybody wants to be a starter, there’s no way around that,” Hayden said. “So guys are going to go out there and do their job, and may the best man win.”

Room for improvement:For all his brilliance as the most productive return specialist in NFL history, Devin Hester#146;s decision-making on when to field balls that are kicked away from him has sometimes been questionable.But he#146;s working on it.#147;My biggest thing I feel I need to work on is just fielding pooch punts,#148; he said. #147;It#146;s hard to field a punt when you have all 20, 21 guys right in front of you; a crowd of guys. I just have to trust that my guys will see me coming down to catch the punt, and they will clear it out for me and make it a lot easier for me. #147;That#146;s my goal, to run (up) there and catch those pooch punts that punters punt 20, 30 yards down the field. It#146;s something I#146;ve got to work on.#148;Fit to hit:Offensive right tackle Gabe Carimi spent most of the off-season rehabbing the knee injury that ended his rookie season in Week 2, so he hasn#146;t had much of a break heading into training camp.#147;I don#146;t feel like I really need one,#148; he said. #147;I feel like I got enough of a break last season.#148;Carimi lined up with the starters throughout OTAs and minicamp, but with the absence of contact, the off-season isn#146;t a very accurate barometer for the skill level of offensive linemen. #147;I did everything in OTA#146;s and minicamp,#148; the 2011 first-round pick said. #147;But you really find out what you can do when you actually put the pads back on.#148;After Thursday and Friday practices without pads, the Bears will have their first padded practice Saturday night. Carimi expects to practice without restrictions.Talk is cheap:Wide receiver Earl Bennett is excited to be part of an offense and a team that have raised expectations for the postseason, but ...#147;There#146;s a lot of excitement involved in our team right now,#148; Bennett said. #147;We look good on paper, but we have to go out there and prove it. It doesn#146;t mean anything if you can#146;t win.#148;A chest injury that sidelined him for five games derailed Bennett#146;s 2011 season, and he finished with just 24 catches for 381 yards, but he#146;s expected to be a major player this year in the souped-up passing game.