Bennett, Melton hope to play opener vs. Bengals

Neither player is expected to be at 100 percent conditioning wise, but wide receiver Earl Bennett and defensive tackle Henry Melton both hope to play in the season opener against the Bengals on Sunday after suffering concussions almost a month ago.

Bennett suffered a concussion in November, so his situation was more serious. He said persistent headaches and difficulty sleeping were his worst symptoms, but he has been symptom-free for several days.

“I saw several specialists and they reassured me that everything’s all right,” he said. “I’ll be fine. I just have to get back in the groove of things, get my wind back up and get ready to play this week.”

Bennett was asked if he would be fearful of additional concussions down the road.

“Nah,” he said. “I don’t fear nobody or nothing but God.”

The sixth-year veteran said he’s aware of the dangers but confident he has fully recovered.

“It’s a little bit scary seeing (the league) just had the ($765 million) settlement with some of the ex-players,” he said. “It’s kind of concerning, but at the same time, when I signed up for this game I knew what I was signing up for. The technology nowadays is a lot better than it was back then.”

Bennett missed the entire preseason, while Melton was hurt in the first game.

“It was just a headache that wouldn’t go away,” said Melton, a 2012 Pro Bowl pick. “My neck was a little sore, but I feel good now.”

Melton began his college career as a running back at Texas but said he’s never suffered a concussion before.

“No, I ran that rock — hard,” he said, smiling. I dealt it out.”

Off the market:The out-of-town rumor that the Bears were shopping wide receiver Earl Bennett on the trade market were exaggerated, according to general manager Phil Emery and Bennett.#147;I#146;ll say up front that it didn#146;t come from us,#148; Emery said. #147;A lot of people would say, #145;Well, then it probably came from another team.#146; But that would surprise me too because that would constitute tampering, which is a very serious offense. So I#146;m really not sure what that was all about.#148;Bennett said he was assured that he wasn#146;t on the block.#147;Phil#146;s a man of his word,#148; Bennett said. #147;If he said it wasn#146;t (true), it wasn#146;t. And my (agent) said it wasn#146;t.#148;Long road back:Offensive tackle Jonathan Scott missed the entire preseason with a knee injury but remains on the 53-man roster and is back at practice.He said he didn#146;t fear for his job but was concerned.#147;This is my eighth year in the NFL, so I understand there#146;s a business aspect to it,#148; he said. #147;It#146;s one of those things you can#146;t control, but I can control what I do day in and day out. I was injured and just trying to get better. Things have worked out.#148;Scott, who is listed behind rookie Jordan Mills at right tackle, said he hopes to be able to play if needed in the season opener.Shuffling tight ends:Tight end Dante Rosario was acquired Monday in a trade with the Cowboys for an undisclosed 2014 draft pick that is expected to be a seventh-rounder.Versatile third-year tight end Kyle Adams was waived to make room for Rosario, who has started 26 games in six seasons with the Panthers (2007-10), Dolphins (2011), Broncos (2011) and Chargers (2012).He entered the league as the Panthers#146; fifth-round pick (155th overall). The 6-foot-3, 242-pound Rosario has 99 receptions for 1,106 yards (11.2-yard average) and 8 touchdowns in addition to 23 tackles on special teams. 22152406Bears defensive tackle Henry Melton suffered a concussion in the first preseason game but said, “I feel good now.”John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com