Where Booker fits in is anyone's guess

BOURBONNAIS - When Marty Booker was traded from the Bears to the Miami Dolphins hours before the second preseason game in 2004, he was the undisputed go-to guy in the passing game.

In each of the three previous seasons, he had led the Bears in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

But Booker, who was signed in the off-season as a free agent after becoming a salary cap casualty in Miami, returns to the Bears as something of a mystery man. No one can say for sure how he'll fit into a passing game in transition. He could be the No. 1 receiver again, or he could be lost in the shuffle.

"I'm still trying to find that out," Booker said. "Right now we're just out there practicing, trying to get a feel for one another and get a little chemistry going in this offense."

Fourteen players caught passes in the preseason opener, but Booker wasn't one of them. He dropped his only opportunity, a short sideline route.

"We need to see a little more from Marty," a member of the Bears' brain trust said anonymously as the team prepared for Saturday night's second preseason game.

Wide receivers coach Darryl Drake agrees, but he's got a pretty good idea of what he has in Booker.

"We need him to show up, like everybody," Drake said. "He had some opportunities to catch one or two (vs. the Chiefs), and it didn't happen. Each and every guy is continuing to audition, and this is an important game (in Seattle on Saturday against the Seahawks) for all of them. But we know Marty. He's a veteran guy. He's had some good practices here this week, and I'm looking forward to him having a good game."

Booker has not had much of an impact so far, but coaches are well aware of his abilities. His 509 career receptions are 47 more than the next three Bears combined.

"He gives us leadership, ability, and he's a guy who's been there before, a guy that the younger guys can look up to because he's been through the wars," Drake said. "I'm extremely happy that he's here. He shows that he still has a great deal of play-making ability. Still, right now, he's in the process of grasping the whole offense like the majority of the guys are."

For the second straight week, Booker and Brandon Lloyd are listed as co-starters at one wide receiver position on the Bears' depth chart, while Devin Hester and Rashied Davis are both listed at the other starting wideout spot. The entire position was blurred coming into training camp, but Drake said it could be a lot more clear after Saturday's game.

"It's coming into focus," he said. "After this game, we ought to be able to start honing in a little bit."

Booker hopes it comes full circle for him, and he almost feels as if he'd never left. He kept his home in the area even after he was traded, so coming back was an easy transition.

"It's just like I was on a vacation for a little bit," he said. "I didn't forget how to get here (to Olivet Nazarene University). I didn't forget how to get to Halas Hall. It's not like I forgot how to get to the stadium or anything like that. Nothing was lost. Everything was still fresh in my mind."

That includes the way the trade - Booker and a third-round draft choice for defensive end Adewale Ogunleye - went down, which was a little awkward.

"I remember everything about it," the 32-year-old Booker said. "How could you forget anything like that? It was a shock. Lovie (Smith) and (G.M. Jerry) Angelo come into my hotel room to tell me what was going on. I never would have expected it right before a preseason game like that. It was just a sour moment at that point, and then the next thing you know, I was on a plane headed to Miami, trying to adjust down there. It was tough at first, but you just have to roll with it."

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