With 'time invested,' Iglesias chooses to stay

It has been a hectic couple of days for Bears wide receiver Juaquin Iglesias.

On Saturday he received the news that he would be cut by the team that drafted him in the third round (99th overall) last year.

"I was frustrated," he said. "I couldn't even tell you. I was just at the house; I didn't really know what to think.

"Just chilling with the family, but there's a lot of emotions. It's tough, but it's the league. It's ups and downs; that's what I knew when I signed up."

The next day the 6-foot-1, 205-pound Iglesias was signed to the Bears' practice squad, which is better than looking for work but still not where he figured he'd be in his second season in the league.

Iglesias said he had interest from other teams seeking to take him on their practice squads, but he chose to stay with the Bears, even after the disappointment of being cut.

"I already had time invested (here)," he said. "I believe in the system; the system's good. And I just didn't want to up and move and start all over, especially when I have a wife and kid at the house.

"I didn't want to move to somewhere else where I don't have any time invested."

Iglesias was lost in the shuffle at wide receiver last year, getting passed on the depth chart by fifth-round rookie Johnny Knox and free agent Devin Aromashodu.

He was on the 53-man roster all season but played in one game briefly.

A quadriceps injury in training camp this year slowed any progress he had made in the off-season.

But he still managed to catch 4 passes for 85 yards in the preseason, competing with and against second- and third-team players.

"I feel like I've been doing good in the offense," Iglesias said. "I feel like when I've been in I made plays. It's just a lot that went into this situation, went into their decision and I can't control it, so I just have to make the best of my situation."

His situation may not be ideal, but it could be a lot worse, according to Bears wide receivers coach Darryl Drake, who is confident Iglesias has what it takes to play in the NFL.

"He's a competitor, and he wants to play, but there's still an opportunity," Drake said. "He's still on the football team. There are a lot of guys that got released that are no longer on football teams.

"He's being positive about it. He's going to keep working because he's a play away from playing."

When he got the bad news, Iglesias confided in friends and family, including Aromashodu, who experienced the same ups and downs and eventually succeeded by persevering.

Aromashodu spent 2006 on Indianapolis' practice squad, played briefly with the Colts the following season, and then spent most of 2008 on the Washington Redskins' practice squad before the Bears rescued him and made him a major player in their offense.

"I think it helps when D.A.'s been through it and you see him being successful," Iglesias said. "He said he knows what I'm feeling and just to be strong and be patient and stuff like that."

It worked for Aromashodu, who caught 22 passes for 282 yards and 3 touchdowns in the Bears' final four games last season.

"I told him just to stay focused" Aromashodu said. "It's not the end of the world, and if you still have the opportunity to play for this team or any other team, then just take advantage of it and just keep focusing and continuing to believe in (yourself)."

Because the Bears kept just five wide receivers, an injury to any of them would put Iglesias back on the 53-man roster.

"You're always that close," Drake said. "We were watching film today and saw a guy just running a route and his knee just buckled.

"Bam, it's over and the next guy's got to be ready. (Iglesias') job is to stay focused and be ready, which he'll do."

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