Bears RB Chester Taylor unfazed by shaky status

Running back Chester Taylor, who could be an ex-Bear by 5 p.m. today, just wants a chance to play — anywhere.

“I still love football,” he said. “I still love playing the game. I still believe I can help a team win.”

Taylor wasn’t given much of an opportunity in the preseason, getting 10 of his 16 carries in Thursday night’s finale, and he averaged just 2.3 yards per attempt.

The week began with Taylor assuming he had been released after a 1-on-1 meeting with coach Lovie Smith. As a result, he left Halas Hall and missed Monday’s practice but was back at the facility the next day, assured that he was still a part of the team at that point.

It was a bizarre situation, even by Bears standards.

“It’s all right,” Taylor said. “I’m a professional. I know how to handle it. It’s not uncomfortable. This is the league, this is a business, so I’m going to take whatever comes to me.”

Coaches praised Taylor for coming to camp in tip-top shape, but he seemed to be the odd man out after unrestricted free agent Marion Barber was signed and third-year player Kahlil Bell impressed in early games.

Taylor, who averaged a disappointing 2.4 yards per carry last season, got just 6 carries in the first three preseason games.

“There wasn’t too much I could do,” he said, “but I believe (Thursday) night I did get some opportunities.”

Bell suffered what he described as a minor ankle injury Thursday night and Barber did not play at all because of a calf injury, so the Bears could keep Taylor as insurance in case anything happens to starter Matt Forte. Coach Lovie Smith was noncommittal after Thursday’s game when asked about Taylor’s future.

“I don’t really quite know,” Smith said. “Chester is a good football player. He’s been that way. Every player we have I feel pretty good about on our roster right now.”

That remains to be seen in the case of defensive tackle Marcus Harrison. When he reported to training camp 11 pounds over his prescribed weight of 316 pounds, fourth-year veteran may have dug himself a hole too deep to climb out of.

“I’m very pleased with how he has played lately,” Smith said. “I’m still disappointed that he got himself in a hole a little bit by not coming back in good shape. But it’s about how you finish, and he’s finished strong.”

After what could be his last game as a Bear on Thursday night, Harrison didn’t seem too worried about his future.

“If I’m back here Monday, maybe it’s a reason that they brought me back, but if I’m not, then I’m not,” said the 2008 third-round draft choice, who had 1 tackle last season when he was inactive for 11 of 16 games. “I understand it’s all in the coaches’ hands. So whatever decision they make, they make it.”

Although the biggest concern in Thursday night’s game was keeping starters and even top backups healthy, defensive end Nick Reed played as if his football life was at stake — and it may have been. Reed was more productive in that game than Harrison was all of last season and through the four preseason games this year.

Reed had a sack, a tackle for loss on fourth-and-goal when the Browns were at the Bears’ 1-yard line, 2 pass breakups and a quarterback pressure while playing the entire game on a hot, muggy night.

The undersized (6-foot-1, 248-pound) pass-rush specialist wasn’t complaining.

“I’ve been waiting to play snaps all this preseason, so I’ll take what I can get,” he said. “I had fun going out there playing. And I showed up a little bit in the stat department; more than I had in the past.”

Defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli was looking for players to get after the quarterback all preseason, which should bode well for Reed. But he wouldn’t speculate on whether he had done enough to make the cut.

“It doesn’t matter what I think,” he said. “I did my best. I’ll just see what happens.”