Tight end group has been tight all year

Eight months ago, when the Bears used their first-round pick on Miami tight end Greg Olsen, it seemed like the beginning of the end for incumbent veteran Desmond Clark.

Instead, Clark has had arguably the best season of his nine-year NFL career. His 44 catches are 7 short of his best-ever 51 in 2001 with the Broncos, and his 545 yards are 81 shy of last year's personal-best 626.

And Olsen hasn't done badly either.

He missed the first two games with a sprained knee but still has 37 catches for 374 yards, the best rookie season for a Bears tight end by anyone other than Mike Ditka.

The two have coexisted peacefully and the team has prospered with Clark mentoring Olsen. The duo has combined for 81 catches, 919 yards and 6 touchdowns.

There has also been a chance for third tight end John Gilmore, the best blocker of the group, to contribute, although he was miffed two weeks ago when a numbers game left him inactive on game day for the only time in four years.

Clark has the best numbers, but even he realizes Olsen brings something special to the group, and not just his ability to stretch the field with excellent speed.

"He gives this room an edge that we haven't had in a long time," Clark said. "He's like the ying for the yang."

"We (Clark and Gilmore) are mild-mannered, and he's … I don't want to say the hot head because that's not him. But he's more of the exciting guy with some flare. He's the extra part of our triangle at tight end that we really needed. Me and (Gilmore) are really laid-back guys. You can get to (Olsen) real easy, (but) it all meshed. We all joke with each other, we all mess with each other, and our personalities intertwined and connected real good."

Clark insists that he wasn't irked when the Bears tabbed Olsen with their top pick, which some viewed as a slap in the face, considering Clark's 45-catch, 626-yard, 6-TD season in 2006. But the veteran saw the wisdom in the pick at No. 31.

"When I was watching what happened in the draft and everybody was passing him up, that was a no-brainer to bring this guy in to an offense that was trying to get better and get more play-makers," Clark said. "He was the best guy out there -- or supposed to be -- and if they didn't bring him in, the organization would (have looked bad). You really have to look at the big picture. You can't always think about me.

"I thought they were bringing him in to help this offense, not necessarily to replace me."

That's the way it's worked out.