Bears teammates not worried about Forte or Bush
Pro Bowl running back Matt Forte is not participating in any phase of the Bears' off-season program in protest of his designation as the team's franchise player and the absence of a long-term contract.
Teammates have no doubts that Forte will be the same impact player whenever he shows up, and Michael Bush was signed to a four-year $14 million deal in free agency to fill in for Forte while he's gone and complement him when he returns.
“Bush is doing a good job out here for us,” quarterback Jay Cutler said. “We all know what Matt can do for this offense. We all expect to have Matt at some point. I don't think anybody in this building is really worried about Matt coming in here and doing what we'll expect him to do. When he gets here, he's going to step right in and fill that void.”
Bush rushed for 977 yards last season with the Raiders and also caught 37 passes. He has played the featured role in Oakland and also complemented the oft-injured Darren McFadden. For now, he's the main man, but he's adaptable to change.
“I'm sure (Forte) will be here,” Bush said, “but when he gets here, my role doesn't change, as it was in Oakland. He's in, he gets tired, he goes out, I come back in or whatever. When it's my turn I know I'll be ready.”
Past is passed:
Wide receiver Brandon Marshall prefers not to dwell on the past success that he and quarterback Jay Cutler enjoyed while they were Broncos teammates from 2006-08.
“If you're staying the same, then you're pretty much getting worse,” Marshall said. “In life, in general, no matter what we're doing you always want to get better. When you get content, that's usually when someone passes you up.”
Both players believe reuniting with quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates, an offensive assistant when they were in Denver, will help them rekindle the firepower they displayed in Denver.
“I think we all share the same type of mind, talking about coach Bates and Jay,” Marshall said. “We strive for greatness, even in warm-ups and routes (against) air. We get upset when we drop balls or miss throws or call the wrong plays. We know what we expect out of each other, and we know what we expect from guys around us, so we're excited.”
Land and air:
With better talent and more depth at all the offensive skill positions, the Bears expect to be able to move the ball more successfully on land and in the air.
Wide receiver Brandon Marshall, the centerpiece of an offensive renovation, was asked how much better this group can be than the unit that was 24th in total yards last season.
“There's no telling,” Marshall said. “I don't know if we're going to be a better running team or passing team. But I know we can do both, and that presents a lot of challenges for defensive coordinators and guys lining up against us.”