Earl Bennett

After an injury-riddled 2011, Bennett again missed time with a hand injury and a concussion last year. Even when he was healthy, he wasn't a significant factor, though his meager 29 catches and 375 yards were second among Bears WR to Brandon Marshall's totals. At 6-0, 206, Bennett has just average size and speed, but he's a good receiver out of the slot with toughness, route-running skills and reliable hands. He's also had a good rapport with Jay Cutler since their days at Vanderbilt. That said, second-year man Alshon Jeffery is likely to see a bigger role, and Bennett is unlikely to stretch the field or see much work in the red zone.

Jay Cutler’s favorite receiver dating back to his college days, Bennett missed most of the first half of the year with a chest injury before returning in Week 9 and recording three straight games of 75-plus yards. Then Cutler went down in Week 12, and Bennett was scarcely heard from again. The Bears apparently recognized Bennett’s rapport with his quarterback as they signed Bennett to a four-year, $18 million extension in December. At 6-0, 206, Bennett has just average size, and he’s not especially fast. But he runs great routes, has reliable hands and is tough enough to catch balls in the middle of the field. In short, he’s an ideal possession/slot receiver alongside the bigger and more dynamic Brandon Marshall, (Cutler’s other favorite receiver), who should draw most of the coverage. Maybe the Bears will get Devin Hester more involved (something they vow to do every year and on which they rarely follow through), and maybe second-round pick Alshon Jeffrey supplants him as the team’s possession option at some point, but our money’s on Bennett being the most targeted wideout on the team after Marshall.

Jay Cutler's battery-mate at Vanderbilt, Bennett went from fourth on the depth chart when the season started to the team's most reliable possession option as the year went on. In the end, the per-play averages (8.0 YPT, 12.2 YPC) were solid for the role, but the season-long totals (561 yards and three TDs) were nothing special. At 6-1, 205 and with average speed, Bennett's skills don't jump out, but he runs good routes, is tough enough to catch balls over the middle, has good hands (only 1 drop) and works well with Cutler. Offensive coordinator Mike Martz admitted he underestimated Bennett before last season and vowed to give him a bigger role. There's PPR upside here, but the addition of Roy Williams may have cut into that.

Jay Cutler’s Vanderbilt teammate, Bennett had a significant role last year with 81 targets, 54 catches and a respectable 8.1 yards-pertarget mark. At 6-1, 205, Bennett served mainly as a possession receiver — just one catch of 40 yards or more — and didn’t see much work in the red zone — just eight targets all year. He’s got decent speed and is tough enough to work in the middle of the field. Bennett’s worth consideration because the team’s wide receiver depth chart is unsettled, and in Mike Martz’s offense, whoever emerges as a mainstay should produce.

The pecking order among the Chicago receiving corps is unsettled, which means any one of them – Devin Hester, Rashied Davis, rookie Juaquin Iglesias and Bennett - could step up and become Jay Cutler’s top target. We’ll single out Bennett here because of his decent size (6-0, 205), good speed and toughness and his history with Cutler in college (the two played together at Vanderbilt). Bennett didn’t catch a single pass last year (though he did return a kick for a score) and had trouble picking up the offense, but these picks are all about upside.

The Bears selected Bennett in the third round of April's draft and expect him to contribute in his rookie season. The Bears are decidedly weak at wide receiver, and Bennett could easily put himself in a position to make an impact with a big training camp. Look for him to break camp as the third or fourth receiver, but plenty of opportunities abound. Unfortunately, the Bears' passing game doesn't appear to be a strength and could greatly limit Bennett's upside in his rookies year.