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2007 Bears Camp Dates
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August 16, 2007 Bears Position preview: Linebackers
Brian Urlacher Height: 6-4 Weight: 258 College: New Mexico Years of Experience: 8 Arguably the best defensive player in the National Football League, Urlacher led the team in tackles in 2006 with 185, the second-highest total of his career. Urlacher posted a ridiculous 214-stop season in 2002. Urlacher is a scary combination of speed and strength and seems to make plays that mortals aren't supposed to. He is also relentless and can often be found going from sideline to sideline in search of the football and another player to hit.
Lance Briggs Height: 6-1 Weight: 240 College: Arizona Years of Experience: 5 Briggs' offseason swirled in controversy due to the fact that he was unhappy with his current contract and was then promptly locked to the Bears with the franchise tag. Unhappy with this scenario, Briggs vowed he would never play for the Bears again before having a change of heart days before training camp began and agreed to the one-year tender. Odds seem high that this will likely be Briggs last year in a Bear uniform because the contentious relationship between Briggs and the Bears still lingers.
Hunter Hillenmeyer Height: 6-4 Weight: 238 College: Vanderbilt Years of Experience: 5 Hillenmeyer has some overall weaknesses but they are rarely exposed because of the dominant skill sets of his other two linebacker mates. The Bears simply ask him to do an adequate job and not miss assignments. This is right up his alley as Hillenmeyer is a steady player and is rarely out of position, he rarely misses tackles and does his best to not be a weak link in the unit. Hillenmeyer makes up for a lack of instinctual play by studying the game relentlessly. Sometimes Hillenmeyer struggles when asked to make plays in pass coverage, but works at it and makes for a more than acceptable starter.
Brendon Ayanbadejo Height: 6-1 Weight: 228 College: UCLA Years of Experience: 5 Ayanbadejo is listed as a linebacker on the roster, but in reality he spends very little time at the position. What Ayanbadejo brings to the table is great skills in the area of special teams and was selected to his first Pro Bowl in 2006 after twice being tabbed as an alternate to the Pro Bowl for his special teams play. Has recorded a whopping 98 special teams tackles in 64 career games, including 28 in each of his two seasons with the Bears. Considering that several special teams regulars were lost in the offseason, Ayanbadejo's value will only go up as the Bears break new players into the special teams schematics.
Jamar Williams Height: 6-0 Weight: 234 College: Arizona State</p> Years of Experience: 1 For about three weeks, it looked like Williams was going to see a greatly increased role in the Bears plans. He was working with the No. 1 unit during offseason training activities during the Lance Briggs holdout and from all reports seemed to be holding his own. But when Briggs signed, Williams was quickly returned to the second unit. However, the experience gained by playing with the first unit can only help Williams development as a player and should be able to pinch hit should the need arise in the lineup. Leon Joe Height: 6-1 Weight: 230 College: Maryland Years of Experience: 4 Joe is in his second tour of duty with the Bears. Originally drafted by the team in 2004 in the fourth round, Joe didn't make much of an impression and was released early in the season. He was promptly picked up by the Cardinals, but Arizona waived him prior to training camp in 2005. Joe has rarely demonstrated above average talent, but has become a reliable addition to the special teams unit, recording 11 special teams tackles last season and 20 the year prior.
Mike Okwo Height: 5-11 Weight: 232 College: Stanford Years of Experience: Rookie Okwo was widely considered too small to be a regular contributor on an NFL roster, but the Bears have a track record of getting fairly good production out of players that other organizations deem a poor fit. One needs to only look as far as Lance Briggs for proof, as that was the reason Briggs slipped into the third round of the 2003 draft. As for Okwo, he's an athletic, instinctive player that plays with good intensity. However, his size limitations and history of injuries are causes for concern.
Danny Verdun Wheeler Height: 6-2 Weight: 242 College: Georgia Years of Experience: Rookie Wheeler possesses good size and strength for the position and has a history of being very productive in his collegiate career before tapering off in his senior season. He recorded more tackles in his sophomore and junior seasons than he did in his senior campaign. But Wheeler is versatile and can play all three linebacker positions if asked, he is probably little more than a role player but might be able to be productive if put in the right situation.
Rod Wilson Height: 6-2 Weight: 230 College: South Carolina Years of Experience: 2 Wilson can probably tell you a little bit of how to play almost every position on the field. Ironically, he probably has the least experience at the position he is actually listed at on the roster -- linebacker. Wilson was an option quarterback in high school, started at that position in college before moving to wide receiver in his sophomore campaign and then moved to defense for his final two collegiate seasons moving back and forth from linebacker to strong safety. Wilson finally got a chance to contribute last season, recording 14 special teams tackles in the 13 games he was on the active roster.
Darrell McClover Height: 6-1 Weight: 226 College: Miami (FL) Years of Experience: 4 McClover was originally a seventh round draft choice of the New York Jets in 2004 and spent two uneventful years with the Jets before being released. The Bears picked him up midway through last season and he played sparingly after his signing, but did make an impact on special teams. McClover recorded seven special tackles against Tampa Bay, a season high for an individual player on special teams. McClover is probably a long shot to make the roster and won't likely contribute anywhere other than special teams if he does. |
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