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Now that rookie mini-camp is through, we have a better idea of what Angelo has drafted this year to put us back into contention for controlling the NFC North in a year or two. One of the suprising developments has been the emergence of our two receivers Earl Bennett and (my SUPERSTAR IN the MAKING) Marcus Monk. Both players impressed the Bears coaching staff and reporters at camp.
The Bears’ work-in-progress WR corps is widely considered ordinary at best, with the team’s OTAs set to begin early next week. With that in mind, the consensus among team insiders is that both rookie pass catchers Earl Bennett and Marcus Monk — drafted in the third and seventh rounds, respectively — have an opportunity to make their presence felt fairly quickly. That much was expected from Bennett, who excelled at Vanderbilt in the tough Southeastern Conference, but not necessarily Monk, who according to recent rookie minicamp observers, was more consistently impressive than the receiver the Bears drafted four rounds earlier. Bennett got off to a shaky start in the minicamp, appearing to have a bad case of the jitters initially, but he steadily improved as the camp wore on, to the point where he was catching every pass thrown his way by the time the final day had been completed. Monk, meanwhile, caught everything in sight from the get-go, according to one close observer. “He could be a serious sleeper,” the observer told PFW. “He doesn’t have a lot of speed, but his size (6-4, 222) and hands could make him a real red-zone weapon.”
The article suggests that the emergence of these two puts Brandon Lloyd on THIN ice.
Personally, I think Lloyd should use this as MOTIVATION. Physically, he still has another long-term contract on his body. He has the skill sets, but has never been able to FOCUS and get over the mental barrier that he is playing against the BEST and that POTENTIAL just doesn't cut it any longer. With Marty Booker coming into his final years, this is Lloyd opportunity to show he can be a #1 on this team. If not, you have 5 receivers (without Haas) who have "potential." There is NO NEED for more.
Despite what skills he may or may not have, Lloyd has been at least a #2 in the league for a few years. This is his opportunity to show that he has broken the barrier. First challenge: Training Camp; beat out these rookies.
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