--Fifth-round tight end Kellen Davis arrived from Michigan State with some questions about his work ethic that caused him to slip in the draft, along with an aggravated assault charge stemming from a fight at an off-campus party 19 months ago. But the Bears were convinced he was worth the 158th overall pick. So far he hasn't disappointed them, and coach Lovie Smith said he isn't worried about the character concerns.

"Kellen Davis has been good two days in a row," Smith said at the end of the rookie minicamp in early May. "We wouldn't bring any guys in unless we felt good about them being a good part and a big part of our team, fitting in and all that. We haven't seen any (problems)."

The 6-foot-7, 262-pound Davis is a virtual lock to replace free-agency loss John Gilmore as the No. 3 tight end, as long as he shows more willingness to use his excellent size and athleticism as a blocker than he did in college.

--Third-round wide receiver Earl Bennett had an inconsistent first practice at rookie minicamp, showing soft hands on some catches but dropping at least a couple easy ones.

"When I first came out, I was a little nervous, jittery," said the all-time leading receiver in the Southeastern Conference. "I'm playing at the biggest stage right now, my first practice. But overall I think I came out and did OK. Any time a ball hits my hands, I consider it a drop, so I dropped a couple. But I'll just try to make it up and catch the next ball that comes to me."

Coach Lovie Smith said he expected some nervousness from all the rookies.

"They know that this is the most important job interview they've ever had," he said, "and they know what's at stake."

--Southern Illinois quarterback Nick Hill was one of 10 undrafted free agents at the Bears' rookie minicamp, and he came in with impressive stats, but the other undrafted free-agent quarterback, Colorado State's Caleb Hanie, threw the ball more accurately than Hill.

Still, the SIU lefty had his moments.

"He looked smooth," offensive coordinator Ron Turner said. "We sent him some stuff earlier in the week, and it was evident that he studied it, that he got into the playbook a little bit. He had a pretty good grasp of stuff."

With only Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton returning at quarterback, the Bears are looking to add at least one more to the final roster and maybe another to the practice squad.

--Defensive tackle Marcus Harrison was a third-round draft pick, just like center Olin Kreutz and linebacker Lance Briggs, who have nine Pro Bowl appearances between them.

"It doesn't matter where you're drafted," said Harrison, whose mother (Michelle Harrison) is from Chicago. "It just matters what you do when you get out there."

QUOTE TO NOTE
"He has excellent speed, he has good size, he can make you miss. All the things you look for in a good running back, he has." --Bears coach Lovie Smith on rookie RB Matt Forte

Copyright (C) 2008 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.