[CBFF] CT - Wallace, Day want to end up with Bears

Sun May 7 08:32:46 MDT 2006

Wallace, Day want to end up with Bears

May 7, 2006

BY BRAD BIGGS Staff Reporter

Tim Day thinks he came to the right place and had been
hoping all along the Bears would draft him.

Cooper Wallace figures it's probably a pretty good
spot for him, too, after going undrafted, and admitted
his agent pushed him to the Bears.

But that doesn't mean the undrafted free-agent tight
ends have a job sewn up by any stretch of the
imagination.

''People keep coming up to me telling me this is the
best opportunity at this position,'' Wallace said. ''I
don't know what everyone is talking about. I've been
watching [the veterans] on film, and I think they're
pretty good.''

That is what tight ends coach Rob Boras is saying,
too, pointing out that of Desmond Clark's 24
receptions last season, 17 were for first downs, proof
that four-yard grabs on third-and-three are more
valuable than they look in the box score. Boras'
bunch, which includes John Gilmore (one catch) and
Gabe Reid (three), was not real scary to opposing
defenses last season, but he's looking for things to
change.

''We were the fifth-best rushing offense in the league
last year,'' he said. ''Hopefully, the tight ends
helped contribute to that a little bit. There is
something there. Now, obviously everyone looks at
stats and we need to improve the pass-game part of it
and that's what we're striving for this offseason, but
I don't think the cupboard is entirely bare, either.

''Everybody wants to look at the number of catches and
number of touchdowns. It's what the position is based
on a lot. But obviously, if we are going to run the
football, we have to be able to block. That's where it
has to start for us right now.''

That's what might make Day's chances more difficult.
The 6-3, 259-pounder from Oregon says he's better at
blocking than he's given credit for -- and if he makes
it to training camp, he'll have a chance to prove it
-- but he put up some decent numbers for the Ducks
being split wide. He has also had durability issues,
having calf surgery previously and a knee problem.

''I'm just going to try to show everybody I can play
without the injuries,'' he said. ''I'm healthy right
now. I'm ready to play. I'm just trying to make the
team.''

Wallace does not have the speed to split a defense
like Day, but he's thicker and more experienced
playing in a three-point stance. He had experience as
an H-back at Auburn and has lined up at fullback
before.

Boras still is learning about both, and coach Lovie
Smith said the entire group made big strides on the
second day of the rookie minicamp Saturday at Halas
Hall. While Boras surely would have loved it if a high
draft pick would have been used on a tight end, he
pointed out the Bears are fortunate to have two
players who were at the combine.

''If they're not on this team, they're going to be on
an NFL roster somewhere,'' he said. ''I don't know if
it will be the active roster, but they have that kind
of talent.''

As far as his group as a whole, he hasn't set any
goals yet. Brainstorming aloud, Boras mentioned 60
total catches would be nice.

''If we doubled our number of catches, that means
we're getting a lot out of our [meeting] room,'' he
said. ''But I look at how many catches were for first
downs, how many came in the red zone. We all want 60
or 70 catches but it's important to move the sticks.''

bbiggs at suntimes.com

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