[CBFF] CT - Bears await word on Olsen

[Jerry Madsen]

Bears await word on Olsen
Rookie TE likely out for at least opener with knee injury

By Vaughn McClure
Tribune staff reporter

August 31, 2007, 11:16 PM CDT

Greg Olsen's father, Chris, said his son met with Bears' team doctors
Friday afternoon, but the status of the rookie tight end remains
unclear even though there were indications the injury to his left knee
isn't as severe as initially feared.

As the Bears prepare to cut the roster to 53 players Saturday, the
biggest suspense revolves around Olsen, who injured his knee late in
the first half of Thursday night's exhibition loss to Cleveland. Coach
Lovie Smith first referred to it as a knee bruise and then a sprain,
which is more severe. Sprains typically take up to four weeks to heal.
An MRI is the only way to determine if there is ligament damage, and
Olsen is expected to have one after the swelling subsides.

	
The Bears took a wait-and-see approach Friday and hope to have a
better idea of a prognosis in a couple of days, a source said. The
team felt encouraged Olsen would not be lost for an extended period of
time, but his availability for the season-opener against the Chargers
in eight days seems unlikely.

Olsen would not be a candidate for the physically unable to perform
list because he passed his physical before training camp. The Bears
have to carry Olsen on the 53-man roster or place him on injured
reserve. Putting a player on injured reserve means the player is out
for the entire season and it's unlikely the Bears would do that with
Olsen.

Smith is likely to give an update on Olsen's status Saturday.

With Olsen expected to be out, the Bears will turn to sixth-year
player John Gilmore as the backup tight end to starter Desmond Clark,
the same tandem they used successfully last season.

"We have a group of good tight ends, and when one guy goes down, the
other guy has to pick up the slack,'' Gilmore said. "Obviously, it's
going to be a tough loss for us until Greg gets back.''

Olsen has wowed everyone with an outstanding training camp. He was
relatively quiet in the exhibitions yet still finished second on the
team in receptions with nine through four games. The former Miami
Hurricane, when healthy, gives the Bears an added dimension on
offense: a tight end capable of stretching the field vertically.

Olsen wasn't the only rookie banged up in Thursday's exhibition.
Linebacker Michael Okwo, a third-round pick from Stanford, left the
game with a shoulder injury. Defensive end Dan Bazuin, the team's
second-round selection, was shaken up on a play but returned to
action. Third-year safety Brandon McGowan (hamstring) and second-year
linebacker Rod Wilson (head) also left Thursday's game with injuries.

Back in routine

Playing two series and seven plays doesn't seem like much, but it was
an enormous step for Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris.

Harris sat out the team's first three exhibitions before suiting up
Thursday against Cleveland. What did he get out of his cameo
appearance?

"Just getting a feel of preparing for a game, staying at a hotel,
getting my mind right for the game," he said. "I wanted to be able to
do that and not go to San Diego and have my night in a hotel have to
be for that first game. So I prepared, ate things I usually eat before
a game and came out and got a feel for it."

Harris contends his left hamstring is healed from the tear it
sustained last season.

"My leg's fine. It has been fine," he said. "I just wanted to [play]
before we played San Diego. When I got the injury, it was because of
grass, where it slipped from underneath my feet and made my plant
[foot] go out. So last week [against San Francisco] I kept looking at
everybody slipping and was getting uneasy about the whole thing."

So he chose to wait and make his game debut on a drier field.

"Going out and getting a grip was fine for me," Harris said.

His next challenge is to get a grip on Chargers quarterback Philip
Rivers on Sept. 9.

Good start

With Charles Tillman sidelined by a knee injury, rookie cornerback
Trumaine McBride worked with the first-team defense as the third
defensive back in the nickel package.

McBride looked as comfortable with the starters as he has looked with
the second team. But he was a little awestruck too.

"It felt really good to be out there with the starters," he said.
"Being out there with Lance Briggs, Brian Urlacher, Nathan Vasher … it
helped me realize I can really play in this league."

Game guys

Devin Hester earned the distinction of getting the first "100" ranking
for speed in the popular Madden '08 video game, but he is looking up
at several teammates in overall rankings. Urlacher is one of five
players to be given the game's top overall rating of 99, joining Champ
Bailey, Peyton Manning, Ed Reed and LaDanian Tomlinson. Harris and
Olin Kreutz are both 97 and Briggs is 96.

Tribune staff reporter John Mullin contributed to this report.