Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall sat out of Monday’s training camp due to soreness from his latest hip surgery. This is Marshall’s third hip surgery and he is going into his eighth year in the NFL. However, he has been able to recover from the previous two surgeries and apparently it hasn’t affected his playing abilities so far as last season he set a franchise record with 118 receptions. His absence Monday allowed for the other receivers to have a chance to show potential. In this case it was Alshon Jeffery and Joe Anderson.
This is Jeffery’s second season as wide receiver with the Bears. He was able to make some major plays with long touchdown passes and proved himself when matched up against corner Charles Tillman. Jeffrey only played in six games last season but could be seeing a lot more this fall if he can stay healthy.
Anderson has a Rudy-like ambition when it comes to trying to get his name on the Bears roster. He’s currently waiting patiently on the practice squad and on the special teams, but he had the opportunity to fill in for Marshall on Monday. After catching a pass from Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and proving his ability with the first team, he had head coach Marc Trestman tilting his head at the possibility. “He’s had a good camp. He’s shown strong hands. He’s shown the ability to get open in tight coverage and he’s coming out every day to compete and he brings added value because he’s a good special teams player.”
Marshall is still expected to maintain his record-setting dominance on the field. If he can produce the same results is still up for debate. Trestman might take the opportunity to save his star wide receiver for bigger games to prevent re-injury and put in the other talent as a part of his overhaul of the offense.
Meriah Milliken is a Chicago Bears writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow her on twitter @MeriahMilliken, “Like” her on Facebook, or add her to your Google network.
