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Bears receivers making a name for themselves with Cutler
Brandon Rideau. Devin Aromashodu (pronounced uh-ROME-uh-shuh-do). If these names don’t sound familiar yet, they soon will. Both returning wide receivers have been turning heads at Bears training camp, most notably the head of quarterback Jay Cutler. His opinion, probably more than that of offensive coordinator Ron Turner, will probably have more to do with who stays and who goes. What makes these two stand out? Let’s look at the wide receivers on the Bears roster:
| Player Name | # | Pos | HT | WT | College | Exp | Age |
| Aromashodu, Devin | 19 | WR | 6-2 | 201 | Auburn | 3 | 25 |
| Bennett, Earl | 80 | WR | 6-0 | 204 | Vanderbilt | 2 | 22 |
| Broussard, John | 15 | WR | 6-1 | 181 | San Jose State | 2 | 25 |
| Davis, Rashied | 81 | WR | 5-9 | 187 | San Jose State | 5 | 30 |
| Iglesias, Juaquin | 17 | WR | 6-1 | 205 | Oklahoma | R | 21 |
| Kinder, Derek | 83 | WR | 6-1 | 202 | Pittsburgh | R | 23 |
| Knox, Johnny | 13 | WR | 6-0 | 185 | Abilene-Christian | R | 22 |
| Peterman, Eric | 86 | WR | 6-1 | 202 | Northwestern | R | 22 |
| Rideau, Brandon | 84 | WR | 6-3 | 198 | Kansas | 3 | 26 |
| Hester, Devin | 23 | WR/KR | 5-11 | 190 | Miami | 4 | 26 |
These guys have more size and about as much experience as any other wideout on the roster. In fact, Aromashodu picked up a Super Bowl ring with the Colts in Super Bowl XLI. I know, it’’s still painful to think of that soggy night in Miami. The Bears need one of these guys to step up. Cutler needs a big target to throw up a jump ball or fade route. At 5-11, Hester won’t win too many of those battles down in the red zone.
These guys are fighting for a precious few roster spots. Typically, a team will carry 6 wide receivers. Hester and Bennett are virtual locks. So are Juaquin Iglesias and Johnny Knox just because of their draft status and early promise in camp. That leaves two spots open. Rashied Davis could catch the next bus out of town and I wouldn’t bat an eye, but he seems to be like a bad penny – you can’t get rid of him. It will be interesting to see if the Bears believe they can stash 7th round pick, rookie Derek Kinder on the Practice Squad. Undrafted rookie Eric Peterman and second year man John Broussard will have to do something special down the stretch to distinguish themselves to even merit consideration for the Practice Squad.
Is there enough room on the Bears roster for two Devins? Can Rideau make the jump from practice squad bubble guy to a reliable target? Is there any legit wide receiver on the roster to take full advantage Jay Cutler’s abilities? These are the questions to ask yourself as you’re watching the upcoming preseason games.
BEAR DOWN!!!
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I really like everything I’ve read and seen in highlights of Rideau and DA. You nailed it, agree with everything. I especially believe Rideau’s gonna make some big plays on this team.
What’s funny is when Cutler keeps talking about the WR’s, he rarely ever mentions Rashied…
August 11th, 2009 at 4:18 amFunny thing about QB’s, they like guys who can catch the ball…
August 11th, 2009 at 1:01 pmPeterman has the best hands out of them all. Hopefully, he gets the chance to prove it during the pre-season.
August 12th, 2009 at 10:07 amYo Paulie – I think Peterman is likely headed for the Practice Squad. Having good hands is not a prerequisite for Bears receivers. Remember Mike Hass? He set all kinds of receiving records in college and couldn’t sniff the field last season despite our horrible receivers.
August 12th, 2009 at 11:33 amI really liked Devin Aromashodu when we was with the Colts and really was kind of hoping he would stick around. So hopefully if he builds some confidence with Cutler he can do well for you guys.
August 12th, 2009 at 2:59 pm