Countown to Kickoff… 88 Days Until Chicago Bears Kickoff

August 18, 2012; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams tight end Brody Eldridge (81) looks on in the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs at the Edward Jones Dome. This was taken before he joined the Bears. The Rams won 31-17. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

We are Brody Eldridge days away from kickoff. That means in 8 sets of 11 days, the Bears will be playing the Bengals. Brody Eldridge is currently a right end on the team. He’s a pretty big guy, at 6″5 265 pounds. He has been in the league for 3 years and has caught 14 passes for 84 yards and no touchdowns. This former Oklahoma Sooner was signed by the Bears in the middle of last season, but was released to make room for Josh McCown. Then he was resigned again early this year.

I’m not expecting any big things from Eldridge this year. He is primarily known as a blocking tight end. If he makes the roster, I would like to see him be used properly, for run blocking and pass protection. Who knows? It would be nice if a big tight end could be useful in the Bears new offense.

My personal favorite number 88 on the Bears was Desmond Clark. Everyone remembers him. He wasn’t the best tight end in the game, but he was always a threat. He finished his career with 323 catches for 3,591 yards and 27 touchdowns. Desmond Clark’s best game came in a playoff spot clinching win against the Tampa Bay Bucs in 2006. He has 7 catches for 125 yards and 2 touchdowns. He may not have been a great tight end, but he was always solid. And he was better than Kellen Davis. Here is a tribute to Desmond I found online:

We are 88 days from kickoff.  Are you ready???