Olsen providing different looks at tight end

BOURBONNAIS -- It wasn't too many years ago the Bears were having a meeting involving ownership and coaches and Virginia McCaskey lamented the team's lack of production from the tight end position.

So reported a member of the coaching staff at the time. Ownership, no doubt, is in a much more comfortable place when examining the depth chart now. The case could be made it's the strongest position group on offense. In fact, you would have a hard time arguing otherwise.

While you cannot name the team's starting wide receivers a week into training camp, the tight end position is solid and you've seen more double-tight formations than ever. There are a variety of ways it can be used but one of the dominant ones in the passing game has been the Ace package where Greg Olsen takes the place of fullback Jason McKie.

It's an interesting formation because Olsen has been lining up all over the place, at fullback, in the slot and split wide. He and Desmond Clark are paired with two receivers in a one-back formation and the possibilities are numerous.

The idea is to get a favorable matchup with Clark and Olsen on smaller or slower defenders but to make it work the offense is going to have to prove it is not only willing to run the ball out of the formation, but can run it effectively in the package. In practice, the defense initially was defending Ace with a nickel package, taking strong-side linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer off the field in favor of defensive back Danieal Manning.

The offense ran the defense out of the look and now it's a matter of down and distance. Offensive coordinator Ron Turner expects that is what will happen during the season but Olsen is really a wild card for opponents.

"We've got two real good tight ends," Turner said. "We've got to get them on the field. We're working those guys in a lot of different places and trying to do some different things with them."

They have to be careful how they use Olsen, who struggled blocking last season. He's not a fullback and Turner can't get carried away trying to make him something he's not. Fact is, Olsen fell to the Bears at No. 31 in the 2007 draft in part because he was considered one-dimensional as a pass catcher. But spreading a defense into a nickel look will give the Bears an edge running, and it could become an effective weapon in the red zone also. Clark and Olsen combined for six touchdowns last season. Wide receivers had 11.

"Greg is able to do all that stuff, coming out of the backfield and lining him up at different positions all over the field, lining him up in the slot, out wide and in the backfield," Clark said. "Teams are not going to be able to key on one particular thing he can do and we can create matchups that way."

Olsen might be best utilized split wide. He's got the speed of Muhsin Muhammad and he's a bigger target. There's plenty of shifting and motion and the entire offense remains a work in progress.

"We're expanding the package we touched on last year," Olsen said. "When we did it last year we were successful so I think we are going to try to develop from that and continue to grow. This gives us a lot of different things we can do."

Clark, a model of durability having missed only three games in five seasons, was rewarded with a two-year contract extension worth $5 million in the off-season. He posted 44 receptions for 545 yards and Olsen had 39 grabs for 391 yards despite missing the first two games of the season and then barely playing in the next two. The numbers exceeded those of most rookie tight ends.

"I think I just have to continue to earn time on the field, continue to show that I can do a lot of different things from the run game, blocking out of the backfield, picking up things out of the backfield in pass protection," Olsen said. "I feel I am much better than I was last year in the all-around game. Hopefully it carries through the season."

Position coach Rob Boras doesn't have any goals in mind when it comes to numbers for his room. Rookie Kellen Davis has been one of the pleasant discoveries thus far and things are looking up for the tight ends. At least there's one position on offense that's figured out.

(suburbanchicagonews.com)