Chicago Bears tight end Greg Olsen and NFL Hall of Famer Ted Hendricks were part of a Miami Hurricanes football reunion when they gathered Thursday to honor Whitney Young High alum and ex-Dallas Cowboy Russell Maryland at the University of Miami Alumni Club's fete at the Metropolitan Club atop Sears Tower.

(suntimes.com)

Tight ends: Now that Jay Cutler is under center for the Bears, one of the primary beneficiaries could be Greg Olsen. He has made steady progress his first two years, and his production could improve significantly. The Bears plan to line him up at multiple spots, making it difficult to defend him.


(chicagotribune.com)

4. Kellen Winslow, Buccaneers. After back-to-back 16-game, 80-catch seasons, Winslow was on the sideline again in '08, missing six games. His life will get better in Tampa. His unique combination of size, speed and athletic ability makes him a threat anywhere on the field, and offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski plans to take full advantage. Don't be surprised to see Winslow lead the Bucs in receptions, yardage and touchdowns this year.

13. Greg Olsen, Bears. There was no sophomore slump in '08. He showed great improvement and became a playmaker, particularly in the red zone, posting five touchdowns. After failing in several attempts to upgrade the wide receiver corps, Olsen remains the Bears' best and most reliable option in the passing game. His statistics are sure to improve with QB Jay Cutler.

14. Jeremy Shockey, Saints. He is a disappointment since arriving from New York, but Saints coaches say Shockey is healthy and has been spending a lot of time working with QB Drew Brees. Shockey is athletic and a capable big-play threat when at full strength. If Billy Miller can catch 45 balls in this offense (he did last year), a healthy Shockey can give this team 75-plus catches.

(sportingnews.com)

Former Whitney Young star Russell Maryland is teaming together with Bears tight end Greg Olsen to support a scholarship fundraiser for their school--the University of Miami.

Maryland will be honored at a dinner May 28 at the Metropolitan Club at Sears Tower in the 11th annual Chicago Scholarship Classic. Olsen is scheduled to appear along with Miami head coach Randy Shannon, other members of his staff and Pro Football Hall of Fame member Ted Hendricks. The event will be emceed by Bryan Dolgin of WMVP AM-1000. He is a 1997 graduate of the school. A golf outing will follow May 29 at Oakbrook Country Club in Oak Brook at 1 p.m.

For more information and tickets visit www.chicago-canes.org.

(suntimes.com)

Bears coach Lovie Smith says he considers Greg Olsen a starter, even if Olsen is "behind" Desmond Clark on the depth chart

"Who starts doesn't really matter," Lovie said. "Both guys (play). It's like you have a third receiver who is a starter. Greg is one of the guys." Olsen played 76.7% of Chicago's offensive snaps last season, to Clark's 78.2. The TE10 in fantasy last year, we expect Olsen to finish top eight in 2009.

(rotoworld.com)

Sources considered the presence at Cutler’s first press conference of both WR Devin Hester and TE Greg Olsen — who figure to be the primary targets for Cutler’s passes — as a very positive sign.

“The players were all genuinely sorry to see Orton go,” the insider said. “But the prevailing feeling seemed to be that it was time to move on.”

(profootballweekly.com)

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Tight end Greg Olsen was honored as the Bears player of the year Monday night at the 21st Annual Comcast SportsNet Sports Awards at the Hilton Chicago.

Olsen’s 54 receptions this past season were the most by a Bears tight end since Hall of Famer Mike Ditka had 75 in 1964. And with five touchdown catches, Olsen became the first tight end to lead the Bears outright in that category since Emery Moorehead also had five in 1982.

“This is a great honor for me to be here tonight to accept this award,” said Olsen, who was selected by the Bears with the 31st pick in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft.

“I’m very fortunate to play in Chicago. It’s a great city to be an athlete. They treat us really well. The Bears thankfully drafted me when they did. I couldn’t be happier. My teammates and coaches have been great to me, and hopefully I’ll be here for a while.”
Other Chicago athletes who were honored included Reed Johnson (Cubs), John Danks (White Sox), Patrick Kane (Blackhawks), Drew Gooden (Bulls) and Brian McBride (Fire).

The athletes chosen all made considerable contributions to their teams as well as the Chicago community. The dinner, which benefits the March of Dimes, was emceed by Chicago radio personality Steve Dahl.

(chicagobears.com)

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Tight end Greg Olsen will be honored as the Bears player of the year Feb. 9 at the 21st Annual Comcast SportsNet Sports Awards at the Hilton Chicago.

Olsen had one of the most productive seasons by a tight end in Bears history in 2008. His 54 receptions were the most by a Bears tight end since Hall of Famer Mike Ditka had 75 in 1964. And with five touchdown catches, Olsen became the first tight end to lead the Bears outright in that category since Emery Moorehead also had five in 1982.

The 900-plus expected attendees at the awards dinner will also be able to participate in a silent auction featuring Chicago sports packages, vacation packages autographed LeBron James and Wayne Gretzky jerseys, tickets to a White Sox Diamond Suite, a golf outing at Medinah Country Club, tickets to Chicago sports events and much more.

Dan Ustian, CEO of Navistar, is the honorary chair of this year’s Comcast SportsNet Sports Awards. William T. Barry, Senior Vice President of Draper & Kramer, is the event’s chairman, and James J. Corno is the President of Comcast SportsNet Chicago.

The event will begin with a reception at 5 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. The awards ceremony, which will be carried live on Comcast SportsNet in HD, starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $300 per person. Tables with preferred seating for 10 are $4,000 each. Regular tables of 10 are available for $3,000. To purchase tickets, call Amanda Condon at (312) 596-4722 or visit csnsportsawards.com.

Celebrating its 21st anniversary, the Comcast SportsNet Sports Awards has raised more than $6 million for the March of Dimes over the past two decades.

(chicagobears.com)

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – After a promising rookie year, Greg Olsen took the next step in 2008, delivering one of the most productive seasons by a tight end in Bears history.

Olsen’s 54 receptions were the most by a Bears tight end since Hall of Famer Mike Ditka had 75 in 1964. And with five touchdown catches, the University of Miami product became the first tight end to lead the Bears outright in that category since Emery Moorehead also had five in 1982.

“I thought he made a big jump,” said tight ends coach Rob Boras. “Having gone through a full year in the NFL allowed him to play more confidently, and that allows you to play fast.

“One of his deficiencies was probably in the run game, and his blocking improved. And then just being in the same system two years in a row, his knowledge and his understanding of the system allowed [offensive coordinator] Ron [Turner] to do a lot of different things with him and take advantage of his skills and the mismatches that we felt we could produce.”

Olsen caught more passes in 2008 than any tight end in Bears history not named Ditka, and his 574 yards ranked second on the team behind Devin Hester’s 665 yards.

“I think I had a pretty solid year,” said Olsen, who was named a second alternate to the Pro Bowl. “I got better and did a better job of growing from last year as a rookie.

“There are a lot of things I can continue to get better at, just trying to put myself up in that elite group of tight ends. That’s obviously the goal personally, and I feel like I definitely can do it.”

Looking to take advantage of mismatches with linebackers and safeties, the Bears lined up Olsen all over the field—as a standard tight end, in the backfield, in the slot and even split out wide as a receiver.

The 2007 first-round draft pick probably made the most strides in the running game.

“Greg improved his blocking quite a bit during the course of the year,” said coach Lovie Smith. “I am very pleased with what Greg Olsen did throughout. We didn’t bring Greg here to be an in-line tight end blocking the power 'O,' but in his role that we asked him to do, I think he did it well and he’ll only get better. 

"His future looks bright wherever we choose to put him.”

Olsen and veteran Desmond Clark form one of the NFL’s top tight end tandems. Olsen entered the league with a humble, hard-working mentality that endeared him to his teammates, and Clark helped make the transition easier.

“[Olsen’s] attitude has been a big factor in his improvement and his assimilation into our offense and what he can do for us,” Boras said. “But then Desmond Clark needs to be complimented as well for having a rookie come in and kind of take a guy under his wing and help him.

“The two of them work very well together. There’s a nice combination there.”

(chicagobears.com)

Tight end Greg Olsen caught three passes for 52 yards and a touchdown against the Jaguars in Week 14.
He made a nice play to stretch across the goal line on a 22-yard touchdown reception just before halftime. With Kyle Orton putting in his best performance since coming back from his ankle injury, he makes for a solid play against the Saints Thursday.

(rotoworld.com)

Wide receivers' statistics aren't always an accurate gauge of the health of the Bears' passing game because the tight ends and running back Matt Forte have played such big roles.

When the tight ends begin to fade, that's when you know something's up. Greg Olsen has only one catch over the last two games, and Desmond Clark has been limited to one catch in two of the last three games. That's a sure sign all is not well.

Minnesota used more nickel packages to defend the Bears last week, and they're preparing to face a Jacksonville defense that has done a solid job covering tight ends, holding Houston's Owen Daniels and Tennessee's Bo Scaife in check in the last three weeks.

''[Defenses] have given us a few different looks to it and certainly nothing that we can't handle,'' quarterback Kyle Orton said. ''We just haven't gotten anything going with them the last couple of weeks for whatever reason. It doesn't matter who they put on them. They're good route runners, they're good players and they can make plays. As an entire offense, we have to do that.''

Clark said he doesn't care who's catching passes as long as the Bears are winning. Problem is, the wide receivers haven't been doing much for most of the season.

''We always want the ball,'' Clark said. ''You always feel like you can make a difference, and when you're not getting the ball, that could be frustrating.

''But winning cures everything. If you win the game, all those frustrations, you don't feel. But when you're losing, the frustrations are magnified. Everybody has to step up, the receivers and the tight ends, for Kyle and get open and get separation so he can get the ball to us.''

(suntimes.com)

McHENRY – Hundreds stood in line Tuesday to get Greg Olsen’s autograph at Dick’s Sporting Goods in McHenry.

Some were children with stars in their eyes, and some were seasoned autograph hunters.

Olsen, the Chicago Bears’ 23-year-old first-round draft pick two years ago, had the day off and was participating in the Northwest Herald’s 18th annual Cans for Christmas and Toys for Tots drive.

People in line donated toys and food to needy families, and in return Olsen signed whatever they put before him.

Tony Petrat pulled his 12-year-old son, Zayne Petrat, out of Lake Geneva Middle School at lunchtime so they could be the first in line. They got to Dick’s at 1 p.m. Olsen didn’t appear until about 7 p.m.

The Petrats were part of a group that called themselves “The Bear-Stalker Posse.”

The “core group” included Chris Pugesek of Fox Lake; the Petrats, formerly of Johnsburg; and Merry Ladewig and Sherri Bulow of Antioch. 

They met about 18 months ago in a frenzy to get Fergie Jenkins’ autograph. They kept on bumping into one another waiting in such lines and became friends.

What did they all think of Olsen as a player?

“He’s a star in the making,” Pugesek said.

Bob and Amy Slawitschka of Spring Grove attended the event with their sons – Will, 5, and Cole, 9.

Cole stepped up to the table where Olsen spent two hours signing photographs of himself, jerseys, footballs and other Bear baubles.

Cole put Olsen’s rookie-year player card on the table in front of the burly tight end. Olsen’s rookie-year card shows him with his college team, the University of Miami. The Bears took Olsen in the first round. He was the 31st pick overall.

Olsen made Cole smile when he signed the card.

“I like your hair,” Olsen said. “You’ve got hair like me!”

(nwherald.com)

We are a "what have you done for me lately?" society, and while that may benefit Janet Jackson, it has made people forget how hot we all were for Olsen just a year ago. He was shaping up to be a top-tier tight end until Week 10 last year, when the rookie appeared to hit the wall and watch his production fall off a cliff. This year has been the opposite, as Olsen only saw seven targets in the first three weeks, but has had 26 balls come his way in the four games since. Right now, Olsen has more yards and as many receptions and touchdowns as any receiver on the Bears. In many leagues, owners are tempted to drop non-elite tight ends during their bye weeks. Give Olsen's owner another option. Make a small offer and get a guy who looks like he has another four scores in him this year.

(espn.com)

Greg Olsen scored his first touchdown of the season on Sunday night while also catching four passes for 35 yards.

Our View: The second-year tight end has been awfully quiet this season, but he won't get a much better match-up than next week at Detroit. He could be a good bye week fill-in.

(rototimes.com)

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Whoever first said that “a life without difficulties is a classroom without lessons” no doubt wasn’t talking about dealing with adversity on a football field. But Greg Olsen can relate.

After losing the first two fumbles of his NFL career in last weekend’s 20-17 loss to the Carolina Panthers, the Bears tight end is eager to bounce back in Sunday’s home opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“I’m sure if you asked the top guys in the league if they’ve had those kinds of days where things didn’t go their way, I’m sure every single one of them would say, ‘Yeah, I’ve had a few of them,’” Olsen said. “That’s just part of playing at this level. Things are going to happen and you’ve just got to learn from it and move on.”

Having committed the Bears’ only two turnovers of the season thus far, Olsen will focus more on tucking the ball away, something that was never a problem when he played at the University of Miami.

“My whole career I think I had maybe fumbled one time my freshman year of college and didn’t lose it,” Olsen said. “It’s not something I’ve had a history with in the past, so maybe sometimes you take it for granted, and sometimes things like this refresh your mind that, ‘Hey, don’t take anything for granted. Just get back to doing what you’ve done your whole life.’”

Although Olsen knows that opponents study tape, he doesn’t think that his two fumbles will cause tacklers to go after the ball more aggressively than usual when he’s carrying it.

“They want to strip the ball no matter who has it,” Olsen said. “I think probably every guy in the league at one point has fumbled the ball, so that would mean everybody has a target on their backs. I don’t worry too much about that.

“I think they have to worry more about game-planning to stop our offense and stop the tight ends and me personally from what we can do making plays and don’t worry about that other stuff.”

While Olsen can’t recall ever fumbling twice in one game, he did rebound from a poor performance at Miami.

“I had one game where I dropped two passes that were fairly routine passes and that was pretty much the first time I had dropped a pass in a game,” Olsen said. “That time I moved on the next week and had a real good game. You just get back to focusing on the week of practice, and that’s the same approach I’m going to have this week.”

Offensive coordinator Ron Turner gave Olsen a pep talk after the Bears returned from their road trip.

“I talked to him Sunday night when we got off the plane and said, ‘You’re a great player. You’ve made a lot of great plays for us. You’re going to make a lot of great plays for us. We’re going to come to you. You made two mistakes in that game. I made some mistakes in that game, too.'" Turner said.

“It wasn’t one play that lost the game. It wasn’t two plays. It was several plays; several opportunities we had and several things that we did. Greg’s a competitor. He’ll bounce back. No one feels worse than he does about it. We have talked to him and he knows we believe in him.”

Teammates have been supportive, but Olsen doesn’t need to hear any words of encouragement from them to know what he did last week and how he must overcome it.

“What are they going to say?” said Olsen, who has caught four passes for 43 yards in two games this season. “They know I was disappointed and not happy with those two plays. They know I hold myself to higher expectations than that and that I was harder on myself than anybody else could be.

“At this level in professional sports, things happen. You’re not always going to be 100 percent. Mistakes happen; that’s why a team loses. If everyone did every play right, every play would be a touchdown on offense and a three-yard loss on defense. Things don’t always go the way you planned. You’ve just got to not let it happen too often and just move on and get better.”

(chicagobears.com)

The glass is more than half full for the 1-1 Chicago Bears.
 
“We’re a couple of mistakes away from being 2-0 as the only team to start with two road games, against two good teams,” tight end Greg Olsen said.
 
He should know. He made two of Chicago’s biggest mistakes in Sunday’s 20-17 loss at Carolina, fumbling away his only two pass receptions.
 
Chicago’s 2007 No. 1 draft pick – the only first-round pick on the Bears’ offense – has had to cope with the unfamiliar experience of being a goat. He said teammates have been silently supportive.
 
“What are they going to say?” Olsen asked. “Obviously, they know I was disappointed and not happy with those two plays. They know I hold myself to higher expectations than that. I was harder on myself than anyone else could be.”
 
Offensive coordinator Ron Turner knew what to say, consoling Olsen after the Bears’ plane landed at O’Hare.
 
“You are a great player,” Turner said he told Olsen. “You have made a lot of great plays for us. You are going to make a lot of great plays for us. We’re going to come to you. You made a couple of mistakes. I made some mistakes in that game, too.
 
“It wasn’t one play that cost us that game. It wasn’t two plays. It was several plays.”
 
Not everyone saw it that way. An online poll on Comcast’s Bears postgame show identified Olsen’s fumbles as the runaway No. 1 reason the Bears couldn’t hold on to a 17-3 lead.
 
“Obviously, everyone on the outside has a lot to say about it,” Olsen said. “That’s part of it. I’ve just got to move on and know what I’m capable of doing. I’ve shown it many times. Now I’ve just got to get back to doing it.”
 
Quarterback Kyle Orton remains confident in Olsen.
 
“He knows we can’t have turnovers, especially on the road,” Orton said. “He feels bad about it. It was a tough game for him, but he’ll bounce back and make some good plays for us.”
 
“You never want to let your team down,” Olsen said, “but there was nothing I could do about it after the fact. I didn’t intend to do that.
 
“I just have to focus more on tucking it away. My whole career, I maybe fumbled one time, my freshman year in college, and I didn’t lose it. So maybe you take it for granted. Things like this will refresh your mind, so you don’t take it for granted. Get back to doing what you’ve done your whole life. There is nothing more to it than that.”
 
Actually, ESPN.com statistics show Olsen with zero career fumbles before Sunday, either in college at Miami or with the Bears.
 
“Greg is a competitor,” Turner said. “He knows that we believe in him. He will bounce back.”

(galesburg.com)

The Bears won't lose faith in tight end Greg Olsen after he fumbled following both receptions Sunday. The way their offense is shaping up around tailback Matt Forte, Olsen will be in position for so many play-action passes -- as long as offensive coordinator Ron Turner and quarterback Kyle Orton continue feeding him the ball. Olsen ultimately will be the best pass-catcher on this team, especially if Devin Hester is sidelined because of a rib injury.

An aside: Watching Olsen's struggles Sunday reminded me of an October day in 1999, when Minnesota tight end Jim Kleinsasser fumbled twice -- against the Bears, ironically -- in a 24-22 Vikings loss. Then-coach Dennis Green moved him to fullback the following week, and the Vikings have never considered Kleinsasser much of a receiving threat since. There's no chance the Bears will go to those lengths with Olsen, but for some reason it jogged my memory.

(espn.com)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Nobody felt worse than tight end Greg Olsen after Sunday's loss to the Carolina Panthers. And nobody should have. It was a pair of turnovers by Olsen, fumbles in the first and third quarters, that turned the game against the Bears. Well, it was the second fumble more than the first that doomed the team, but fumbles are never a good thing.

''Anytime you have two critical errors that lead to your team losing, it's tough to swallow,'' Olsen said. ''That's really all there is to say. It's unacceptable.''

The first came on the Bears' second possession after the team had reached the 25-yard line with a chance to add to a 7-0 lead after driving down the field from the shadow of their own goalpost. Olsen coughed up the ball after taking a hit from linebacker Thomas Davis. The ball was picked up by Jon Beason and returned 12 yards, but the Panthers couldn't get anything going.

The second fumble came one play after the Panthers closed the deficit to 17-6 with their second field goal. Olsen caught a pass in the flat from Kyle Orton and turned upfield for a nine-yard gain before former Bears safety Chris Harris poked the ball out while tackling him.

''It was a takeaway on their part, but we look at it as a turnover,'' Bears coach Lovie Smith said. ''We have to secure the football. It's kind of as simple as that. We know coming in, both defenses, that's what they live by, stripping the football. Learning experience for us, we have to protect the ball better than that.''

NFL coaches hate turnovers, and Olsen is lucky he's a good enough player to survive those kinds of mistakes. The coaches put him right back on the field for the next series. Former Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson once famously cut a player on the Soldier Field turf as he walked back to the sidelines after a second fumble in the season finale. The Cowboys won the game in a blowout, mind you, and went on to win the Super Bowl. But two fumbles in one game is simply not allowed.

''Both times the same thing happened,'' Olsen said. ''I caught it and I was bringing it in to tuck it and he reached around and punched it before I could tuck it away,'' Olsen said. ''The fact is you can't turn the ball over, especially in those situations. You can't do that to your team. You can't put them in those situations.''

Harris forced a league-high eight fumbles last year and already has two this season.

''That's an easy one when I'm tackling on the side,'' Harris said. ''Most ball carriers will try to give you a stiff arm or something, or they are not paying attention. It's kind of like when you are playing basketball with lazy defense and the guy tries to poke it out from behind. Those are the easy ones in football.''

(suntimes.com)

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Desmond Clark and Greg Olsen aren’t only one of the NFL’s best tight end tandems, they’re also two of the most complete players at their position in the league.

While catching a combined 83 passes for 936 yards and six touchdowns last season, the veteran and second-year pro also excel in other facets of the game in coordinator Ron Turner’s offense.

“We’re the type of people who just take it as it comes,” Clark said. “Whatever Ron wants us to do, we’ve go to do it. Playing tight end, that’s a unique position because you’ve got to do it all.

“Sometimes you come out of the backfield, sometimes [you’re responsible for] run-blocking, sometimes pass-blocking and sometimes catching passes. Our job is multifaceted and we just do whatever they ask us to do.”

Clark and Olsen were on the field together for several plays in last Thursday night’s preseason opener against the Chiefs, something that likely will continue.

Clark had 45 receptions in 2006 and 44 in 2007 and leads all NFL tight ends over that span with an average of 13.2 yards per catch. Olsen, meanwhile, showed promise as a rookie last season, catching 39 passes for 391 yards and 2 TDs after missing the first two games with a knee injury.

While tight end is the deepest position on the Bears offense, quarterback is among the key spots that remains unsettled. But Clark doesn’t feel that working with both Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton will hurt his rapport with whichever player wins the starting job.

“What I’ve been saying the whole time is that it’s a good thing that we get to work with both quarterbacks,” said Clark, who caught passes from Grossman, Orton and Brian Griese in 2007.

“Most of the time during the year you have to use more than one quarterback. Whoever wins the quarterback competition will be the starting quarterback. But sometime down the road, we might have to use that second quarterback and all this work that we’re getting in training camp will be good when he comes in.”

(chicagobears.com)

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)

SI.com has tabbed Greg Olsen as a breakout candidate. Over the weekend "Olsen got the most consistent cheers. Without a proven bunch of receivers, OC Ron Turner says he'll lean more heavily on the second-year tight end, who came on strong around midseason last year after essentially missing the first four games to a knee injury. Olsen has been a beast at camp, snatching balls in traffic and exhibiting acrobatic abilities on one particular deep ball Saturday -- that he barely managed to fingertip to himself while staying in bounds. Tellingly, that pass came from Grossman, which Bears fans have to like if he wins the job. Olsen and Grossman never seemed to click last year. Most of his balls came from Orton or the departed Brian Griese."

(nooffseason.com)

From the "what else is he supposed to say" department, Chicago Bears tight end Greg Olsen said he is happy with his team's quarterbacks and wouldn't be interested in acquiring retired quarterback Brett Favre.

Appearing on ESPN's "First Take" this morning, Olsen correctly suggested that "I don't think that would really ever come true." (As we've noted before, it's hard to imagine the Green Bay Packers either trading Favre to a division rival or releasing him if another NFC North team were interested.)

The Bears plan to go to training camp with Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton competing for the starting job, and Olsen said: "I think we're happy with the two guys we've got. I think we've got a good quarterback competition with Kyle and Rex ... and I think the guys are real comfortable with one of those guys being the guy for us in the future."

Olsen admitted it is "exciting" to hear people talk about the possibility of a Hall of Fame quarterback coming to Chicago. But as far as Favre goes, Olsen said, "I don't think the team or the situation would be ready for that."

Olsen has no choice but to express support for his teammates, especially given the slim-to-none chance Favre has of landing with the team. But don't assume Olsen was just giving lip service to the issue.

Certainly, Favre could make the Bears better in 2008. But he would be the shortest of short-term solutions. Who is to say he wouldn't subject his next team (if there is one) to the same kind of offseason uncertainty he has burdened the Packers with for the past few years? A player like Olsen, who is entering his second year, is hoping the Bears find a long-term quarterback -- possibly Grossman or Orton -- that he can grow with.

Would Bears players bar Favre from the locker room? Hardly. But it's probably a generalization to say they would all be unconditionally in favor of his arrival, either.

(espn.com)

Offensively, there’s concerns about the Chicago Bears’ line, quarterback, receivers and running back. That covers everything, pretty much, except tight end.

If the team has one fortified position, that would be veteran Desmond Clark and second-year Greg Olsen.

They don’t like to be thought of as any different from anyone else, though.

“We’re still going out there trying to compete,” Olsen said. “To help the offense out and make each other better, and bring whatever we can to the offense.

“I think we all look at it that we’re all out there together, the whole offense.”

Clark arrived in 2003 after being leaving Miami as an unrestricted free agent. He says it’s a good thing people aren’t expecting much from the revamped receiving corps.

“They’ve gotten a lot of negative publicity because they’re unknown,” he said. “The way they’re working, they could come out and surprise a lot of people this year.

“We’re probably in the best position we can be in — nobody is expecting us to do anything. It gives you something more than your own motivation when you get outside motivation.”

Bernard Berrian and Muhsin Muhammad are gone, leaving as free agents to Minnesota and Carolina, respectively. Brandon Lloyd and Marty Booker were brought in and Earl Bennett was drafted out of Vanderbilt to join holdovers Devin Hester, Rashied Davis and Mark Bradley.

“Brandon Lloyd is probably one of the smoothest receivers since I’ve been in the league, and I’ve played with some smooth receivers,” Clark said. “The way he runs routes, he doesn’t break stride. He’s been so impressive. Marty Booker’s been Steady Eddy; you know what you’re going to get. He runs good routes and catches the ball.

“Devin and Rashied, those are guys who could be big-time playmakers. When we get Mark back from injury (knee), hopefully he’s right there with the rest of them.”

Olsen downplays the differences between Clark and himself, as Olsen appears to line up in more spots than Clark at the team’s current organized team activities that end this week at Halas Hall.

“Des lines up all over the place, too,” Olsen said. “That’s the goal. It helps the offense to be able to move guys around at different positions. So every time you break the huddle, they don’t think he’s going to be on the line with his hand on the ground.

“The more formations you can line up in, the more personnel groups you can do.”

(rrstar.com)

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Bears middle linebacker Brian Urlacher and tight end Greg Olsen were presented with 2007 Brian Piccolo Awards during a ceremony Thursday at Halas Hall.

The prestigious honor has been given to a Bears rookie since 1970 and was expanded in 1992 to include a veteran as well. Bears players vote for the rookie and veteran who best exemplify the courage, loyalty, teamwork, dedication and sense of humor of the late Brian Piccolo, a Bears running back who died from embryonal cell carcinoma on June 16, 1970 at age 26.

“Brian has been described as dedicated, loyal, a great teammate and a tough football player,” said coach Lovie Smith. “You can describe our award winners today in the same light.”

Urlacher became the fifth Bears player to win the award as a rookie and a veteran. Last season he led the team in tackles for the seventh time in nine seasons with 158. 
Olsen, the Bears’ first-round draft pick last year, caught 39 passes for 391 yards and 2 touchdowns as a rookie, joining Hall of Famer Mike Ditka as the only rookie tight ends in team history to amass at least 300 yards receiving. “When you watch Greg Olsen play football, it’s not real difficult to figure out that he’s extremely talented,” said offensive coordinator Ron Turner. “With his size, athleticism, hands, speed and everything that goes with it, it’s obvious he’s a great player. But the thing that makes him special, that makes him the player that he is, are the other things, the intangibles, the things that maybe aren’t quite so easy to see. That’s what separates Greg and puts him in that category.  "His character, his work ethic, his desire to be great, leadership and intelligence are all qualities that maybe you don’t see, but he possesses at a great level.”

Brian Piccolo joined the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 1965.

Olsen also humbly thanked the Piccolo and McCaskey families for the award. He was especially touched that his peers voted for him.

“The greatest honor you can receive as a player is when your teammates recognize the things you do and the way you act,” Olsen said. “I don’t think it gets any better than that.”

Virginia McCaskey attended Thursday's awards ceremony in the Halas Hall auditorium along with Piccolo's widow, Joy, and two of three Piccolo daughters, Traci and Kristi. Patrick McCaskey, the Bears’ senior director of special projects, served as master of ceremonies.
Brian Piccolo joined the Bears in 1965 as an undrafted free agent after leading the nation with 111 points and 1,044 yards rushing as a senior at Wake Forest.

He was in his fourth NFL season when a chest x-ray revealed a malignancy. Piccolo died several months later. His courageous battle was later portrayed in the classic movie "Brian's Song."

When Piccolo died, the disease was 100 percent fatal, but the cure rate today is 95 percent.

Proceeds from the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund benefit breast cancer research at Rush Medical Center and the Clearbrook Center for the developmentally disabled in Arlington Heights. The fund has raised more than $5 million since 1991.

That figure will grow thanks to the NFL, which made a $100,000 donation Thursday, the final installment of a five-year, $500,000 pledge.

“Everything [Brian Piccolo] stood for and everything you  hear about him and the type of man he was and how he was a family man and everything is what everyone tries to be,” Olsen said. “That’s kind of what the whole award stands for, is how you act and how you can become part of something bigger than yourself.”

(chicagobears.com)

CHICAGO – For the first time in his life, Bears tight end Greg Olsen stepped on a Major League Baseball field and sang in public Wednesday at Wrigley Field.

Olsen threw out the ceremonial first pitch and served as guest conductor for “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh inning stretch of the Cubs-Brewers game at the Friendly Confines.

Bears tight end Greg Olsen delivered a high fastball before Wednesday's game between the Cubs and Brewers at Wrigley Field.

Wearing a No. 82 Cubs jersey with his last name on the back, Olsen strode out to the mound with confidence and delivered a fastball that was caught by Cubs relief pitcher Carmen Pignitiello.

“I’m happy with it,” Olsen said. “It was a little high, but I was going high and hard. That was my plan. It was fun. You grow up watching baseball, and then to go out there and do that is exciting.”

Olsen watched the game from a luxury suite with a small group of people including his fiancée, Kara, and teammate Rex Grossman. 

Olsen wisely didn’t ask for any advice from Grossman, who has displayed more accuracy on the football field than he has while throwing out the first pitch in two appearances before Cubs games.

“The first one bounced about 10 feet short and the second one hit the backstop,” Grossman said. “I tried to throw it as hard as I could.”

Watching the Cubs and Brewers warm up before the game, Olsen admitted that he was nervous about stepping onto the mound.

“It’s a big moment,” he said. “You don’t want to go out and embarrass yourself. You’ve got to show that you can be a jack of all trades.”

The butterflies in Olsen’s stomach only intensified as he prepared to sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” especially after hearing Grossman describe how it feels to be handed a microphone with 40,000 fans staring at you in anticipation.

“I’m a little more nervous about that, even though I would win American Idol,” Olsen joked.

Grossman’s advice to Olsen about singing was simple: “Have fun with it, and the worse you sing, the better they’ll like it,” said the quarterback, who last served as guest conductor in 2007.

Olsen did a solid job with “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” but his success on the mound was not replicated by the Cubs, who fell to 0-2 with an uninspired 8-2 loss to their National League Central Division rivals.

(chicagobears.com)

Greg Olsen has been hauling in just about everything. More Haugh: "Turner can pair Olsen in a double-tight-end formation with [Desmond] Clark, who is coming off a career year, and force defenses to make a decision. If teams view Olsen as a receiving threat and insert an extra defensive back, that opens up opportunities for the Bears' running game."

So picture this, if you will. Olsen and Clark as tight ends, Muhsin Muhammad and any one of Bernard Berrian, Mark Bradley or Hester split out wide and Cedric Benson as the lone setback. If the defense reads the run and brings an extra man in the box, which they would be insane to do, the Bears are already in a max-protect scheme and can keep Clark and Benson back while letting Olsen, Muhammad and the speed receiver run wild for Grossman. If they bring in a nickel back, who is already a mismatch with either Olsen or Clark, then they can just ram Benson up the middle for eight, nine yards.

(chicagosports.chicagotribune.com)

I’m really looking forward to playing in my first NFL game Saturday night in Houston. It’ll be great to be in a game situation against an NFL opponent outside of practice. I’m sure there will be a lot of fans there and it’s going to be an exciting atmosphere.

I’m not sure how much I’ll play. I’ll probably know more as the game gets closer. It’ll be great if I play the whole game, but we’ll see what happens. It’ll be a good experience regardless.

It’ll also be nice because I have some family and friends going out to Houston to see the game. My girlfriend and her dad will be there. A buddy of mine from Houston is going to be there and a good friend of mine, Eric Winston, plays for the Texans. So I’ll see some familiar faces.

My parents are really into football. They try to make every game they can, but being from New Jersey, it’s not easy. My girlfriend went to school with me at Miami, and her family lived in Florida, so they made it to most of our home games. There was always somebody there for me.

It seems that everybody has their own opinion on how Devin Hester being on offense is going to change things.  Be it Berrian and Hester having a good ol fashion foot race to the endzone, the one I am fond of, or running a double reverse or just being a decoy everybody expects that defenses will have to game plan him.
In truth though if they will need to game plan for a player who will see the field more, Bears first round draft pick, Greg Olsen is the guy.
G-Reg is already drawing some comparisons to Mike Ditka's work ethic and will give offensive coordinator Ron Turner a lot more options.

Turner can pair Olsen in a double-tight-end formation with Clark, who is coming off a career year, and force defenses to make a decision. If teams view Olsen as a receiving threat and insert an extra defensive back, that opens up opportunities for the Bears' running game.
If teams keep a linebacker on the field in the hope he can cover Olsen, good luck. There are wide receivers in the Bears' camp who would lose a foot race to the 6-foot-5-inch, 254-pounder. One result should be Rex Grossman improving his third-down completion percentage (52 percent) and passer rating (66.4) from 2006.
In a division in which every defense primarily plays the Cover-2, which leaves the deep middle of the field vulnerable, having the second-fastest tight end in the league matters.

"I'm eager to see how teams will handle that," coach Lovie Smith said. "After you see him out running routes outside, you can easily treat him like a wide receiver. He has those kinds of skills."

There are going to be some defensive coordinators spending more time in the film room then they hoped to, now having to insert schemes for when Olsen is on the field as well as Hester.

And if they manage to stop them, I am sure Berrian will be somewhere near the endzone and Muhammad will be his usual steady self waiting for the ball.

(windycitygridiron.com)

2. They drafted a tight end who will change their passing game.

Greg Olsen effortlessly reached up Wednesday between a linebacker and a safety and brought down a Rex Grossman pass with one hand—and kept running. He still has to prove he can be fluid and find the holes when wearing shoulder pads and a helmet but it would be hard to find a better fit for the Bears offense out of the '07 rookie class.

Now just get him to camp on time. Asked about the chances for a holdout, Olsen sounded hopeful and confident "things will work themselves out" before July 26.

(chicagortribune.com)

A solid case can be made that no NFL team got greater production from its rookie class last year than the Bears.

Reaching that same level in 2007 might be difficult -- Devin Hester set a league record for return touchdowns, and Mark Anderson's 12 sacks made him second in rookie of the year balloting -- but the Bears will get a better look at what they have starting today. A three-day rookie minicamp begins at Halas Hall, and the 72 hours will be packed with lessons on the playbook.

While the focus in 2006 was defense, most eyes will be on the offense this year with tight end Greg Olsen and running back Garrett Wolfe in positions where they could get on the field early.

Olsen promises to add a weapon to quarterback Rex Grossman's arsenal that has been missing. As much as helping Grossman, though, Olsen figures to help the wide receivers, such as Bernard Berrian.

CHICAGO — Nothing like having something to live up to, like being a first-round draft choice. But then living up to something is not altogether new for Greg Olsen, chosen by the Bears and projected to be their long-term solution at tight end.

“When you look at a draft, the centerpiece obviously is the (top) pick,” said General Manager Jerry Angelo, noting that the Bears drafted Pro Bowl returner Devin Hester out of Miami in last year’s draft and “we were so impressed with the University of Miami we decided to do it again.”

Indeed, if there is a theme running through Olsen’s football life, it is pressure and what it has brought out in him.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. - Greg Olsen grew up with football. His dad was a high school coach and would take him and his brother, Christian, around to different camps. That's where he got an early glimpse at how various programs are shaped into winners.

After later starring for his dad at Wayne Hills High School in New Jersey, Olsen started out at Notre Dame, transferred to Miami (Fla.) and now his football journey has landed him in the NFL as the first-round pick of a fabled franchise, the Chicago Bears. He's the first tight end the Bears have taken in the opening round since a guy named Mike Ditka was chosen out of Pittsburgh in 1961.

Check out a video of Greg Olsen being introduced as a Chicago Bear.

Click Here.

The challenge of playing football at the highest level isn’t likely to intimidate Bears first-round draft pick Greg Olsen.

Olsen is the first tight end the Bears have drafted in Round 1 since 1961, when they took Mike Ditka — the first tight end elected to the Hall of Fame and a living legend in Chicago.

Great expectations are nothing new to Olsen. At Miami, he followed three outstanding tight ends: Bubba Franks, Jeremy Shockey and Kellen Winslow Jr. He relished the challenge then, flourished in the situation, and insists he is ready for the next step.

“It was a big attraction,” he said of the tight-end legacy at Miami. “If you’re worth your salt and you’re a tight end, that’s the place you go. But it’s not the place you go if you’re not ready for the expectations that the position and the school bring. You can’t just go there and be another guy.

He has the flowing blond locks and pedigree of another athletic tight end from the same college program, but Greg Olsen is no Jeremy Shockey.

''I'm not quite as emotional as he is,'' Olsen said. ''I approach it a different way. I'm more of an even-keel, level-headed guy who plays hard like he does.

''I just don't ... I'm just not ... I'm just a different type of player.''

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — The University of Miami's record run of 12 consecutive years producing an NFL first-round draft pick appeared in jeopardy until Greg Olsen sprinted 40 yards in an eye-opening 4.51 seconds at the NFL Combine in February.

That burst of speed solidified Olsen's designation as the top tight end in this weekend's NFL Draft and assured that for the 13th straight year, a Hurricane will be selected in the opening round.

Florida is second with eight consecutive years (1983-91) producing a No. 1 pick.

"That's why this program has been what it's been for the last 12 years," Olsen said. "Carrying on that tradition at Miami is something that everybody that comes here takes a lot of pride in."

In a year when tight end isn't considered a particularly strong position for the NFL draft, Miami's Greg Olsen has run away from the competition - literally.

Olsen bolted a to 4.51-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine in February and also likely moved himself into the upper half of the first round where he's being projected as the Carolina Panthers' choice at No. 14 overall.

"I went into the combine with doing that in my head," Olsen says. "It definitely was a surprise to everybody else. It was more of a surprise to them than it was to me."

Aside from when Olsen jetted past NFL scouts, there wasn't a lot of other impressive speed.

In a year when tight end isn't considered a particularly strong position for the NFL draft, Miami's Greg Olsen has run away from the competition — literally.

Olsen bolted a to 4.51-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine in February and also likely moved himself into the upper half of the first round where NFLDraftScout.com projects him as Carolina's choice at No. 14 overall.

"I went into the combine with doing that in my head," Olsen says. "It definitely was a surprise to everybody else. It was more of a surprise to them than it was to me."

Aside from when Olsen jetted past NFL scouts, there wasn't a lot of other impressive speed.

Whether it's one, two or three players, the University of Miami's first-round streak in the NFL Draft is expected to continue.

For the 13th straight year, Miami will have a player chosen in Round 1 on Saturday, based on the so-called experts.

Tight end Greg Olsen's workout numbers have him climbing up mock drafts. He appears to be a first-round lock.

Linebacker Jon Beason and defensive back Brandon Meriweather have seen their stock rise and fall. However, Clark Judge of CBS Sportsline and Todd McShay of ESPN have all three Miami players being taken in Round 1

Where have you gone ... Johnny Mitchell?

His legacy as a first-round underachiever notwithstanding, the retired Mitchell - 12 years removed from the Jets - was their last true receiving threat at tight end. People forget that he averaged 47 catches over his last three seasons - not bad, considering no Jets tight end has topped 40 since then.

Now comes a tantalizing possibility: Greg Olsen, raised in the shadow of Giants Stadium, could be available to the Jets when they make their first-round pick at No.25 in next weekend's draft. Olsen, a former Parade All-American at Wayne Hills High School in New Jersey, is the latest stud tight end from Miami. Could Olsen join ex-Hurricane Jeremy Shockey at the Meadowlands?

"That would be unbelievable," Olsen told the Daily News. "You couldn't ask for anything better than that. My family would have to drive only 20 minutes to see my home games."

When he wasn't dominating opponents as a Parade magazine All-American tight end at Wayne Hills (N.J.) High School, where he was regarded as one of the nation's premier prep performers during his 2002 senior season, Greg Olsen didn't lack for athletic diversions.

The top tight end prospect in this year's NFL draft, Olsen averaged 16.3 points and 8.0 rebounds as a power forward on the basketball team. For the track squad, Olsen competed in the javelin and shot put. Even on the football team, coached by his father, he moonlighted, playing defensive end and handling the deep-snapping chores.

So, what to make of Olsen's sports smorgasbord?

Well, the diverse background helped mold the University of Miami star into the lone tight end likely to be selected in the first round of next week's draft. In some ways, though, the competitive carousel that Olsen rode to the top of the 2007 tight end class makes him similar to many players at a position that is now defined by the convergence of skill sets it demands at the NFL level.

INDIANAPOLIS ?UM's loss is the NFL's gain.

Greg Olsen's decision to leave UM after his junior season has bolstered what is generally considered a weak year for tight end draft prospects. Olsen began making his push Thursday at the NFL Scouting Combine to become the first player at the position selected in April's draft.

"Every year Miami does have guys who come out early, but this was purely an individual decision on my part," Olsen said. "I'd already obtained my degree [in criminology] and graduated early, so I didn't have to worry about going back at a later date. I played a lot of games at the college level the past three years, so I thought I was ready."

Greg Olsen has been preparing for the job interview of a lifetime for six weeks.

He has a degree in criminology from the University of Miami in his back pocket.

His previous work as a tight end, first as a high school All-American at Wayne Hills and then for three seasons at Miami, is complete. Attractive footnotes on his football resume.

His professional future -- at least the start of it -- now depends on how impressive Olsen can be during this week's NFL combine in Indianapolis.