Greg Olsen's Game Improving In Martz' System

No player had more speculation surrounding their concern over the arrival of Mike Martz than Chicago Bears tight end Greg Olsen had last off-season.  The free agent signing of blocking tight end Brandon Manumaleuna added even more fuel to the fire.  Whether it was rumors of Olsen's displeasure over his expected diminished role or trade rumors, the attention surrounding the Greg Olsen - Mike Martz "issue" became an important story to watch during the 2010 season.

This morning on the Mully & Hanely show, Greg Olsen talked about how he embraced his new role in the Martz offense in 2010:

"There's a lot of other ways that you can impact the game rather than just catching the ball. I think last year really made that a lot more evident to me than I experienced early on in my career because catching the ball really was my role on the offense. Last year there were some other things that were maybe even more important or just as important as being out there to catch the ball. I did embrace that."

"I think I got better as a football player last year. Granted my catches and stuff went down, but I honestly can say I think I got better and there's a reason for that. Between the coaches and the off-season work that we were able to do, and as you continue to grow and mature as a player, each year you should get better. I anticipate doing the same thing this year."

Being that I have been critical of Greg Olsen's play in the past, I had my doubts as to how Olsen would fit into Martz' system.  As such, I took great interest in following the play of Greg Olsen last season.  I'll say this now as I said throughout multiple games last season, watching Greg Olsen's performance was one of the great surprises and stories that I will remember from the 2010 Chicago Bears season.

While there were occurrences of whiffed blocks in the backfield and miscommunication at times, I can also vividly recall several instances while reviewing the games where I would be pleasantly surprised and literally marvel out loud at the visible progress of Greg Olsen's play.  Along with the occasional growing-pain plays, you would see flashes of growth and progress towards him becoming a more complete tight end.  Whether it was seeing extra effort on downfield blocks, or doing whatever it took to seal a block including a couple of infamous "booty" blocks, Greg Olsen's growth in 2010 impressed me and made me more of a fan of him than I have ever been.

Click here to order Greg Olsen’s proCane Rookie Card.


(chicagonow.com)