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Muhammad gives Bears offense an all-pro threat
By Larry Mayer
July 7, 2005



LAKE FOREST, Ill. - The Bears addressed their most pressing need by signing all-pro receiver Muhsin Muhammad Feb. 26, less than 24 hours after he was released by the Carolina Panthers.

Muhsin Muhammad appeared in one Super Bowl and two Pro Bowls during nine seasons with the Carolina Panthers.
Muhammad, who appeared in one Super Bowl and two Pro Bowls in nine seasons with Carolina, had 93 receptions last season while leading NFL receivers with 1,405 yards and 16 touchdowns, both of which would have established Bears franchise records.

Bernard Berrian and Justin Gage are expected to be the primary contenders for the No. 2 receiver job behind Muhammad. Berrian possesses tremendous speed and displayed improved pass-catching ability during offseason practices. Gage boasts size, strength and leaping ability and figures to be featured after virtually disappearing from the offense last season.

Third-year pro Bobby Wade and rookie second-round pick Mark Bradley also will compete for playing time. Others who could be in the mix include Eddie Berlin, Kareem Kelly, Carl Ford and rookie fifth-round pick Airese Currie, a speedster who's recovering from foot surgery.

Bears wide receivers coach Darryl Drake answers questions about the position:

After watching Muhsin Muhammad in offseason workouts, is he as good as advertised?

He's better than I expected. When I saw him on film, I thought there was no one close as far as the guys that we may have had a shot at (in free agency). But I didn't anticipate him even being as good as he is. He just does the little things so subtly. You can tell that he really has been a student of the game. He's picked up so many different things over the years and his work ethic is tremendous. You don't get to where he is unless you have that and I see it each and every day.

How much of an impact do you think he'll make this season?

He's going to make a tremendous impact, not just from his production but in what he brings to the table as far as the whole offense is concerned. When you have a guy who has the ability to do the things that we feel he has the ability to do, it has a positive effect on everybody.

How competitive is the battle for the No. 2 position?

It's very competitive right now. You've got Justin Gage and Bernard Berrian and it's kind of been going back and forth. Neither one has backed down. Justin had the first shot and Bernard hasn't backed down. In fact, he's raised his level of play. Justin has done the same, and that's what you want. You want those guys to have that competition, but you also want those guys to raise their game to a different level.


Justin Gage figures to have a big year after catching just 12 passes for 156 yards last season.
What are your impressions of Justin Gage?

He's a silent guy. He's not a guy who's going to be real flashy or jump out at you. He just does his deal. You might look and say, "Boy, he hasn't done anything," and the next thing you know he's caught several balls and made some big plays. He's probably not a guy who's going to truly stretch the field like Bernard, but he's a guy who's going to make the tough catches. He's a guy who will catch the ball in traffic and a guy who has deceptive speed. I look for him to have a great year, I really do.

What are your impressions of Bernard Berrian?

He's a guy who possesses tremendous speed. He's still working on aspects of learning how to run routes and do different things that are going to help him get open. One thing he's done and needs to continue to do is get stronger because guys pushed him around quite a bit last year. He's really working on that aspect of it because if guys know they can push you around, they're going to do it. They'll disrupt things before you get started.

Who's in contention for the other roster spots?

Bobby Wade's steady. He doesn't possess great speed, but he's where he's supposed to be and he makes plays and makes catches. There's a place for him (on the team). He's done a tremendous job. You've got Kareem Kelly, who continues to improve and was really good in the OTAs. Mark Bradley has a tremendous amount of ability and will be a guy who is going to help us a in a lot of different situations because he has the speed and athletic ability to do a lot of different things. We've been really pleased with his progress. Then you've got Eddie Berlin and Carl Ford, so you've got a real good group of guys. Naturally, there are only going to be a few guys that make it, but you want competition. You want guys who are going to get in there and fight and at the end you're going to pick the best guys who help you win.

What excites you most heading into training camp?

I'm excited about the attitude and the amount of competition. There's great camaraderie and chemistry, but the competition is what breeds success. If you don't have it, guys have a tendency to stay at one level. But the more competition you have, the more it brings out the talent level of each guy. You want guys to be competitive and guys who are able to step up their game. They've got to be able to step up their game each and every practice. If they can't do that, it shows you that it's going to be hard for a guy to step up when the lights come on. To me, our practices are like games. We're evaluating guys in practice, so they've got to understand that they've got to come to practice with their hard hats on ready to work every day.

Which young player are you most eager to see when the pads come on in training camp?

I'd say Mark Bradley. When he gets rolling, Airese Currie is another guy you'd like to see. You have a pretty good feel for the other guys because you've seen them. Those young guys are the guys you really want to see. I don't need to see (Muhammad). I need to see him on Sunday. When you've got a guy who's been in the league as long as he's been, you start limiting his reps when you're getting ready to play because he needs to get his reps on Sunday.