It's Cutler's team to lead
Bear teammates see positive changes in QB trying to rebound from poor season
By Vaughn McClure, Tribune reporter
7:07 p.m. CDT, July 29, 2010
BOURBONNAIS — There is a noticeable difference in Jay Cutler this year. Just ask his teammates.
Like receiver Devin Hester, who figured the Bears quarterback would be relaxing the day before reporting to training camp Thursday. Instead, Cutler suggested the two throw some balls at Halas Hall on Wednesday morning.
"I see more of a leader,'' Hester said. "Me and him, one on one, went at it for about 45 minutes. Then after we finished throwing, I see him up there on the treadmill. I see him doing whatever it takes.''
Or right tackle Frank Omiyale, who grew accustomed to Cutler being one of the first in the weight room this offseason.
"I have seen Jay around the facility a lot more,'' Omiyale said. "Some mornings, he was beating me there.''
Maybe it has to do with new offensive coordinator Mike Martz constantly being in his ear. Or maybe the talk of coach Lovie Smith's job status serves as inspiration.
"Everyone on this team has a great amount of respect for him, as he does for us,'' Cutler said. "Guys who have been here longer than me definitely have a lot of ties with him and want to play well for him.
"You never know what's going to happen this year if we don't go out and perform, if Lovie gets to stay or not.''
Maybe Cutler simply is fed up with people reminding him of his 26 interceptions last season.
"I think everyone has a little bit of a chip on their shoulder, which is, I think, a great thing,'' Cutler said. "There's a sense of urgency to play well, which is what you have to have as a team.''
As Cutler addressed reporters Thursday, he reiterated his confidence in his receivers, reemphasized the complexity of Martz's system and revealed how he planned to spend any down time the next three weeks.
"This camp is a little bit more business, especially for myself and the offense," he said. "Whenever we're not practicing, we're probably going to be studying."
He did plenty of cramming this offseason, trying to digest a seemingly endless playbook. Cutler also picked the brains of a number of quarterbacks familiar with the scheme.
"It's an adjustment,'' he said. "West Coast … the last three or four years (with the Broncos and Bears) it has been just seeing guys and kind of letting it fly, letting it develop. In this offense, you're throwing the ball before your guys are ready sometimes and before the defense is even expecting the ball to come out. So the defense can know exactly where the ball is going, but the way the ball gets up in the air, up and down so quickly, it's hard for them to react.
"It took an adjustment for the receivers. That's why we started just receiver routes. Mike was saying, 'Ball, ball, ball,' when I was barely setting up, so it has become a habit. As many times as we've repped it out, we should be pretty much back on cue Friday."
vxmcclure@tribune.com
McClure: It's Cutler's team to lead
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