 | Brown, Sutherland In2002-10-07
BearsTalk.com - This week the Bears made a couple changes. First off they signed return specialist Vinny Sutherland to a two year contract and placed him on the practice squad. To make room for Sutherland, the Bears waived receiver Jammin Elliot. Sutherland was a star at Purdue and played with the San Francisco 49ers last season. There, he averaged 22.9 yards a return on kickoffs and 7.6 yards a return on punts. After the signing, Jauron announced that Leon Johnson would return kicks on Monday?s game against the Packers. After that, I?d look for Johnson to be relegated to backup duties with Sutherland and Rabih Abdullah taking over the returning game. Johnson is currently averaging 16.9 yards a return on kickoffs, which ranks dead last in the NFL.
The Bears aren?t stopping at the return game as they will also look to improve their defensive line production, namely the pass rush. Alex Brown appears to be the key change as he will replace Keith McKenzie as the starting left defensive end. Last week Brown had a very impressive game, where he not only put pressure on the quarterback, but also looked good against the run. McKenzie should still see significant time.
Earlier in the week, the Bears signed defensive tackle Ernest Grant to a two year contract. Grant will replace Warrick Holdman on the roster. Last season Grant played in 11 games for Miami with three starts. Grant is 6?5, 312 lbs from Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Article by: Jason Gage
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