Peterson's role still undetermined

Peterson's role still undetermined


BOURBONNAIS — Cedric Benson got 157 carries last season as Thomas Jones’ backup.

Six-year veteran Adrian Peterson isn’t expected to see that much action this season as Benson’s backup.

“We haven’t made those types of decisions, but I can tell you A.P. will be on our football team,” a noncommittal Lovie Smith said. “We like him a lot. He’s a big part of what we’re going to do.

“As far as a workload and what everyone will end up doing, that will all play out, especially after we get through the preseason games.”

Adrian Peterson carried just 10 times last season, but he was third on the team with 22 special-teams tackles. In 2005, the former sixth-round pick from Georgia Southern had a career-high 76 rushes for 391 yards (for a team-best 5.1 average).

Adrian Peterson is entrenched as the Bears’ No. 2 ball carrier, though, and he has performed well while working with the starters the last two practices while Benson got some rest.

“Once you have a player move into that role, it’s always good to see them play with the 1s,” Smith said.

Waiting game: Rookie defensive end Dan Bazuin can’t wait to get back on the field, but it might be awhile.

“We hope within the next week,” he said, “but we just want to get my knee right before I come back.”

The second-round pick from Central Michigan injured his right knee in rookie minicamp, missed most of the OTAs and had arthroscopic surgery on the knee, which he reinjured early in training camp.

“It’s really frustrating because I see my teammates out there working hard every day, and I can’t be out there at that level to practice,” said the 6-foot-3, 260-pound Bazuin, who had 26¨ sacks the past two seasons.

For now, Bazuin’s just trying to do everything he can off the field to keep from being too far behind when he does return.

“I just watch the guys at my position — what they’re doing right, wrong, that sort of thing and get an understanding of the defense,” he said. “It takes awhile to really fully understand it, and I’m just trying to grasp what the coach wants me to do when I do come back.”

Stepping back: Backup linebacker Jamar Williams’ stint as a starter ended about 24 hours after Pro Bowler Lance Briggs arrived at training camp.

“It’s a little disappointing when you get taken out of the starting lineup,” said Williams, who got a lot of work as the fill-in starter on the weak side in the off-season while Briggs was a no-show.

“But overall I just looked at it as competition for myself and getting better, and hopefully in the long run I can get on the field.”

Williams’ training-camp play has at least solidified his status as the Bears’ top backup at linebacker.

In a recent practice he picked off a Brian Griese pass in 11-on-11 goal-line work and took it back 90-some yards for a score. He also forced a fumble on the same day.

Just filling in: When strong-side linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer was held out of Friday night’s practice with an illness, it gave rookie Michael Okwo an opportunity to play with the first team.

“I thought he did a good job,” coach Lovie Smith said. “He’s done a good job in camp catching up.”

But the third-round pick from Stanford won’t be ready to challenge for a starting job for a while.

“Hunter’s our starter,” Smith said. “We just want him to get better and push himself to become a better football player.”

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