Martellus Bennett: Bears Are In 'Construction'
By Chris Emma--
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (CBS) -- As if losing 26-0 to the Seahawks wasn't bad enough for Bears tight end Martellus Bennett to take, he lost out on a trophy, too.
Bennett's mother awarded his brother, Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett, a trophy for winning the brotherly rivalry. Martellus was trying to take it in stride on Wednesday at Halas Hall.
"They like Michael more than they like me," said Martellus, who referred to himself as the "black sheep" of the family. "But that's another story. I may need to go Dr. Phil.
"My mom gave it to him. It's not really worth anything. It's like getting a blue ribbon."
While Bennett displayed some humor Wednesday, he offered perspective, too. Changes are sweeping through Halas Hall, with the Bears moving veteran linebacker Jared Allen and third-year linebacker Jon Bostic in trades Monday, then waiving second-year safety Brock Vereen on Tuesday.
Veterans like Bennett, now in his eighth season, have been discussed as potential trade targets, something he's not too worried about. What he sees is progress being made by the organization.
"It's no different from construction being on the road," Bennett said. "Sometimes, it takes you longer to get home, but when they finish the construction, smooth sailing all the way. But you hate the construction at the time, but then you're like, 'Man, I'm glad they fixed that road.' That's kind of like what it is right now. There's just a lot of construction going on, a lot of guys trying to get around and get where they need to be."
The Bears currently stand at 0-3 but are looking ahead to Sunday against the Raiders at Soldier Field. It's an opportunity to earn that first win and get this season going in the right direction. Chicago also received a bit of good news Wednesday, with quarterback Jay Cutler, receiver Alshon Jeffery and defensive tackle Jeremiah Ratliff returning to practice. Sticking to metaphors, Bennett compared it to working with a full toolbox.
Looking at the big picture, first-year general manager Ryan Pace is in the process of restocking the Bears with organizational depth. For this 2015 team, that means it won't always come easy. It's something Bennett understands.
"It's just a little construction going on right now," Bennett said. "So, I'm all in – I really love Fox, everything Pace is doing, everything (offensive coordinator Adam Gase) is doing. I'm excited about the future of the Chicago Bears, and I think everyone should be. It's tough right now when you go out there and lose – and, sometimes, the fashion that we lose – but there's a lot of little things that are getting better that you won't even notice on tape.
"The winning is going to come. It's just getting the right guys in the locker room, the right mentality. I think a lot of it is changing the mentality of the culture of this team, which takes time."
Follow Chris on Twitter @CEmma670.
