Maury Buford has a challenge on his hands with only a week to go before coach Mike Ditka has to make a decision on his punter.
Ditka lavishly praised new arrival Bryan Wagner after Tuesday`s 20-16 loss to St. Louis. Wagner averaged 37.7 with three punts, compared to Buford`s one punt for 31 yards.
”I was very impressed with Wagner,” Ditka said. ”He took the ball against the wind 46 yards. The next ball he had against the wind was good, too. Excellent hang time, over 4.5 seconds.
”The ball Buford kicked traveled 37 yards, bounced back 6 and was in the air 3.4 seconds. With the wind. So what can I tell you? Wagner`s stock went up tremendously.”
Ditka also was pleased with Wagner`s two kickoffs. ”The best two kickoffs I`ve seen since I`ve been here,” he said.
Wagner came to the Bears last week from Denver in a deal that sent offensive lineman Stefan Humphries to the Broncos.
Trainer Fred Caito didn`t hear Tuesday before he left work the outcome of Dr. Clarence Fossier`s exam on tight end Tim Wrightman`s knee. He hurt it on the first play against the Cardinals.
Safety Shaun Gayle will receive the chance this week to test out his injured ankle in drills. ”If he can`t practice this week, I think he`d be a candidate for injured reserve,” Ditka said.
Dennis McKinnon`s knee isn`t bothering him in his comeback from the surgery that put him out all last season. ”But he has a bad heel,” Ditka said. ”He played hard in the St. Louis game and did some good things.”
His other wide receiver named Dennis is preying on his mind. ”Dennis Gentry is catching the ball poorly,” Ditka said. ”But he did well on punt returns. He`s back there for the time being. We may look at (cornerback) Eric Jeffries again on punt returns.”
Ditka doesn`t plan to start rookie Jim Harbaugh to open the season. But if he did, how does he think the promising young quarterback would handle it?
”He could probably handle the football. But he couldn`t take me,” Ditka said with a chuckle.
”He`s a good young man, and whatever my method is with him, he`ll understand it and it`ll make him better.”
