One of the most volatile traits a professional athlete can possess is potential.
Unfulfilled it can cost players their jobs . . . along with those of their coaches.
Bears receiver Dez White oozes untapped talent.
With the loss of big-play receiver Marcus Robinson to a season-ending knee injury, White will be called upon to deliver more, along with rookie David Terrell and third-year receiver Marty Booker.
Terrell remains behind Booker on the depth chart at flanker going into Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers. White will start in Robinson’s place, but the Bears often deploy three-receiver sets with Booker (30 catches for 331 yards and three touchdowns), Terrell (13, 136, 0) and White (7, 76, 0).
“It gives us all a great opportunity,” White said. “There are a lot more people who are going to have to step up. It’s not going to be one person who has to step up to replace Marcus.”
The 6-foot, 219-pound White is a second-year pro from Georgia Tech who was used mainly on special teams as a rookie. He caught 10 passes for 87 yards in 15 games. White has struggled to hold on to the ball in brief appearances this season, but the coaching staff has not given up on him.
“Dez has continued to progress . . . he has gotten better,” receivers coach Todd Haley said. “The next step obviously is making the plays in the game. He hasn’t had a lot of opportunities. He has had a couple of shots, but the opportunities will be there this week. He’s just got to make the plays.”
Quarterback Jim Miller has spread the ball around to several receivers during the Bears’ four-game winning streak, completing 73 of 106 passes for 748 yards and five touchdowns. Miller has no reservations about getting White into the mix against the 49ers.
“I know people have been kind of hard on him because he has dropped a couple of passes, but Dez is capable of very big things,” Miller said. “He’s a very fast receiver, a burner who can be a game-breaking receiver. Everybody is yet to see that, but we on the team know what he’s capable of.
“There are certain times in a game when there are going to be three receivers on the field. There are times when there will be four receivers on the field. So everyone is going to get more than enough playing time. I think people are making a bigger deal out of [who starts] than it really is.”
White entered the NFL draft following his junior year in school. He ranks second on Georgia Tech’s career receiving list with 90 catches for 1,833 yards and a school-record 14 touchdowns.
The Bears hope White’s confidence will be buoyed as he gets more comfortable within the offensive schemes. Running proper routes and getting open are only the first two steps to becoming a great receiver.
“It comes down to competing–when that ball is in the air, you have to believe that it’s yours,” Haley said. “Not just making the easy catches, but making the catches you’re supposed to make. Dez has the ability … when we can get the ball in his hands on the run, he will make some big plays.”
Terrell had a team-high seven receptions for 91 yards against Cincinnati last Sunday. Booker had six catches for 76 yards, including a 13-yard TD. White caught one five-yard pass.
Asked whom his primary receiver will against the 49ers, Miller replied, “Whoever is open.”
Northwestern alum D’Wayne Bates will suit up as the fourth wideout after being inactive for the first five games this season. The Bears were considering moving Ahmad Merritt from the practice squad to the active roster.
Robinson’s injury “is a big loss for us, but it’s an opportunity for myself and the guys,” Bates said. “It’s a tragedy that I get to play at the expense of one of my favorite players on the team, but we’ve all got to step up together and make plays the rest of the season.”
Said White, “We proved that we have a lot of potential. Now we just have to go out and do it on a regular basis.”
Elsewhere: Shane Matthews is expected to be available as the No. 2 quarterback Sunday after being relegated to No. 3 status by a rib injury sustained in Game 2 against Minnesota. . . . Cornerback R.W. McQuarters (groin) practiced Friday and should remain the Bears’ primary punt returner, coach Dick Jauron said. . . . Anthony Thomas showed no ill effects from a minor toe injury and will start against San Francisco.
