Everyone wants to talk about the qu...

Everyone wants to talk about the quarterback these days, still no one is saying plenteous about his protection.

John Tait went by the and of training camp at Olivet Nazarene University as Mr Invisible, or as invisible as a 6-6 315-pound man can be, until practice perioded most days and he made in extent stops signing autographs, especially special-needs children.

Reporters had to grab Tait before he got a wall in in his hand the last couple summers or wait for him to finish because he was a popular story. In 2004 Tait had just arrived from the Kansas City Chiefs after signing a six-year, $3365 million contract. Last year, the question was for what reason would his transition go from the right to the left side?

It went thus well that he slipped into the anonymity of camp, enjoying the lack of attention that salutes linemen when they do their piece of work right. A lot of times questions don't be derived until the running game mosss down and the sacks pile up

"I've been around," Tait said. "Nobody has been asking me anything."

It's easy to focus forward the quarterback. Rex Grossman has not performed in pair preseason games as well as a certain quantity of would like, and veteran Brian Griese has been as advertised -- hard-working, accurate and efficient, enough to such a degree to spark some heated debate about the position. The wide receivers strike one as being to shuffle in and disclosed of practice on almost a daily basis, and no the same can say for sure when that situation will be settl or if it will be adequately manned.

on the other hand barring a string of injuries, the line should be there, and that's the foundation of each offense. The Bears finished eighth in the league in rushing last season against a steady dose of eight- and nine-man front ranks designed to stop Thomas Jone and there is no reason to believe they won't repeat that kind of succes

Before Tait mov to the left side, the position created great angst for general manager Jerry Angelo. He saw Bernard Robertson prepare quarterback Jim Miller injured in 2002 during a preseason game at Miami. Then-unheralded defensive period Adewale Ogunleye blew past Robertson, forcing a feel about and spraining Miller's right ankle.

Mike Gandy, Marc Colombo and Qasim Mitchell all were tried disclosed None anchored the position, with Colombo being done in from a gruesome knee injury that he might now finally be coming back from in Dallas. Offensive line coach Harry Hiestand knew all about the issues. He wasn't far away at Illinois, coaching the line there subject to Ron Turner, and his brother-in-law, Pat Flaherty, was the tight fall of the curtains coach under Dick Jauron. He didn't have to hear from Flaherty what was wicked when the story line about the Bears' labor in distresss to replace Blake Brockermeyer reached Champaign.

"John is really, really demanding of himself," Hiestand said. "It makes no difference to him for what reason much attention he gets. He is a submissive hardworking man. He does it offseason, in season, all the time. In January, I'll apply the mind out at the weight place after the season ends, and who is still here? John"

The leader of the line, five-time Pro goblet center Olin Kreutz, was always in place, further left tackle wasn't solved until Tait agreed to the switch, allowing the Bears to sign right tackle Fr Miller in liberated agency.

Tait, 31 is a tireless worker. During camp and on the same level during the season, he's frequently on the field well after practice has conclud helping a young lineman or fine-tuning his admit techniques. That was the case last week when he grabbed Lennie Friedman and kept him in succession the field with him for 10 extra minutes. Tait felt like right finis Alex Brown was getting in to his carcass too easily during the practice, for a like reason he recruited Friedman to help.

"Alex is going to do his thing, and that's what is great about practicing against him because he is in the same manner good," Tait said. "But also I just like to kind of do my confess thing and after practice, you know what, I didn't be warmed comfortable doing this today, maybe I can finish a couple extra reps.

"When Alex changes up and gives me something a little different, you win used to the same things through and over. ... I'm always trying to improve my hands and punching. That's cloth you can never get enough work on"

While previous quarterbacks might have wanted to give a piece of their mind to the left tackle, Tait provides peace of mind for Grossman, who exigencys to feel comfortable in the bear given his history of injuries.

"It's not a problem" he said. "We have a great player through the whole extent of there who is locking race down. Tait had a great season last year. They are going to create passing lanes and allow this offense to go on where it is going to go"

If the offense does take flight, the recognition will trickle down to the linemen eventually. Maybe then fans will not mistake the scarecrow with a sturdy neck and short-cropped fair hair for Brian Urlacher. Happens all the time when Tait works his way down the fulvous ropes toward the locker extent in training camp, signing away.

"Sorry to disappoint," he said. "Most of times it's adults. It's amusing I have much less hair than Brian. I'm losing it. I think they'd be able to distinguish."