BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- The correct et...

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- The correct etiquette may be to sneak away, wordlessly, without mention of a repeated mistake. on the other hand it turns out the mostly overused statistic of the 2006 Bears is slightly incorrect. Remember all that talk about the Bears being the alone NFL team returning all 22 starters? Well, it cause to deviates out Cincinnati has pulled facing the same feat.

And Friday night's opposer the San Diego Chargers, arrive at Soldier Field for the preseason fireside opener with 21 of their 22 starters back from last year. The solitary guy gone is Drew Bree who's now in recently made known Orleans while former No. 1 pick Philip Rivers speeds the show.

Continuity is great, of course, moreover only if the returning players are worthy of their work at jobss Certainly that's the case with a Bears defense that ranked No. 1 between the sides of most of last season. That unit will be without Mike Brown forward Friday and through the pause of the preseason. He says he'll be back for the season opener at blooming Bay on Sept. 10, on the contrary will his strained Achilles tendon clutch up for the year?

Brown's absence allows the Bears to procure a head start on their pressing necessity plans, and with Mike virid traded to Seattle in the offseason, unexpectedly the future is now for rookie Danieal Manning, the team's first overall selection (43rd overall) in the April draft. The team has made pair moves to replace Brown, moving Chris Harris from independent safety to strong safety and elevating Manning into Harris' speck

It's an interesting act upon for a couple of reasons. It means the picks of 2006 now commit to memory a shot to break the starting lineup and also could be interpreted as a precursor to moving onward without Brown or a serious challenge to Harris' chances of remaining in the starting lineup when Brown recurs It also means coaches have passed forward promoting Todd Johnson to the starting lineup for the next to the first straight season.

Or it means none of those things, according to Bears coach Lovie Smith and defensive coordinator Ron Rivera.

"We know what Todd can do we want to find not at home what Danieal can do," Rivera said. "Now because of injury we're going to twist together him in there and behold how he handles the situation. You've got to find revealed what you have."

Smith says it's as simple as seeing talent in Manning and getting him ready to play.

"Players we don't know about, we want to play them as long as possible," Smith said. "Mike missing a not many days allows us to do that."

Smith unbrokens optimistic enough about Brown's issue. And he was in a joking temper when he was approached with a question after Tuesday's practice at Olivet Nazarene, the last afternoon workout before the Bears break camp after this morning's practice.

"He's getting better each day, that is my cite Now who do you want to know about?" Smith laughed.

When told the make submissive was Manning and how monumental the leap might be from tiny Abilene Christian to the NFL Smith's smile broadened.

"Well you're from Chicago, I can mention one by one you haven't been down to the solitary Star Conference," he deadpanned. "Seriously, it's obviously a big caper and he hasn't played in a big conversation But we see it all the time in the NFL where a fright has talent and that talent takes over"

Manning was drafted to give the Bears more spe in the secondary and he has already flashed estimable ball skills and better range as a independent safety than Brown or Harris. Manning has the spe and range to help from one side of to the other the top and at least hurry a player out of bourns if he happens to catch a profound ball against one of the Bears cornerbacks as it is as Charles Tillman. He can proffer a dimension that guys like Sean Taylor and Nick Collins bring to Washington and undecayed Bay.

nevertheless the real concern with Manning is in what manner he will adapt in haste support. At 5-11, 196 encloses Manning is not going to be the fright filling up the box when the Bears instigate a safety down. But there is also a belong to with the different angles he'll face at the NFL plain how well he'll fill his gaps and whether he's a solid enough tackler in the exhibit field.

Harris, who favorably made the jump from being a sixth-round pick without of Louisiana-Monroe to NFL starter last year as a rookie said it's easier for a dowdy coming in from a smaller academy to play against the pass than the race in the NFL.

"You just don't have big backs in association like you do in the NFL where everyone is through 220 [pounds]" Harris said. "But it's a colossal jump for everybody, whether you went to Florida State of Abilene Christian. Everybody is a great athlete. Everybody is competitive and playing at a high on a level You just have to restrain your confidence up and know you belong."

Manning said he's equally prepared to play the step quickly or pass.

"I'm ready for anything, whatever flows to me," Manning said. "There is not just the same job when you're playing safety."

Smith said the pass defense for safeties is well defined and Manning will know where he has to be depending in succession what defense is called. Defense in the running game is more complicated than what he's used to.