WR Dane Sanzenbacher (Official Thread)

[utgrad73]

http://www.chicagobears.com/DailyBlogs.asp?DAILY_BLOG_DATE=08/07/11

"[Williams and Hurd] are stepping up and making plays," said receiver Devin Hester. "The receivers group is starting to get more depth, which allows other guys to come out and be more fresh. The rotation is looking pretty good. We have at least five or six guys that can make plays."

Devin Hester may be implying that Dane is one of the 5 or 6 guys and part of that depth. This WR corps will be very productive and Dane may see some action as the slot receiver. He may surprise them with his ability to go deep too. I'm liking this part of the Bears offense this year.

 

[utgrad73]

http://www.chicagobears.com/DailyBlogs.asp?DAILY_BLOG_DATE=08/07/11

Sanzenbacher continues to shine


Posted: 8/7/2011 10:12:00 PM
Undrafted rookie receiver Dane Sanzenbacher continued to make the most of first- and second-team reps in Sunday night?s practice, just as he has done since the beginning of training camp.
The 5-11, 180-pounder from Ohio State caught a touchdown pass from Caleb Hanie in the back of the end zone during a red-zone drill and later made an 11-yard catch on fourth-and-10, sustaining a two-minute drive that ultimately resulted in a field goal.
"He's kind of the perfect guy to play in the slot," said coach Lovie Smith. "He's not the biggest guy around, but he's got great quickness, runs great routes and has good hands. He's a confident player.
"He came here looking to earn a position on the team. We give everybody an opportunity to show what they can do. He's taken advantage of a lot of reps he's gotten also. As a rookie you want to stand out and make some plays, and we've all noticed him just about every practice. He's doing a great job."

Dane doing what Dane does best - keeping the drives alive. It's sounding good for the rookie from Ohio State.

 

[utgrad73]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...ning-camp-2011-pictures,0,328824.photogallery

For more Bears pictures, go to the link posted. Hey at least his gloves are grey! Keep catching those passes Dane!


http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2011/08/sunday_aug_7_practice_observat.html

Sunday, Aug. 7 practice observations

By Sean Jensen on August 7, 2011 9:58 PM | 2 Comments | No TrackBacks

There was a threat of rain, but it ended up being a really nice night at ONU.
The practice had a lot of high energy, although we're starting to see what happens after more than a week of practice.

* Andy Fantuz, a CFL star, looked like a sleeper to make the team when he was signed in the offseason. But he's hardly made an impression, and undrafted free agent Dane Sanzenbacher has clearly distinguished himself among unheralded receivers.

This last comment was listed with the lows. They were talking about Fantuz as a shoe in to make the team. Dane is giving him some healthy competition.

 

[Sportsbuck28]

UT, I'd appreciate all the Dane updates you can find.

My favorite Buckeye ever.

 

[Gatorubet]

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/bears/post/_/id/4671105/sanzenbacher-challenging-for-wr-reps

The buzz around Sanzenbacher, a first team All-Big Ten choice
last year at Ohio State, is real. So real, in fact, he is challenging Earl
Bennett for first team reps in the slot.

"Seeing is believing," Bears receivers coach Darryl Drake said. "You can't
minimize the fact he's done some good things. I'm not. You know, this game
is based on production. The opportunities are based on production. Now,
he's got to go out there in the preseason and prove it against other people,
but he's going against some pretty good guys now.

"I'm trying to put him in the most stressful situations I can put him in."

Drake cautions people not to assume Sanzenbacher is a lock to make the
team -- last year the Bears kept five receivers on the 53-man roster --
but the rookie clearly has a legitimate opportunity.

"Are we ready to crown him? No," Drake said. "But we do see something
there and so we are just going to continue and help him develop."

 

[utgrad73]

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/bears/post/_/id/4671105/sanzenbacher-challenging-for-wr-reps

"I'm trying to put him in the most stressful situations I can put him in."

The prospect of being an undrafted rookie without the benefit of team offseason workouts sounds stressful enough. Throw in the difficult process of having to learn the Mike Martz offense, and it's fair to say Sanzenbacher has accomplished an awful lot in a short period of time.

It figures, he's a BUCKEYE!! :osu:
Thanks for the post Gator. Dane has always been a football smart player. Having the likes of Hester, Bennett and Williams around puts a little extra motivation in ya.

 

[TDunk]

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/bears/post/_/id/4671105/sanzenbacher-challenging-for-wr-reps



It figures, he's a BUCKEYE!! :osu:
Thanks for the post Gator. Dane has always been a football smart player. Having the likes of Hester, Bennett and Williams around puts a little extra motivation in ya.

Can't leave a Toledo native hanging. And go Dane!

 

[utgrad73]

more pics

 

[Buckskin86]

The Bears don't list a slot receiver on their depth chart (Williams and Devin Hester are the listed starters) but it looks like Earl Bennett is ahead of undrafted rookie Dane Sanzenbacher at that spot. Sanzenbacher, who has had steady reps with the first team in practice thus far, appears to be closing the gap. Asked who plays the slot receiver earlier today, wide receivers coach Darryl Drake said, ''Bennett -- for now.''

http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2011/08/williams_ahead_of_knox_on_bear.html

Undrafted rookie catching on
Posted by Bob LeGere on Mon, 08/08/2011

Undrafted rookie wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher is way more than just a training camp feel-good story of an underdog who flashes talent for a couple days and then disappears into obscurity.

The undersized, 5-foot-11, 180-pound Ohio State product has made his presence known on an almost daily basis, catching everything in his vicinity and managing to get open against bigger, faster, stronger defenders. And he?s caught the eye of coaches.

?He's kind of the perfect guy to play in the slot,? coach Lovie Smith said after Sunday night?s practice. ?He's not the biggest guy around, but he's got great quickness, runs great routes, and he has good hands. He's a confident player. He came here looking to earn a position on the team.?

Sanzenbacher has earned occasional reps with the first team, and he hasn?t looked overmatched, even though he did not have the benefit of an off-season to learn the offense or develop a rapport with quarterbacks Jay Cutler or Caleb Hanie. But he always seems to be where he?s supposed to be and finds a way to get separation from defenders.

?We give everybody an opportunity to show what they can do,? Smith said. ?He's taken advantage of a lot of the reps he's gotten. As a rookie, you want to stand out and make some plays, and we've all noticed him just about every practice.?

http://blogs.dailyherald.com/node/6109

 

[PlanetFrnd]

Keep the updates coming!!! Thanks, UT

 

[utgrad73]

Bears release first depth chart

http://www.chicagobears.com/DailyBlogs.asp?DAILY_BLOG_DATE=08/10/11

Posted: 8/10/2011 12:53:00 PM
There are few if any surprises on the Bears? first unofficial depth chart, which was released to the media Wednesday in advance of Saturday?s preseason opener against the Buffalo Bills.
Roy Williams and Devin Hester are listed as the starting receivers ahead of Johnny Knox and Earl Bennett, respectively. Of course, all four wideouts figure to see significant playing time in a Mike Martz offense that?s known for its multi-receiver sets. Rookie Dane Sanzenbacher and veteran Sam Hurd are both third on the depth chart.
In the backfield, Chester Taylor is listed with the second string behind starter Matt Forte and ahead of free agent acquisition Marion Barber.
At tight end, Kellen Davis is listed as the starter, ahead of Matt Spaeth and Desmond Clark.
On the defensive line, Henry Melton and Matt Toeaina are listed as co-starters at the three technique, while Anthony Adams and Toeaina are co-starters at nose tackle. At end, Corey Wootton and Vernon Gholston get equal billing with the second string behind Julius Peppers.
On special teams, Hester is listed as the top returner for both punts and kickoffs.

Hurd is good but Dane is pushing him. The fact that he is mentioned here after two weeks is amazing. This says something about his skills that the coaches have stood up and noticed.

Depth chart ---> http://www.chicagobears.com/team/depthchart.asp

 

[Gatorubet]

Hurd is good but Dane is pushing him. The fact that he is mentioned here after two weeks is amazing. This says something about his skills that the coaches have stood up and noticed.

These are the type of guys who would have done great on a developmental team if they could not make the roster as the 6th WR. Hell, Tebow is that kind of guy too. Wish they still had those - or the NFL Europe again.

 

[utgrad73]

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/ChalkTalkStory.asp?STORY_ID=8039

How is Andy Fantuz performing at camp? Does it look like he can land a spot on the roster?
Paul
Kandahar, Afghanistan
Andy Fantuz possesses good hands and size, but to be perfectly honest he doesn?t done a whole lot during training camp practices to stand out, good or bad. It?s not like he?s had any bad drops, but he hasn?t made a lot of memorable catches either. Part of the problem is that the Bears are now very deep at the receiver position: Roy Williams and Sam Hurd have joined a group that includes Devin Hester, Johnny Knox and Earl Bennett, and rookie Dane Sanzenbacher is turning a lot of heads with his play in the slot.

I keep hearing everyone praise Dane Sanzenbacher. What exactly is it about him that coaches like?
Paul K.
Pasadena, California
As coach Lovie Smith said recently, rookie receiver Dane Sanzenbacher is ?the perfect guy to play in the slot? because of his quickness, speed and excellent hands. Aside from the physical traits, I know Bears coaches have been impressed with how the undrafted rookie has responded when given opportunities to play with the first- and second-team offenses. I?m going to be really interested to see how Sanzenbacher performs in the preseason games.

 

[Pheasant]

I can't remember ever being excited for a preseason game before, I want to see what Dane does under the real lights.

 

[utgrad73]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...on-bears-depth-chart-20110810,0,3117424.story

Martz also talked up undrafted free agent wide receiver Dan Sanzenbacher and made it clear he believes it's the best group of wide receivers the team has had to work with in a long time.

"We've made him play three or four different positions and he's really done a good job in the slot with our nickel receiver and of course he plays X, too," Martz said of Sanzenbacher. "He's done very well. He's been very steady. He's got real tired legs right now and so we?re going to back off some of his reps tonight because he?s taken so many reps. But we're very pleased with his progress. With the things that we continue to add, he's been very, very good about his mistakes. Very few mistakes. We're pleased with him. He's got a chance."

Rest those legs and then kick some Bills Butt. :osu: