New Bears receiver Santonio Holmes hit the practice field in Chicago for the first time today, and he likes the way he fits in the offense.
“Oh, man, I’m excited,” Holmes said. “I’m really going to embrace this opportunity and take advantage of it. I think it’s a great group for me to be around. . . . Being around a group of receivers who have great experience and a quarterback who’s willing to lead his team and lead by example, I think this is the best fit for me.”
Bears coach Marc Trestman said the Bears think enough of Holmes to give him a shot.
“He’s got experience, he’s an excellent route runner, he’s got good hands, he understands the game at this level, and he had a workout that was relevant enough for us to bring him in here and give him an opportunity to help us,” Trestman said.
Absent from Trestman’s comments was any guarantee that Holmes will make the team: The 30-year-old Holmes has to prove he’s still a good player if he’s going to be a Bear when the season starts. But if Holmes is the same kind of player he was at his best, he could be a great third receiver on a team that already has one of the NFL’s best pairs of starters in Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery. It’s easy to see why Holmes looks like a great fit as a third receiver for the Bears.