BOURBONNAIS, Ill. - Bears radio analyst Tom Thayer, who played guard for the Bears for eight seasons from 1985-92, analyzes his former team after nearly a week of training camp:

Which players have impressed you most so far in camp?

Rookie wide receiver Earl Bennett continues to impress in training camp.

I go to draft choices first, Earl Bennett and Kellen Davis. I was not impressed with these guys in shorts. They’ve been more impressive since they’ve put on shoulder pads and a helmet as action and reaction adds more to the timing of the play. Overall, this reminds me a lot of going to training camp with the Bears in ’85 and having a dominant defense and an offense that’s trying to catch up to the pace. The defense as a whole, including the first and second unit, is top notch. There are guys in the second unit with a lot of playing experience because of injuries. Then you get Nathan Vasher and Mike Brown back in the mix with Charles Tillman, and you look at the defensive line and the front seven and everything. When you look at the offensive line, Olin Kreutz isn’t practicing yet. You’ve got Josh Beekman in there getting a lot of valuable experience right now. I actually hope that Josh has to play the first couple preseason games just to get some time in there.

How much is rookie left tackle Chris Williams missing while he remains sidelined with a back injury he sustained in the first training camp practice?

In terms of the physical conditioning part of it, every day he misses he’s missing significant time. These guys are getting in shape and a 10-play drive to an offensive lineman is going to be second nature by the time Chris Williams tries to take three straight plays. That’s where he’s being hurt as a player. However, I think that you can benefit from it by taking some time in the classroom; making sure you understand your assignments, making sure when you get an opportunity to get back on the field that you’re not the one who’s slowing up the offense because you’re a second behind knowing the play or the snap count. Chris can really benefit himself by paying attention, but it’s going to be hard to make up the physical conditioning part.

When does Chris have to return to have a legitimate chance to compete to be the opening day starter?

I would like to see Chris be able to come in and play at least two preseason games at 100 percent. I think if Chris came back and he was struggling to get back in shape and make sure he was sturdy, John St. Clair is the best candidate to play that position. If Chris Williams comes in and he’s in a battle and he’s 100 percent and he can be the best player he can be, then I think if you give him a couple starts in the preseason—especially that third game—and he’s up to condition, I think Chris could compete and fight and win the position.

What does the defense have to do to revert to the dominant form it displayed in 2005 and ’06?

With the Bears defense back together, Brian Urlacher (left) and Lance Briggs could have reason to smile this season.

It’s there for the taking, but there are two things: Mike Brown has to stay healthy, and that’s the physical part of the game that every team deals with. The destruction of the game is going to happen with everybody, Mike Brown being the key. I also think that the offense has to be able to complement the defense with a sustained time of possession in the early games. If they can’t control the ball—hold onto it and give the defense a chance to rest—it’s going to take a toll on them similar to what it did last year. So the better the offense plays, the better the defense is going to play. But I would think the defense has an opportunity to be better than it’s ever been in the last three or four years when you look at the depth on the defensive line and the experience some of these defensive backs have gotten and how well they’re playing in their second training camps. The uncertainty of guys like Kevin Payne who show a glimmer of hope is going to be interesting. There are going to be some guys who are going to be released or may get an opportunity to go somewhere else and be a quality player.

How would you assess the performance of quarterbacks Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton, and do you think one of them has inched in front of the other in their competition?

No, I don’t think anybody has an edge right now. I think they’re even. One of the interesting parts of the quarterback derby is that they’re playing against such a good defense. Again, recalling my own training camp back in ’85 when the defense was the best in the NFL by far, the Bears defense is a very quality defense at this point with all healthy bodies, so the quarterbacks are practicing against a really difficult defense, first and second unit. So no one really gets a break. I think it’s great for the competition. But now a week into practice I think you need to start seeing better timing between the quarterbacks and the receivers. The responsibility isn’t all on the quarterback. The receivers have to understand the offense. With Devin Hester just getting here, it’s been a little bit slow in development. But I thought from Day 1 to Day 4, both quarterbacks made significant strides. Now when they start repeating the plays and everybody starts doing it for the second, third and fourth time, you have to see the quarterbacks play better than they’ve played up to this point.

What do you expect to see from Devin Hester on offense this season?

I would hope that he would develop a full understanding of the playbook, first of all, because if you develop Devin to only a specific package of routes, every defensive coordinator in the league is going to know that and it’s going to be tough for Devin to be successful. So first and foremost, he has to digest the entire passing playbook. Watching him in practice, Devin can catch the football and he is a courageous player, so fear is not going to be part of the evaluation process. It’s going to be how he fits into the whole passing game. Defenses have to respect his speed. So you’re going to see some wider passing lanes for other receivers as long as Devin can be involved in a full package. The opportunity is out there. Again, recalling back to the ’85 season, Willie Gault put the fear factor in every defense because he was so fast. But during the regular season he only caught one touchdown pass. So does Devin have to come in here and catch 15 touchdown passes? No. But he’s got to be a good enough full-package receiver where Marty Booker, Brandon Lloyd, Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark can benefit from his ability.

Lovie Smith often says the Bears “get off the bus” running the ball, but they struggled mightily on the ground last season. What are your expectations this season for the ground game and specifically rookie running back Matt Forte?

It’s got to be a combination. The offensive line has to block better and the running back has to be more dedicated to being good. That may be a little bit of a slight to Cedric Benson because I don’t think he clicked with the offense, the personnel or anybody around here as well as Matt Forte has so far. When you watch Matt Forte, he plays on instincts and he has the innate ability to determine how a hole is going to open up and then make a move accordingly. That’s difficult to find, but that’s why great running backs end up being great running backs. I think the sky’s the limit for Matt. The biggest thing I want to see him do is something I’ve seen other times in my career with great players like Walter Payton and Herschel Walker. I saw in a game where they got the heck knocked out of them in a one-on-one collision and then popped to their feet, got back in the huddle and did it again. I think that’s going to give you a glimpse into determining what Matt Forte can. Eventually he’s going to take a big-time abusive shot like he’s never taken in his life because in college they just don’t have those. When he bounces up, I think that’s when you’re going to see his acceptance being sealed.