LAKE FOREST, Ill. – There’s no truth to the rumor that Earl Bennett volunteered to pick up Jay Cutler at the airport after the Pro Bowl quarterback was acquired by the Bears. But there’s little doubt that the second-year receiver, who teamed with Cutler at Vanderbilt, would have made the trip if asked.

“It’s great playing with somebody I’m familiar with; a great leader in the huddle and off the field,” Bennett said. “Just his presence here has been great so far. I think he’s going to do wonders for this team.”

Jay Cutler operates the Bears offense during Thursday's OTA practice.

Bennett isn’t the only one who feels that way. All of the Bears receivers who caught laser beams from Cutler in OTA practices Wednesday and Thursday are thrilled to have the 26-year-old as a teammate.

“He’s just a very calm veteran quarterback and that is what you like,” said wide receiver Devin Hester. “It’s a quarterback who doesn’t really put too much pressure on himself, but you look at him and can tell he’s been doing this for a long time. That’s what brings a lot of excitement and a lot of big plays to the offense.”

“I think we have the ability to be a good offense,” said tight end Greg Olsen, who has clicked with Cutler on and off the field. “We’ve added a lot of pieces to the puzzle. Obviously, it is really early now. We just have to keep putting work in. We’ve got a long ways ahead of us. Guys are excited with what we can do.”

Cutler looked sharp again Thursday, connecting with Bennett on a quick slant, Hester across the middle and running back Matt Forte in the right flat during team drills against the Bears defense.

“I feel like we’re starting to click,” Hester said. “He’s in a situation where he’s in a new offense with new receivers, so we’re polishing it up and getting used to the timing of it and the speed. Once we get that down, we’ll be good.”

Bears veterans have been impressed with Cutler’s attitude. He’s shown leadership skills but has acted as “one of the guys” who doesn’t think he’s more important than any other player.

“He’s a tremendous teammate, a good person and a good leader out on the field,” said receiver Rashied Davis. “He’s not a yeller-screamer, but he’s vocal. He’ll come and he’ll talk to you. He talks in the huddle. He’s just not a yeller. He doesn’t come to the sideline screaming and hollering.”

His name is Earl: Cutler kept close tabs on Bennett from a distance last season when the third-round draft pick struggled to get on the field as a Bears rookie.

“I’ve heard Earl had kind of a rough go at it last year, which is fine,” Cutler said. “He came out early. He was young. It was his rookie year. You’re in a big city. Earl’s from Alabama. So it’s a tough transition.

“When I first got to Denver, I didn’t know the playbook either. I was just kind of throwing it around and they kind of took a chance on me. It takes time and I think Earl’s starting to come into his own a little bit and get more comfortable, and with me coming here I think it’s going to make him more comfortable and we’re going to get to see a little bit of what kind of player he is.”

Bennett skipped his senior year at Vanderbilt to enter the NFL Draft after catching 236 passes in three seasons, the most in SEC history. Working with Cutler as a freshman, Bennett was named first-team all-SEC after amassing 79 receptions for 876 yards and 9 touchdowns in 2005.

Catch this: Cutler has been impressed with Forte’s ability as a receiver. Last year the second-round pick broke Bears records for receptions by a rookie and by a running back, catching 63 passes for 477 yards and 4 TDs.

“He’s a smart player,” Cutler said. “You learn that right away. You can put him in different positions and he’s going to react positively. I’m excited about him. I think we’re going to be able to move him around a lot.”

In the hood: Free-agent cornerback Roderick Hood visited the Bears Thursday, but he left Halas Hall without signing a contract. The 5-11, 198-pounder has played six NFL seasons with the Eagles (2003-06) and Cardinals (2007-08), registering 218 tackles and 11 interceptions in 87 games.

Hood, who watched Thursday’s practice from the sideline, was released by the Cardinals April 28. The Lions, Rams and Bengals reportedly are also interested in the 27-year-old.