VanderBear update: Earl Bennett turning heads in Chicago Bears camp

In the Chicago Bears camp, everybody from the general manager to the radio analyst is raving about former VU wideout Earl Bennett. We knew having his old pal Jay Cutler around would help. Word was that Bennett struggled last season to learn the Bears playbook and adjust to the pro game, and now everybody's talking about his instincts and his talent and how all his hard work's been paying off.

So is Earl better because he's gotten better, or is he better because he's suddenly got a quarterback who knows exactly where he's gonna be and what he's gonna do?

I'd say it's maybe a combination of both. But the star of the show has undoubtedly been Cutler, who's boggled everybody's minds with his arm strength and accuracy and leadership. Not to mention his pleasant disposition.

Chicago Bears overtake Tampa Bay Buccaneers for most Vanderbilt players

So has any NFL team in recent history had as many Vanderbilt players as the current edition of the Chicago Bears?

With the way rosters change it's tough to tell exactly, but as far as permanent rosters go, with five Commodores I think the Bears are in the lead — or in the cellar, depending on how you look at it.

Of course, the Buccaneers had the market cornered at the turn of this century. I remember watching a Monday Night Football game in 2001-2002 when Dennis Miller exclaimed, "Tampa Bay has more Vanderbilt football players than... Vanderbilt!" (OK, I thought it was funny, but then again I'm one of three people on earth who liked Miller on MNF.)

Between 2000 and 2008, the Bucs have had six Vandy players on their rosters, though not at the same time. The most at one time was four in 2000-2001, with Shelton Quarles, Jamie Duncan, Eric Vance and Todd Yoder. They had three in 2006, with Quarles, Jovan Haye and Jamie Winborn.