It's hardly a secret that the Bears are in the market for a wide receiver. The question is finding the right player to fit Mike Martz's scheme, which generally requires the ability to run every route in the playbook and run them precisely. You'd think that would rule out big receivers (like, say, Plaxico Burress) but that's not necessarily the case.
The Chicago Tribune's Dan Pompei wrote earlier this month that "The Bears are not opposed to adding a big receiver. In fact, there is a chance, maybe even a good one, that they will do so. But it's hard to find a big receiver who can do everything the Bears ask their receivers to do."
Burress doesn't fit the description of what Martz is looking for, but another 30-something, tall-ish wide receiver might: Chad Ochocinco. He's still under contract with the Bengals, but indications are that his current employer has no intention of paying him the $6.25 million he's due in 2011.
ESPN.com's Adam Schefter talked about Ochocinco to the Bears on his Insider blog ($) and he "wouldn't completely dismiss the possibility," but adds that "I believe Chicago's wide receivers are a bit better than most people think." Schefter goes on to say that the Bears have won with the current crop of wideouts, but adding another legit pass-catching target would help Jay Cutler.
Ochocinco is a better fit than Burress, although neither may be exactly what Martz is looking for. And who knows, maybe that guy is already on the team.