Healthy and producing, Bears rookie receiver Luther Burden III wants to prove he's 'dependable'

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) — Late Monday afternoon as the Bears went through a walk-through, rookie receiver Luther Burden III took his stance at the line of scrimmage and was ready for the snap. Instead, his name was called by head coach Ben Johnson.

Burden was pulled from the play by Johnson for poor pre-snap alignment, which led the Bears to reset their huddle without him. Back on the field Tuesday morning, Burden was pulled from a play once again by Johnson.

"He's trying to create a championship team here," Burden said of Johnson. "We got to do stuff a certain way here to execute at a high level."

Those instances aren't unique to Burden, though he's working from behind. The No. 39 overall pick in the second round of the NFL Draft in April, Burden was previously sidelined with a hamstring injury. He missed much of the offseason program and the first week of training camp.

Burden was back on the practice field for the first time Monday, working in an acclimation period to reach full speed. Though he's still adjusting to Johnson's offense, Burden has showcased his abilities in practice.

"The play speed stood out to me," Johnson said.

Burden was an All-SEC selection twice at Missouri. He hauled in 192 receptions and 21 touchdowns over three seasons, but Burden fell out of the first round despite many projections that he'd be selected there.

Burden seemed to take exception to falling out of the first round, stating after the Bears selected him that he was determined to prove his place in the league. The Bears are finding out quickly that Burden is a target they can rely on.

Now that he's healthy, Burden is out to showcase what type of wide receiver he can be.

"Big-time players make big-time plays in the critical moments," Burden said. "I want to be a dependable person, any time of the game. I want everybody calling my number."

Injury report
Bears right guard Jonah Jackson (leg) remained sidelined from practice Thursday and is considered day-to-day. Reserve center Ricky Stromberg (concussion) also isn't practicing.

Veteran long snapper Scott Daly was carted off during practice Thursday. The team didn't have an update on his status following practice.

Rookie Luke Elkin is the Bears' second long snapper presently on the roster alongside Daly.

The Bears will have a players' off day Friday. They'll return to practice Saturday morning at Halas Hall.

Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago's sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.