Changes Abound in 2008 as Bears Attempt to Replace Receivers While Likely Platooning at Quarterback

LOS ANGELES -- Following its 3-6 finish in the Pac-10 in 2007, the Cal football team was bound to see some changes for the upcoming season.

Coach Jeff Tedford has begun revealing them, one by one.

For starters, the names on the back of the jerseys are gone. Apologies to the tired eyes in the stadium stands, but coach Jeff Tedford has been preaching teamwork all summer. He even had his coaches present to the team chapter-by-chapter book reports of John Maxwell's Talent Is Never Enough.

Those matters, however, seem rather petty upon delving into the slew of on-field questions, not to mention the lingering injunction. Tedford took about four minutes to finish up his lunch before addressing a barrage of concerns during Thursday's media day free-for-all at the LAX Hilton.

First up, quarterbacks. It's now a fact of life that Nate Longshore and Kevin Riley will split time early on with what Tedford called their "different styles."

"With Nate's experience and knowledge, his progression goes from one, two, three, four," Tedford said. "He's gonna rely on his arm and his knowledge and those types of things.

"With Kevin, it's not that he's not knowledgeable, he doesn't have the experience yet. His game is more, one to two to run. So that's why it looks like he's a better runner. I'm not so sure that he's a better runner."

Tedford also mentioned the need to see more of Riley in game situations to make a proper comparison of the two quarterbacks. Last season's Armed Forces Bowl was "a good game for (Riley)," but Longshore's resume includes wins over tougher, in-conference opponents.

With the departure of Justin Forsett, the backfield is certain to see a platoon of at least two tailbacks, according to Tedford. And although he spared a compliment for sophomore Shane Vereen for every few given to Jahvid Best, it was clear that Tedford has big ideas for the latter.

It's no secret that Best, whose potential for power Tedford says is underestimated, also has enough speed to quench a crowd of 75,000. When asked whether Best and former wideout DeSean Jackson had ever raced, Tedford shared an anecdote, in a way raising the level of anticipation for August 30, when Bears fans will see Best for the first time since his hip injury.

"They kind of raced one day, and the whole team was egging them on," Tedford said. "They took off, and Jahvid was right behind DeSean and looking at him. Then Jahvid went (past him a bit), and then out of respect he kind of pulled off a little bit, and DeSean went ahead. But I think that's just because Jahvid's a nice guy."

On the flanks, the Bears lost arguably their best receiving tandem in quite awhile and are green in terms of both age and experience. But as Tedford put it, the team lost small, fast receivers and return big, fast receivers. He mentioned Marvin Jones, Charles Satchell and Jarrett Sparks as some of the guys who have the ability to compete as newcomers.

Across the line of scrimmage, the defense returns almost everyone, but its formation remains in transition. The depth at linebacker spurred a shift to a 3-4 scheme, and the nose tackle slot is still up for grabs.

Judging from how things are today, a rotation might deem appropriate.

"Mika (Kane), (Derrick) Hill, Mike Costanzo -- all those guys are kind of in the mix," Tedford said. "(Freshman Kendrick) Payne actually did a great job in the spring. He really reminds me of (Brandon) Mebane. I think he's got a lot of the same qualities as Mebane had, but he's still a puppy. Shoot, he's still, you know, in high school. We'll see how it goes because he really worked hard to make the transition in the spring ... I would think he could make a push here."

The message is clear, perhaps even more so than in previous seasons -- everyone's getting a piece of the pie, or at the very least a chance to sit at the table.

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