February 2, 201016 yr comment_77185 Martz oozes confidence at first press conference Posted by Evan Silva on February 1, 2010 7:30 PM ET The Bears' hire of Mike Martz as offensive coordinator is being criticized in some parts and praised in others. At Monday's introductory press conference, Martz touched on some of the developments that led up to his new position and his plans for the Bears' offense. Martz felt an "instant connection" with quarterback Jay Cutler when the two met for dinner in Nashville on Saturday night. "That happened to me with Jon Kitna the first time I met him, too," Martz said. "This was very interesting because we were on the same page on so many things." Kitna enjoyed his years under Martz, combining for 39 touchdown passes and throwing for over 4,000 yards in each of the seasons Martz called plays in Detroit. Martz added that the Bears have "plenty of talent" at wide receiver and says he's "real excited about the speed." So don't look for the Bears to trade for Brandon Marshall. Devin Aromashodu could be a 2010 fantasy sleeper. Martz also downplayed his alleged rift with current Bears defensive line coach Rod Marinelli, who fired Martz in Detroit after the '07 season. "I went to Detroit after I met Rod Marinelli," Martz said. "That's the only reason I went to Detroit. There's no issue there. It just doesn't exist." Bears G.M. Jerry Angelo, amid speculation to the contrary, said he is on board with the Martz hire: "Another misconception out there...We offer the job to one individual. Mike Martz." "We'll be hitting on all cylinders on opening day," Martz promised of his offense. "There is a lot of character in this group. They want to learn and that's the biggest part of it." Report
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