BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – After receiver Earl Bennett beat tight coverage from Nate Vasher to haul in a long pass from Jay Cutler Sunday at training camp, a fan yelled from the bleachers: “Earl Bennett’s going to Hawaii!”

The Pro Bowl actually will be played at the site of the Super Bowl in Miami this season before returning to Hawaii the following year. But the understandable mistake didn’t detract from the point: Bennett has performed exceptionally well since the Bears arrived in Bourbonnais and could be primed for a breakout season.

Receiver Earl Bennett has been working with the No. 1 offense opposite Devin Hester in training camp.

That, of course, would be a huge departure from his rookie year in 2008, when the third-round draft pick from Vanderbilt didn’t catch any passes. But it wouldn’t be an unexpected progression, at least not as far as Bears receivers coach Darryl Drake is concerned.

“What a difference a year makes on anybody, and that’s what people have to understand,” Drake said. “When you get to this league and you get into the offense we’re in, it takes time.

“After two years, everybody was ready to write off Bernard Berrian when he was here: 'He can’t play, this and that.' He’s [now] one of the elite players in the league and it took him close to three years.

“It’s not going to happen right away, it’s just not. I haven’t seen it. A guy can maybe go in and function and do some things, but he’s nowhere near where he’ll be in a year or two years.

“Earl is different [this year] because he is more confident, he understands the offense, and he understands where to be and where to line up in a lot of different formations.”

On the ball: Bears defensive backs displayed their ball skills in Sunday’s practice as rookie cornerback D.J. Moore and safety Josh Bullocks had interceptions and cornerback Zackary Bowman stripped the ball from Devin Hester after Hester had reached high to pluck a pass out of the air.  

Moore’s interception came on a Caleb Hanie pass that deflected first off cornerback Corey Graham and then receiver Juaquin Iglesias, while Moore’s came on a deep Brett Basanez throw intended for Rashied Davis.

On track: Coach Lovie Smith has been pleased with the progress the Bears have made while conducting five practices during the first four days of training camp.

“We have a lot of stuff to install still,” Smith said. “For the most part we’re just putting in some of the situational defenses and offenses we have right now. But I feel like we got better.

“Whenever there aren’t any major injuries, training camp is going pretty good. I feel like we’re going to be a good football team. I see some of our playmakers making plays from day-to-day. I feel like we’re right on schedule right now after a couple of days.”

Cat’s meow: Hester ran one play out of the Wildcat formation Sunday, taking a shotgun snap and running with the ball. Cutler split out wide as a receiver on the play.

“You noticed that?” Smith said to a reporter who asked him about the play. “We ran it one play, but everyone seems to notice that. It seems like it’s catching on in the league. We’re all talking a lot about it. We have some guys that can do things like that. Whether it’s Devin Hester or Garrett Wolfe, we have some players that can play in that role. Jay Cutler’s an athlete, too, so who knows? We may throw him a pass out there too.”

Smith later clarified that he was joking about Cutler being utilized as a receiver.

One-liners: Linebackers Lance Briggs and Hunter Hillenmeyer sat out Sunday’s practice with soreness but are expected to return Monday. … A crowd estimated at more than 11,000 Sunday was the largest to attend practice since the Bears moved their training camp to Olivet Nazarene University in 2002. … Brad Maynard looked to be in midseason form, booming long punts that consistently landed a few feet from the sideline.