"It wasn't too many years ago that the Bears were having a meeting involving ownership and coaches, and according to a member of the coaching staff at the time, Virginia McCaskey lamented the team's lack of production at tight end.

Ownership no doubt is in a much more comfortable place now when examining the depth chart. The case could be made that tight end is the Bears' strongest offensive position. In fact, you would have a hard time arguing otherwise.

While the identity of the starting wide receivers remains a mystery a week into training camp, the Bears are using more double-tight formations than ever. One of the dominant ones in the passing game has been the Ace package, in which Greg Olsen replaces fullback Jason McKie. It's an interesting formation because Olsen has been lining up all over the place -- at fullback, in the slot and split wide. He and Desmond Clark are paired with two receivers in a one-back formation, and the possibilities are numerous.

The idea is to get a favorable matchup with Clark and Olsen on smaller or slower defenders, but to make it work, the offense must prove it is not only willing, but also effective in runningl out of the formation.

In practice, the defense initially defended the Ace with a nickel package, taking strong-side linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer out in favor of defensive back Danieal Manning. The offense ran the defense out of the look, and now it's a matter of down and distance. Offensive coordinator Ron Turner expects that what will happen during the season, but Olsen is a wild card for opponents.

''We've got two real good tight ends,'' Turner said. ''We've got to get them on the field. We're working those guys in a lot of different places and trying to do some different things with them.''

They have to be careful how they use Olsen, who struggled with his blocking last season. He's not a fullback, and Turner can't get carried away trying to make him something he's not. Olsen fell to the Bears at No. 31 in the 2007 draft in part because he was considered a one-dimensional pass catcher.

But spreading a defense into a nickel look will give the Bears an edge running, and it could become an effective weapon in the red zone. Clark and Olsen combined for six touchdowns last season. Bears wide receivers had 11.

''Greg is able to do all that stuff, coming out of the backfield and lining him up at different positions all over the field, lining him up in the slot, out wide and in the backfield,'' Clark said. ''Teams are not going to be able to key on one particular thing he can do, and we can create matchups that way.''

Olsen might be best utilized split wide. He has the speed of Muhsin Muhammad and is a bigger target. There's plenty of shifting and motion, and the entire offense remains a work in progress."