Johnny Knox emphasized Thursday that he has no plans to seek a trade after being demoted to the second team. "I'm a Bear, and I want to stay a Bear for life," Knox said. Asked about a Chicago Tribune report that he could push for a trade, Knox responded, "I could see where people were coming from, but it was basically people trying to stir something up." WRs coach Darryl Drake insists Knox will be an "integral" part of the offense even if he doesn't start. Either way, it kills his draft value.

Johnny Knox may push for a trade out of Chicago if he doesn't win back his starting job, a source tells the Chicago Tribune.

Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz cited "inconsistency" when discussing Johnny Knox's demotion out of the starting lineup Wednesday. "Johnny's very, very talented. He's very young and he's still learning how to play," Martz said. "Guys like Johnny just need to learn to be consistent." Deep threat-needy teams like the Ravens would be remiss to not make a phone call about Knox, who's now a fourth receiver in Chicago. He has cheap salaries through the 2012 season, and might only cost a mid- to late-round pick.

The Bears released their initial preseason depth chart on Wednesday, and Johnny Knox is listed as the second-string X receiver behind Roy Williams. The Bears don't know an effective receiver when they see one, so we won't pretend to be surprised. Williams is a downgrade from Knox in terms of separation skills and pass-catching reliability. Knox may play in some four-wide sets, but he'll now only regain fantasy relevance if Williams got injured. He's the No. 4 receiver behind Williams, Devin Hester, and slot man Earl Bennett.

Bears WRs coach Darryl Drake has advised Johnny Knox not to read into the early-camp depth chart at receiver. "You just get yourself back out there and get ready to go," added Drake. Knox has missed a couple of practices with lower back pain, but it's not believed to be serious. Though Roy Williams and Devin Hester have been working with the starters, Drake insists competition will determine the final depth chart. We find it hard to believe the Bears would bench a still developing Knox with two impressive seasons under his belt.

Bears special teams coordinator Dave Toub plans to install Johnny Knox as the primary kickoff returner now that Danieal Manning is in Houston. Knox was a Pro Bowl returner as a rookie, averaging 29 yards per return in 2009. The increased special teams role is the second ominous sign we've seen for Knox's fantasy value in as many days. It suggests his offensive snaps could be reduced after Roy Williams was working ahead of him in Thursday's practice.

ESPN Chicago notes that Roy Williams worked with the first team and Johnny Knox was with the second team in Thursday's practice. We're not reading too much into this, but it's a little surprising that Knox was relegated in Williams' very first practice as a Bear. It's likely just a case of the Bears trying to get Williams' confidence up after his disastrous stint in Dallas. We're fully expecting Mike Martz to get his two best wideouts on the field simultaneously.

Johnny Knox said he focused on improving his upper-body strength this offseason. Knox was downright skinny when he led the Bears wideouts with 960 yards and five touchdowns a year ago. While Roy Williams figures to slice into Knox's targets this season, more strength should allow the speedster to catch more balls in traffic. There's still upside here.

Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz insists that adding a big wide receiver is not a priority in his system. Though the Chicago media has pushed hard for the Bears to add a big, physical wideout, Martz's offenses with the Rams utilized receivers 6-feet-tall or smaller. "It makes absolutely no difference," said Martz. "... Generally, the guys that can change direction and run fast - those are the kinds of guys that you're looking for. If he's a big guy that can do all that, that's a rare find. A lot of times, those guys are more 5-10 guys."