Injury to Camarillo could result in an increased role for Bess

About how he's ready to take the starting job left open due to Greg Camarillo's injury, Bess (who understands all 3 WR positions) said:
''I'm getting more and more confident each week. I'm continuing to work hard. Now, I feel like I need to stay ready. I know every position on the field. That goes for all of the receivers, just in case something like this happened. So we're all prepared.'' (Miami Herald)

MH Note: "Bess, who has 24 catches and 275 yards this season, had the best game of his career Sunday. Four of Bess' five catches against the Patriots resulted in first downs for Miami, and three of them came during critical third-down situations."

MH Note: "If indeed Bess moved into the starting role at wide receiver, he also would replace Camarillo as the team's primary example of an overachieving player. Bess, a rookie who was passed up in the draft, could suddenly be vaulted onto a different stage."

About how he might need to replace Camarillo as their starting WR, Bess said:
"I'm always ready when my number is called. This is an opportunity to step up. Too bad it had to be in this type of situation, losing a key guy. Wherever coaches want me, where they need me, I'm ready to step up." (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)

Asked if Bess has showed him that he's ready to be a starter in the NFL, Miami head coach Tony Sparano said:
"There are opportunities for a lot of guys right now out there. I thought Bess did some good things yesterday, I really did. Really, I think he's done some good things in the last couple two, three weeks. He's caught the ball in the middle of the field, made some big first downs yesterday; it was good to see him run after the catch. I'm not quite sure, I didn't really look at it, what our run after catch yards were yesterday, but I bet that was pretty high, too. I'm sure those guys are evaluating that, saying that's too many yards after the catch, too." (SFSS)

SFSS Note: "Davone Bess will likely get the first shot, and he's proven himself to be that quarterback-friendly type of receiver Pennington usually favors. Bess has learned every receiver spot since rookie camp, and the rookies experiences at Hawaii have taught him how to find open zones."

About Camarillo's injury, Bess said:
"It's definitely devastating. He took me and some of the younger guys under his wing. I'm always ready when my number is called. It's an opportunity for me to step up.'' (Palm Beach Post)

PBP note: "Bess, an undrafted rookie, is coming off a career game (five catches, 87 yards). He had never had more than three catches or 50 receiving yards prior to Sunday. He has two catches or less eight times; Camarillo has two catches one time and never less. The drop-off at WR from Ginn and Bess is incredible. Brandon London and Ernest Wilford each have one catch this season. Wilford, a five-year veteran with 142 NFL catches, has been inactive seven games."