Anybody who knows the landscape of Chicago Bears media understands that it is a “difficult” group to impress. After 32 years without a championship and limited playoff runs of late, they’ve become conditioned to be skeptical of everything this organization does. So whenever they sign or draft a new player and say he’s got the potential to be great they nod along. All the while rolling their eyes. It’s the same song and dance they’ve heard before. Thing is though. It’s totally different when they, the pessimistic media can’t help but gush over a player.
When the Bears finished the 2017 NFL draft, they had five players total. It’s hard to get excited about that. People were expecting a significant influx of young bodies. Especially after the team went 3-13 the year before. How can five rookies help change that? Well it appears that GM Ryan Pace was focused less on quantity and more on quality.
The buzz around the class is quite strong, and in a positive way. Mitch Trubisky, Eddie Jackson and Tarik Cohen have each drawn praise for their talent and rapid progress in practice. However, none has had the Bears community mouths agape in awe more often than second round pick Adam Shaheen.
Bears media can’t find anything wrong with Shaheen
Most people shrugged off his selection in the draft. Him? Impossible to think he could be good. He’s nothing more than a former basketball player. From a Division II program no less. Maybe he might have some success down the road, but not for a long time. Except that’s not the case. Day after day and practice after practice the search continues for flaws in the rookies’ game.
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Thus far that search has come up empty. Sure like most tight ends Shaheen could use some polish on his blocking but even that is further along than expected. Go around the Bears media pool and the praise has been universal. Not to mention optimistic.
Bears rookie TE Adam Shaheen went up over a defender for a one-handed touchdown. He has consistently looked the part in practice.
— Chris Emma (@CEmma670) August 4, 2017
Sanchez➡️Adam Shaheen for diving TD catch in red zone work. Rookie keeps impressing.
— Eric Edholm (@Eric_Edholm) August 7, 2017
Shaheen's size and speed make him lethal all over the field, but especially when placed in the slot. #Bears #BearsCamp pic.twitter.com/bubFJZjILj
— Will Ingalls (@WillIngalls) July 30, 2017
Dan Durkin of the The Athletic, who has a history of negative barbs towards the Bears, couldn’t help but marvel at Shaheen.
“Adam Shaheen stood out not only physically, but also for his vacuum-like catching ability. The rookie tight end showed sticky hands, snagging everything thrown in his direction. What was particularly impressive was his concentration in traffic. Even with defenders draped all over him, he created separation both with his frame and feet.”
Kyle Long comparison clinches it
The most startling admission though was reserved for Adam Hoge of WGN. Understand that these men and women are conditioned to avoid big statements whenever possible. They stick to the results and leave their opinions out of it. Hopefully this will make clear how shocking it was when Hoge admitted something about Shaheen.
“Pace used his first two second round picks on “plug-and-play” starters in Eddie Goldman and Cody Whitehair, and he may have hit the trifecta with tight end Adam Shaheen. I’m big on first impressions once the pads go on in training camp — typically when a high draft pick immediately looks like he belongs, it means he belongs.
So far, Shaheen has looked every bit the part. He’s huge, he can run, and he catches everything. Everything. In fact, I can only recall one drop in all the practices reporters have been permitted to watch since rookie minicamp back in May…
…This is my seventh Bears training camp and, without going too far overboard, I’m honestly struggling to think of another rookie who has been this impressive two weeks into camp. Kyle Long is pretty much the only one who comes to mind, as it was easy to peg him as a starter early in Bourbonnais. Shaheen looks like the real deal.”
Indeed my own initial impressions reflect the same. Amazing as it sounds this Division II prospect who used to be a basketball player may be the most pro-ready of the Bears draft class. He looked like he belonged from the first snap of minicamps. Nothing has changed that opinion since then. Shaheen is a matchup nightmare every time he steps on the field. He’s too big for defensive backs and too fast for linebackers.
How do you stop that? As Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham have shown in the past, you don’t. All a defense can hope for is if that player makes his own mistakes. That is the ceiling we’re talking about with Shaheen and, apparently, are no longer afraid to.
