Dowell Loggains spent most of his press conference this week following the loss to Detroit singing the praises of Mitch Trubisky. That’s not a surprise. Loggains is a former quarterback himself and it’s clear he’s thrilled with the progress his young understudy is making. However, this made it easy to miss another emergence last Sunday.
That was second round pick Adam Shaheen. The tight end from Ashland had been conspicuously absent on offense aside from blocking duties through the first eight games. That has changed the past two weeks. Shaheen has six catches for 80 yards and a touchdown between the games against the Packers and Lions. His ability as a weapon in the passing game shows up more and more each week.
The nickname “Baby Gronk” is starting to become relevant and Bears fans are excited. Shaheen is the fourth member of the 2017 draft class to make a significant impression as a starter this season. So much in fact that people have already forgotten about veteran Dion Sims, including Loggains himself.
Dowell Loggains would prefer to ride it out with Shaheen
Sims was the primary tight end alongside Zach Miller for the first half of this season. He was a solid blocker and decent target in the pass game. However he developed a reputation for dropping the ball. Then he misses the past few weeks with some sort of illness. What that could get the Bears in trouble with the law if they were disclose it.
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Regardless it now appears he’s back at practice and ready to resume his role. Turns out though Loggains may not be wild about that. When asked about how Sims’ return would affect Shaheen’s playing time, the offensive coordinator left no room for doubt.
Dowell Loggains when asked if Dion Sims’ return would impact Adam Shaheen’s snaps: “We don’t want to slow down [Shaheen’s] progress. … He’s earned the playing time the last two weeks."
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) November 22, 2017
There isn’t really a way around that line. Loggains stated quite clearly that the plan moving forward is to keep playing Shaheen. Sims will certainly get snaps but likely not what he’d been given the first half of the season. This essentially makes him the latest lesson teaching point in the NFL.
“If a young, talented player is behind you on the depth chart? Don’t get hurt.”
Like Mike Glennon with Trubisky a few weeks back Sims found a way to derail his opportunity. The fact it was by an illness makes it that much more painful. Such things are uncontrollable.
On the bright side the progression of Shaheen offers the Bears offense another viable weapon. Together with Trubisky and Tarik Cohen this rookie crop has a chance to become the core of something special.
