The Chicago Bears draft visit schedule is not letting up anytime soon. That’s no surprise. GM Ryan Pace is right in his comfort zone. The former scout lives for this time of year and notorious for his attention to detail. He’s not only meeting with top names in the draft. He’s reportedly done the same with projected undrafted free agents. His goal is clearly to land as much talent as humanly possible.
This shouldn’t be a surprise. Pace is starving for a winner in 2018. His first three seasons resulted in arguably the worst stretch of Bears football ever. Granted, he inherited an old and depleted roster when he took over. Rebuilding something from scratch takes time. Still, there is only so much patience in an organization. He has to start winning soon.
That’s why Pace overhauled the coaching staff and spent a ton of money in free agency. So far people are impressed with his work. The draft could put it over the top. He just has to get the picks right. This does bring up an interesting question. Would he be more open to taking risks there as well? Based on news of a recent visit, that may be the case.
Chicago Bears draft visit set to include LSU mystery Arden Key
There may be no more gifted and frustrating draft prospect in the 2018 class than LSU pass rusher Arden Key. From a physical standpoint, he’s a freak. At 6’6″, 240 lbs he’s got the size and length of a defensive end but shows on tape the athleticism of a linebacker. Under normal circumstances, he’d be a first round lock. So what’s the problem?
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A number of things actually. Key dealt with health issues in 2017 and he delivered a disappointing year with just 5.5 sacks. This after notching 12.5 in 2016. Not only that but he had a number of off-the-field problems at LSU. So much so that he had to take a leave of absence from the team for a time. Some have compared his situation to former Cowboys second round pick, Randy Gregory. Not a good name to be associated with.
Teams are anxious to meet with Key and see where his head is at. How committed is he to football and getting better? The Bears are among those who wish to find out.
“The itinerary is sure to be a whirlwind experience for one of the 2018 NFL Draft’s top pass rushers. Beginning Monday and over the next 12 days, he’ll buzz through at least six NFL towns and squeeze in a pair of private workouts in the following order:
» Washington Redskins visit
» Tennessee Titans visit
» Private workout at LSU with the San Francisco 49ers
» Private workout at LSU with the New Orleans Saints
» San Francisco 49ers visit
» Chicago Bears visit
» Dallas Cowboys visit
» New Orleans Saints visit”
Key is not the typical sort of player Pace targets.
He tends to prefer those of extremely high character. See Mitch Trubisky for a recent example. So why would he have interest in somebody like Key? Two reasons. The first? A new coaching staff. One of the men who likely avoided the enigmatic personalities was John Fox. It’s no coincidence that Brandon Marshall and Martellus Bennett were traded during his time as head coach. He does not like players who are potential distractions. The same went for Alshon Jeffery.
That shouldn’t be a problem with Matt Nagy. The former Chiefs offensive coordinator is no stranger to dealing with players who have personality. Travis Kelce, a notorious wild man, is a good example. He was also there for the Marcus Peters run as well. Nagy learned from Andy Reid how to manage players like that. So perhaps these new Bears would be more open to somebody like Key.
The other reason? Need.
Chicago’s situation at edge rusher is less than ideal. Three of their former starters in Pernell McPhee, Willie Young, and Lamarr Houston are gone. Only Leonard Floyd and Aaron Lynch are left on the roster who bring credible experience. Worst of all Floyd is coming off a knee injury that ended his season last year. They sorely need help in that area.
Key could be just the boost they need. Most of his problems are technique-related. Easily solved by Vic Fangio. What they must assess is whether he’s ready to put in the work. If he is, this guy has Pro Bowls in his future.
