When thinking about Ted Ginn Jr., it’s hard to nail down where he stands with the Chicago Bears. He signed a minimal contract to join the team. He’s 35-years old which is up there for wide receivers. He was probably the #4 option at best with his previous team the New Orleans Saints. So is it wise to consider him a lock to even make the roster? Let alone be a primary contributor.
Yes. At least NFL insider Adam Caplan thinks so. During a recent column for Inside The Birds, he covered a range of topics. One of them centered around the changes Chicago has made to their offensive weaponry. Specifically, a keen desire to improve their overall speed. According to his sources, the coaching staff has big plans for Ginn. Perhaps even more than the most optimistic projections had.
“While veteran WR Allen Robinson had a terrific season in 2019 (98-1147-7 TD), teams that played against the Bears said it wasn’t hard to defend them due to the lack of speed on offense.
Other than RB Tarik Cohen, the Bears didn’t come into this off-season with anyone that teams really had to worry about, which is why they added veteran WR Ted Ginn.
Ginn, who turned 35 in April, will likely be the team’s starting “Z” receiver, I’m told.”
Ted Ginn Jr. is essentially taking over for Taylor Gabriel
Both head coach Matt Nagy and wide receivers coach Mike Furrey are big admirers of Ginn. They both insist he has plenty of juice left in those legs. Last season showcased it. While he didn’t make a lot of catches, he still provided a number of big plays down the field. That sort of speed is a requirement for “Z” receivers since they play off the line of scrimmage and are often put in motion.
Ginn has the sort of versatility to make him a weapon for a creative coaching staff. One must not forget he has a long history of being a great return man. That is almost guaranteed to be something Nagy tries to exploit. Not to mention his ability to run vertical routes down the field. It’s hoped the fear he instills in secondaries will open up opportunities for Allen Robinson and Anthony Miller underneath.
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By the sound of things, the veteran will be more of a factor in the offense than many expect.