The NFL has always been a league that rewards the teams who are most innovative. Teams that are able to change how they approach the game before anybody else can. It was true of the 49ers in the 1980s, the Broncos of the 1990s, and the Patriots of the 2000s. Seems there is a new trend starting to sweep the league. That of the undersized but speedy weapon being used like a Swiss Army knife. Tyreek Hill keeps leading that charge in Kansas City and recent Chicago Bears offseason moves prove they’re try to find their own version.
Most people would say Hill and counterparts like Taylor Gabriel in Atlanta are just fast wide receivers, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. While it’s true catching the football is a big part of what they do, how they’re use goes far beyond that. These guys are lined up everywhere from outside the hashes to in the backfield. They catch passes also take hand-offs and tosses. All of it is designed to keep defenses guessing.
Everything about what the Bears have done over the past six months screams that they’re on the lookout for one such weapon of their own.
Chicago Bears offseason Tarik Cohen and Taquan Mizzell moves drop hint
Anybody who watched the 2017 NFL kickoff game between New England and Kansas City showcased exactly why Hill can be so valuable. His mix of speed and quickness made it a nightmare for the Patriots to corral him. Along with the creative play calling of head coach Andy Reid, it almost wasn’t fair most of the night.
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Based on two key moves made by GM Ryan Pace since April, the Bears clearly see the value of having this type of weapon. It started with the drafting of North Carolina A&T running back Tarik Cohen. Though on the shorter side at 5’6″, it didn’t take him long to showcase similar traits to Hill from the quickness and agile running style to the speed to reach the second level in a hurry.
Cohen probably isn’t quite as fast as Hill but he’s still got the same ability to give the defense headaches. Then if that weren’t enough, the Bears double down a couple months later. Following the large round of roster cuts by every team on September 2nd, the team made three pickups on the waiver wire. One of them was former Ravens running back Taquan Mizzell. The man known as “Smoke” also had a reputation for creating mismatches at Virginia in college.
These moves tend to benefit quarterbacks with limitations
The Chiefs have proven just how valuable a weapon like this can be. Especially for a quarterback who might be limited throwing the ball down the field. Someone like say, a Mike Glennon? Indeed for all the talk about his size, smarts and leadership the 28-year old veteran was never known for his deep accuracy. Glennon is a game manager who plays a horizontal style. If that’s the case then have a fast utility weapon like Cohen or Mizzell on the field is an instant benefit because they know how to create yards for themselves.
Given how suspect the Bears are at wide receiver, their presence matters even more. It will be fascinating to see how offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains uses them. He didn’t feature Cohen in the passing game at all during preseason. That was probably on purpose. He won’t show his hand until the games matter. This means Atlanta could be in store for one or two surprises.
