The Chicago Bears waiver wire process was bound to be active given the depth concerns at some points of the roster. Sure enough GM Ryan Pace didn’t disappoint. Though other teams made more claims, he pinpointed three players that could help this team. First was a long snapper in Andrew DePaola as well as preseason standout running back Taquan Mizzell. However, the most intriguing name of the three had to be Tre McBride.
Out of William & Mary, he was a seventh round pick of the Tennessee Titans in 2015. Since then McBride has made nine catches for 130 yards in nine appearances. In that times he’s hovered between the practice squad and the main roster. After the Titans made a significant investment to their receiving corps this offseason, the writing appeared on the wall.
#Bears claimed LS Andrew DePaola, WR Tre McBride and RB Taquan Mizzell off waivers
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) September 3, 2017
Bears waiver wire move for McBride could yield something
Most will dismiss this move as a depth option but is it? McBride was highly productive in college and there’s also something else worth noting. The coaching staff that drafted him was thrown into turmoil after head coach Ken Whisenhunt was fired. Things changed after that. The new guys in charge never really gave him a chance. They transitioned to a run-heavy scheme and he was left in limbo.
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Draft experts really liked McBridge too. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com was a big fan. Though he went in the seventh round, Zierlein felt he could go as high as the third. He explained why.
“Good NFL size and physically dominated opponents when the ball was in the air. Makes circus catches look easy and appears fearless in the air. Elite high-point ability with outstanding body control, ball tracking and concentration. Plucks the ball out of the air. Excellent catch radius that saved his quarterback one or two incompletions per game. Will catch in traffic with ability to tuck-in, absorb blow and hang onto ball. Adjusts well to low throws. Competitive runner after the catch.”
Others tended to agree with that assessment.
For inquiring minds, here's new Bears WR Tre McBride's 2015 scouting report via Nolan Nawrocki pic.twitter.com/JUV5F3eg7V
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) September 3, 2017
McBride ran a 4.41 in the 40-yard dash and also scored high in the 20-yard shuttle. This indicates he not only has speed but also quickness. It showed a number of times in his route running. He has a knack getting out of his stance with suddenness and knows how to hand fight defensive backs to gain some space. Also he has a good feel for finding dead spots in zone coverage.
Tre McBride (@Uno_Dos_Tre3) out here making PLAYS in the RED ZONE with the 1st stringers! LET'S GO TRIBE!!! pic.twitter.com/WeRj0KQoac
— W&M Sports Blog (@wmsportsblog) August 27, 2017
He’s also a noted special teams player as well. So how good can he be? It all depends on the chance the Bears are willing to give him. McBride has shown he can be a playmaker. It’s a matter of whether a team understands what he does well and knowing how to exploit it. To be fair Dowell Loggains has seen his type before and done well with it.
