One of the things that make Bill Belichick such a successful coach isn’t just his scheme mastery. It’s his desire to find and acquire players that he believes can do more than one thing well. The more versatile the player, the more useful he is to the team. That is why the New England Patriots signed Cordarrelle Patterson and now it’s why the Chicago Bears have done the same.
Matt Nagy sounded like he could barely contain his excitement at the idea of employing Patterson’s unique skills on the field. The Bears head coach has already developed a reputation for being a mad scientist when it comes to designing creative plays. The idea of handing him a multitool like Patterson is a scary thought. Especially given all he can do.
In a recent list of the top 10 most versatile players in the NFL today, longtime insider Ted Nguyen broke down why Patterson can be such a headache for opponents.
“Although Patterson never lived up to his draft spot as a wide receiver after being picked in the first round by the Minnesota Vikings, he’s building a pretty nice career as a receiver/ gadget player/ running back/ kick returner. In his career, Patterson has 5,326 kick return yards and 6 touchdowns — averaging 30 yards a return…
…Because of his sheer speed and excellent hands, he’ll make the occasion downfield pass but he’s targeted more on plays like tunnel screens where he can quickly get the ball in his hands and have space to work with.
Patterson has gotten handoffs on fly sweeps and reverses throughout his career but it’s totally different to have to line up in the backfield and run into the teeth of the defense. Last year, in Week 9, when the Patriots were short-handed at running back, Patterson filled in and looked like a natural — rushing for 61 yards on 11 carries (5.5 yards per carry).”
Chicago Bears know what they have in Cordarrelle Patterson
The Bears didn’t sign Patterson to become a savior. They signed him because he fixes one of their weakest roster spots (kick returner) and makes their offense instantly harder to defend. There is a myriad of ways Nagy will be able to line him up and either get him the ball or use him as a decoy to help others find space for big plays. Just like the Patriots did so often last season.
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The more you force a defense to think, the less speed they play with. When that happens, chunk plays tend to follow. Chicago won’t need Patterson to rescue them. They have a talented football team. What they want from him is exactly what he’s done for years now. Wait for his chance to get the football and then make something happen. The exact way the Bears should’ve used Devin Hester all those years ago.
