It is amazing how similar every Chicago Bears take by the national media is right now. None of them are different. It’s all the same. Justin Fields has no weapons or protection. He is doomed. The quarterback himself has disputed this claim, stating the offense has more talent than people think. GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus believe the same. None of this has changed people’s minds. As far as they’re concerned, the Bears are toothless.
So what do actual NFL people think? Dan Pompei of The Athletic spoke with three scouts across the league, asking their opinions on the Bears’ roster. While far from glowing, it appears they think there are some pieces to work with. The running back room led by David Montgomery is solid. Cole Kmet has a chance to be pretty good at tight end. Darnell Mooney isn’t a star-caliber receiver, but he’s solid. Scouts agree there isn’t anything else proven at the receiver position, but they did hint the group has some hidden potential.
Scout A says Dante Pettis looked like a No. 2 wide receiver at one point. “I don’t know what happened to him,” he says.
Of Equanimeous St. Brown, Scout A says, “He’s pretty average. You really like the size, but he hasn’t stayed healthy. He’s a possession guy who will try to block you out.”
Third-round pick Velus Jones Jr. could make his presence felt. Scout C believes initially, it will be more as an offensive weapon and special teams player than a wide receiver. Scout A says, “You can feel his speed. He could end up being a good pick, but he’s really raw.”
The Chicago Bears feel better coaching can unlock these guys.
Pettis is a fascinating name. He never missed a game in college and scored 22 touchdowns over his final two years at Washington. His decent size and sharp route-running skills are why he got drafted in the 2nd round in 2018. He had a strong rookie season too, posting 467 yards and five touchdowns in only 12 games with the San Francisco 49ers. So what happened? It comes down to two factors. He suffered multiple knee injuries that first year. Then in the following off-season, the 49ers signed Emmanuel Sanders and drafted Deebo Samuel.
That was it. Pettis was cut in November of 2020. He landed with the New York Giants and didn’t get many opportunities to play. The Chicago Bears scooped him up this past off-season to see if he was salvageable. Pettis responded with a strong preseason and seemed to have the confidence of Justin Fields.
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As for Jones, he’s missed several practices due to a hamstring issue. Yet during his lone appearance last month, he popped off a 48-yard punt return. His explosiveness is real. The rookie is dangerous with the ball in his hands. The scout is correct. If he learns how to run advanced routes, NFL defensive backs will lose sleep at night. Yes, the Bears likely don’t have enough firepower this year. Please don’t say they have nothing, though. It’s not true.
Shades of Kevin White but hopefully, this is just temporary.
You have to be pretty stupid to blame a GM for injuries that happen to NFL football players. — don’t you?
It is much more fun to be an overachieving underdog than an underachieving favorite.
Velus probably hasn’t ran as much in his college days as he has in this training camp. Welcome to the big boys league!
for fucks sake why can rookies stay healthy
What’s with our luck with rookies being injured before they even take the field. Would be nice to see an entire draft suit up for week 1 for a change. Velus Jones definitely showed he has 4.3 speed on the field with pads on.