This is an outgrowth of the need for bears to find a wide receiver and strengthen the running hull, but they will not complain.
While seeking help and retrieval, the bears may now have the deepest group of returning men in the NFL.
At least they could lead the league to something positive.
The creation of Welus Jones at a wide successor and then Trestan Ebner provided them with two of the most dynamic returning football players to college, and they already had a handful of potentially effective players running these places. As a result, Special Team Coordinator Richard Hightower will be able to choose and choose.
“So that’s a good problem,” Hightower said.
Hightower and scouts watched a video of Jones running 4.31 seconds in a 40-yard run and seeing a threat to break away not only to get the ball, but to return it.
“We reviewed every return he has ever returned a soccer ball, and then we review those where he has caught them honestly,” Hightower said. “So, not one in particular. You just look at each one differently and look at the decision making and see what type of decisions he makes.
“Is he fearless?” Does he catch the ball? Does it become vertical? Is he aggressive and is he someone you want to add to your football team? And we all felt that way, so we’re excited to have it. I think he is excited to be here and that is evident through his preparation in the meetings and he showed that on the field. ”
Here’s what they have now as potential returning men. That’s almost enough to make them forget that they had Jaykim Grant last year and Tariq Cohen and Cordarel Patterson two years earlier as high-profile men.
almost.
WR Velus Jones
He returned 122 shots for Tennessee and the USC for 2,973 yards, an average of 24.4 yards and two touchdowns. He also returned some shots, not many, but was extremely efficient with an average of 15.1 yards for 18 returns. He might do both for the bears. As Hightower said, “I imagine anyone who has a helmet on them to do both. So if someone has a helmet, we’ll train them both, and then we’ll see what they can do best, and we’ll “put the best person out there who helps the bears succeed.”
RB Trestan Ebner
He averaged 25.3 yards on 47 returns with a three-touch kick in Baylor, and also returned 28 hinges for an average of 6.8 yards and one TD.
“He’s really fast,” Hightower said. “He covers the ball well. He defends the ball well, which is good for a young player. When he runs away with her, he protects her well. This can be seen even in offensive training when I look from the side. sometimes. But he has speed and explosiveness and he is impatient. ”
RB Khalil Herbert
In addition to running 433 yards last year, Herbert responded with 27 kicks for the bears, averaging 24.1 yards. In college, he averaged 26.9 yards for 18 strokes. As a backup now, the team may want to reduce its return, although this remains to be seen.
WR Byron Pringle
For Kansas City in the last three seasons, he gave 37 shots and averaged an outstanding 26.6 yards with one TD. Last season for the Chiefs, he made 25 of 37 returns with an average of 24.8 yards. Like Herbert, Pringle played a vital role in the attack as a successor to №2, at least until Jones learned the NFL game well enough to climb the rookie ladder. So he may not get a chance to return.
RB Darinton Evans
He returned 56 strikes for an average length of 25.7 yards with three touchdowns in the Appalachian State, then went to the Titans in Round 3 of the 2020 draft and suffered two seasons confused with injuries. He missed his entire college season in 2017 with a muscle injury behind the knee joint, then recovered and in the NFL missed the first two games of 2020 with a hamstring injury. He continued eight games with an injured reserve when he aggravated that injury. In 2021, he suffered a knee sprain during the pre-season and missed six games, then injured him again in week 7 and went to reserve for injuries at the end of the season.
RB De’Montre Tuggle
An undefeated free agent for the University of Ohio, who distinguished himself as a defender, but also gave 28 shots for an average of 24.1 yards with two touchdowns.
WR Dazz Newsome
He regained six points at the end of the season for an average of 12.5 yards after leaving the training team as a rookie. Last year in North Carolina, he ended his career, averaging 11.1 yards on 48 strokes, including one TD. In 2018, he averaged 15.1 yards with that TD.
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WR Dante Pettis
He set an NCAA record with nine TDs to return shots while in Washington, D.C., then not used so much on returns and not effective when he was with the 49ers and Giants. He returned 41 pints in the NFL for an average of 3.2 yards.
WR David Moore
At times, returning with punches in addition to passing passes to the Seahawks, Moore returned 22 to Seattle and then three to Green Bay last year. He has an average of 8.8 yards of rematch.
WR Planting Webster
He spent most of last year on the bear training team, but managed to return four shots in just 3.3 yards. He previously spent two seasons with Rams and averaged 6.0 yards on 36 NFL returns. He also responded with 18 strikes for Rams for an average of 22.4 yards.
WR Chris Finke
A former Notre Dame player who signed as a free agent on the street with the bears, he returned 73 shots for Fighting Irish for an average of 8.2 yards.
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